《Rise of the Eromancer》


 Chapter 1: Rhys Wilder, The Lowborn

    <h4>Chapter 1: Rhys Wilder, The Lowborn</h4>


    "Your mother or your sister, choose."


    "Please... please. Not mommy and Chloe!"


    "Choose. Your mother or your sister? Choose who dies in front of you."


    "No, no... Please... why are you doing this!?."


    "Well, since you''re not choosing...


    ...then I''ll just kill the two of them."


    "No... No!"


    It was a roar, a cry for help. But it didn''t really matter because no one listened; before, when it happened, and after. No one listened to his cries, no one listened to the cries of a little boy. Everyone just watched.


    The only one that responded to him when it was happening was his mother, who was shaking her head as if telling him that it was not his fault. But it is...


    ...and the world was not shy in showing that it was his fault that his mother died.


    "No!"


    "Rhys, if you''re not paying attention in ss then get the hell out!"


    "...Huh?"


    A nightmare, again¡ªNo, it would have been a blessing if it was just that. But for Rhys, it was a memory... a reminder of what he had done. It never leaves him and emerges each time when he thought he had finally forgotten. It didn''t care where he was; the guilt, the pain¡ªit tortures him at the most unexpected of times.


    And this time, it was in front of his whole ss.


    "Professor... I think he''s having another seizure!"


    "Gods damn it! Someone bring him to the clinic!"


    "No..." Rhys''s deep breaths echoed throughout the entire ss as he stepped away from his desk. The tone of his voice, lethargic but soothing at the same time.


    Half of his face waspletely covered by his messy ck hair.


    "I... don''t want to bother anyone, Professor Laurence. There''s no need to¡ª"


    "I can take him!"


    And before Rhys could even take another step, one of his ssmates raised his hand; carrying a smile on his face as he stood up from his seat.


    "No," and as soon as Rhys saw even a glimpse of the student''s red hair, quickly shook his head, "I can go by myself, Professor. I¡ª"


    "Just go!" It was obvious to the other students that Rhys didn''t want to be escorted out. Professor Laurence, however, just waved his hand; expressing his displeasure with a roll of his eyes,


    "Why are all of you Lowborns so stubborn? Just go! Your ssmate is already offering you a hand!"


    Lowborn.


    The term sounded degrading, but no one really batted an eye at the word¡ªbecause the majority of the world and its history shared the same sentiment.


    A thousand years ago, monsters emerged from below the Earth, digging their way up through the surface from what is known as the Underworld, the world beneath the world. They brought a war that the humans of that time were not equipped to face, and perhaps never would have been.


    The monsters came unexpectedly, rendering the humans'' weaponspletely useless.


    Their swords, spears, and bows could really only slow down the inevitable¡ªmankind''s annihtion. And they did not even slow it down enough to make a difference. Their numbers just dwindled. Their men fought in a futile war... just sacrifices so that the others could live even just the next day.


    But when all was lost and only a third of the humans remained, the Gods descended from the Heavens and made themselves known to the world¡ªThe Olympians.


    They were led by a supreme being called Zeus, a deity that was capable of summoning lightning that could turn the sky itself asunder. And with his legion and the other Olympians, they were able to drive out the monsters swiftly... ending a battle that would have wiped out mankind.


    The war, however, was not over.


    The Holes remained.


    The monsters hid and burrowed back deep into the Holes and into the Underworld. And when the gods left, they returned...


    ...but the gods could no longer offer any help.


    The time the gods could spend in the mortal realm was limited, all of them must return to the Heavens, or the bnce of the world will be destroyed by their very own presence¡ªexpediting mankind''s annihtion even faster.


    The gods, however, were merciful and divine. They were able to offer their help onest time through a blessing.


    They gave each and every woman on Earth a child.


    Half god, half mortal.


    The only thing that the humans needed to do was survive. Survive until their women give birth, survive until the blessing of the gods has grown up to fight their war¡ªand they did. They took care of the demigods, trained all of them to be warriors.


    And soon, mankind started reiming their world. The Demigods who have achieved much during this war were treated and hailed as heroes. And after years and years of fighting, the Surface once again belonged to the demigods¡ªno, to the New Humans.


    As time passed, all of the previous generations died out, leaving only the new humans to watch over the world.


    But as even more time passed, their blood started to be diluted. The demigods that were born from different or lesser gods mixed with the higher gods, staining their blood and causing them to be weaker; their powers clouded and hindered.


    There are those, however, who have managed to keep their bloodline pure. Uniting their families and keeping them in a closed circle; throughout the years, the world came to know these people as the Nobles¡ªhumans with the most potential to be the most powerful.


    There are those that have retained their abilities, but their growth and strength are limited due to thebination of their bloodline¡ªthe Commoners. And as their name suggests, they build up the majority of the poption.


    And then, there are Lowborns. Their blood, diluted to the point they barely even possess any abilities. Some would evenpare them to the humans of old; powerless and weak. They were considered to be ves until just 200 years ago, and were even almost wiped out during a war 80 years ago...


    ...and Rhys Wilder is considered to belong in this category.


    "I can go on my own," Rhys breathed out; the tone of his voice, slightly was slow...but it still held a clearness in it, "I don''t need¡ª"


    "There''s no need to be shy, Rhys," and once again, Rhys''s words were interrupted as the red-haired student, Lex, ced his arm around his shoulders. Rhys was forced to hunch, however, as he was almost a foot taller than his ssmate.


    "Ew!"


    And subtly, without anyone noticing, Lex hit Rhys''s stomach with his elbow. Or perhaps people did notice, they were just all looking the other way. Because of this, the girl sitting in front of Rhys could not help but yelp, as her hair was almost hit by whatever was inside Rhys''s mouth.


    "Look what you did, Rhys!" The professor wanted to throw the marker in his hand as he saw Rhys almost puking at his ssmate, "Just stop bothering the ss and go! Lex is already offering you a hand, man!"


    "Let''s go, let''s go," Lex forcefully dragged Rhys away with a friendly smile on his face.


    "Wait, professor," Rhys, however, still looked at his professor. But s, Professor Laurence just started waving his hand; not even bothering to look at Rhys anymore. He just shook his head and sighed as Rhys was dragged away by Lex.


    "Rhys is acting out again, they should expel the poor guy already."


    And with Rhys gone, his ssmates'' whispers quickly filled the entire room.


    "Stop being so insensitive. Didn''t you hear? They''re letting out the guy who killed his mother."


    "Wait, for real? What?"


    "Hm. I heard he''s even being scouted by the Cerberus guild."


    "What? Why!? The guy''s a psychopath."


    "You seriously don''t know? They found out that he was a Noble inside the prison, the blood of Poseidon runs deep¡ª"


    "Quiet!"


    And before the whispers could turn into tant chatter, Professor Laurence once again screamed; making everyone shut their mouthspletely.


    As for Rhys, he was now lying¡ªnot on a clinic bed, but on the cold tiles of thevatories.


    "How many times do I have to tell you not to stand out, you fucking Lowborn!?"


    "...Shit," Rhys was groveling on the cold, damp floor; blood, oozing from his mouth and the several cuts he now had on his face. Even then, however, he just gritted his teeth; his eyes that could barely be seen, still as clear as they could be.


    "You know what?" A chuckle then started to whisper inside thevatory as Lex grabbed a phone from his pocket, "You don''t like being filmed, right? So why don''t I stream your beating you so you would remember to know your¡ª!!!"


    And before Lex could finish his words, Rhys suddenly stood up from the floor; his entire body, moving like clockwork as his fist expertly hit Lex straight on the face, causing a loud snap to whip in the air.


    And yet... Lex''s face barely even moved a single millimeter.


    This difference in strength between a Lowborn and a Commoner may not be noticeable at first nce, but it exists. Oh... it exists¡ªand as Lex had a tiny tinge of blood of the mighty Demigod Herakles inside him, this difference is as clear as day.


    Compensate as much as he might with his physical body; training it to its peak...


    ...Rhys was just a Lowborn.


    "You..." Lex''s voice started to tremble in rage as he grabbed Rhys by his neck,


    "...You''re fucking dead now!"

 Chapter 2: Justice? What’s That?

    <h4>Chapter 2: Justice? What''s That?</h4>


    "Ma''am..."


    "Don''t you kids know how to knoc¡ªRhys!?"


    The Old York High School. Although it was one of the smallest high schools in the country of Amerka, it still boasted several alumni that made their names known throughout the entire country.


    Rhys is spending hisst year as a senior in the school; his stay,pletely sponsored by the government as a sort of personal relief fund for the tragedy he had experienced when he was younger. Suffice it to say, as a freeloader and a Lowborn, Rhys was not fully weed by most of the students and even some of the faculty.


    But if there was one person that made Rhys even just feel slightly wee, it was Katarina Lopez. But then again, she didn''t have a choice since she was the school''s doctor; her clinic, almost Rhys''s second home from the constant beatings through the 6 years he had been here.


    "What happened now!?" Katarina, who seemed to be filling in some paperwork, quickly stood up from her desk; her sses, dropping from her tanned face as she did so. The pair of sses did not fall to the floor, however, as it bounced from herrge bosoms that her shirt could barely contain before itnded on the desk.


    Katarina''s brown eyes reflected a young man leaning on the side of the door of her clinic; his blood, trickling to the floor.


    "I... just need antibiotics and I''m leaving, Dr. Lopez," Rhys gasped as he closed and locked the door behind him; his steps, as stuttered as his breaths as he made his way to the medicine closet,


    "I don''t want to bother you, doctor. I can inject the antibiotics myself," he then said; his blood, painting the ss cab as he tried to open it.


    "No, I don''t think so!"


    But before Rhys could open the cab, Katarina pulled him away; not even caring that her white uniform was getting messy with Rhys''s blood as she dragged him to the bed.


    "You sit, and you stay put. You hear me?" Katarina then gently pushed Rhys to the bed, making him lie down before violently pointing at him to stay as she started preparing something to clean his wounds.


    What Katarina did not prepare, however, were the antibiotics or any other needles and sutures. Instead, as she returned to the bed, she just gently ced her hand on Rhys''s face¡ªand with a light breath escaping her lips, her hands started to light up.


    It was a green light that very slowly wrapped Rhys''s face, a hazy green light that showed that one holds the blood of Asclepius, the God of Healing. Most doctors have the blood of Asclepius in them.


    The procedure to heal someone usually involves pain, a lot of pain for the patient.


    And Katarina knew how much in pain Rhys is, but even still, he never once screamed¡ªand aside from his clenched jaw, his eyes that one could barely see felt empty... nk. He wasn''t always like this, but his tolerance for pain has always existed.


    She could still remember the first time Rhys visited her clinic¡ªall bloodied up, with most of his teeth missing. He still winced in pain then, but after several times, his eyes just lost their color. She reported this to the school, but no one really cared for a Lowborn.


    "You''re graduating this year, Rhys," and as the light in her hand disappeared, Katarina forcefully grabbed Rhys''s healed face and turned it toward her,


    "I think it''s about time you tell me who is doing this to you."


    "I tripped on the stairs."


    "No, you didn''t!" Katarina rolled her eyes as she sat on the bed; her bosoms, slightly jiggling as she did so,


    "Rhys, someone is beating you. Don''t you want to make them face justice? And it''s your birthday today too, you''re officially an adult now, Rhys. Please... tell me who is doing this to you."


    "Dr. Lopez, I really appreciate you taking care of me every time," Rhys slightly leaned his head away as Katarina started cleaning his face with a damp cloth, "But I am not going to get justice, not here...


    ...and definitely not out there."


    "Rhys, you¡ª"


    "Thank you, but I''m already bothering you enough with your job as it is."


    And before Katarina could finish her words, Rhys lightly pushed her hand away as he sat up from the bed; not even looking at her as he started walking away.


    "I would help you even if this wasn''t my job, Rhys. Rhys!" But s, try as she might reach out, she could only watch as Rhys made his way out of her clinic.


    "Rhys!" Katarina let out one final scream of frustration, before just letting out a defeated sigh as she covered her face; not realizing she was still holding the cloth filled with Rhys''s blood.


    "..."


    "..."


    Katarina then subtly turned to look at the door... before cing the cloth right in front of her nose.


    "Hn..." She then closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath, sniffing a mix of rust and sweat from the cloth. Katarina''s breaths started to stutter as her entire body became weak...and hot.


    "Rhys..." Katarina theny herself down on the bed, feeling the warmth that Rhys''s left as she curled herself; creasing her clothes and almost unbuttoning her shirt from the sheer size of her bosoms,


    "...Who... who is doing this to you?" She whispered as she ced the blood-filled cloth beside her cheek, "Why... why won''t you tell me?"


    Katarina opened her eyes; her tongue, sticking out as her fingers very slowly crawled between her legs.


    "!!!"


    But as soon as the bell of the school rang, her eyes quickly widened as she sat up. She looked at the blood-filled cloth, before throwing it away in disgust.


    "What..." She whispered in disbelief,


    "...What the fuck was I doing?"


    ***


    "Shit..."


    In a dark and bleak room, Rhys''s deep breaths whispered into the empty walls. He had lived in the school dormitory for 6 years, and yet the only sign one could see that someone was actually living there was the mattress ced right at the very center of the square room, as well as the suitcase at the corner.


    Once again, the room was fully sponsored by the government.


    Rhys touched his jaw, massaging it to see if anything was left broken. But after groaning several times as he stretched his neck, he started undressing¡ªfolding his clothes neatly before moving to his room''s personal bathroom.


    He ced the bloodied clothes into theundry basket, before cleaning himself in the shower; the blood that still stuck to his body, mixing with the water. His shower was cold, cold enough that each of his heavy breaths released vapor.


    And he just stood there for an hour, rubbing and cleaning himself to the point that his skin started to scald before he was done.


    "Ha... Fuck my life," he then whispered as he got out of the shower¡ªmaking sure to wipe any dripping water on the floor as he made his way in front of the mirror. The mirror, however, was shattered; its cracks, like a web that reflected Rhys''s fractured life.


    Even with his broken reflection, however, as Rhys pulled his jet-ck hair. Jet-ck hair, a sign that a person was most probably a Lowborn. And as he pushed his hair that covered his face back, one could easily notice the stunning features of his face. Jet-ck eyes, thick but sharp eyebrows, his perfectly lined jaw¡ªone would think that his face was a sculpture of Narcissus and Adonis merged in one.


    One would also think his perfect face was a blessing, but no¡ªhe was too weak to have it, and it only caused him trouble. It was the very reason people started bullying him in the first ce... and so, he just learned to hide it by covering his face.


    His body was trained obsessively; his shoulders were wide and it felt like his flesh would explode from how sharp the edges of his muscles were¡ªhe trained his body to perfection to survive this unfair world, and yet it did not matter.


    In a world where a man, much skinnier than he is, could lift a car in one hand with ease... his million push-ups meant nothing. And as Rhys was once again reminded of that fact as he got dressed, the only thing he could really do was sit on his bed and sigh.


    There was truly only one thing that Rhys looked forward to¡ªseeing his sister smile.


    "..." Rhys grabbed something from his suitcase¡ªa phone.


    The phone seemed fairly new, but both its cameras on the front and back werepletely scratched.


    A small smile then formed on his face as he quickly pressed the only app on his phone¡ªShudder, a social media streaming tform where people can record their lives. In this case, it was mostly used by Explorers, people who delve into the Holes created by the monsters.


    His sister, unlike him, was a Commoner¡ªshe was her mother''s child from her 2nd husband. And fortunately, unlike him, his sister had talents, abilities.


    The two of them were only 2 years apart, and yet at 16, his sister has already achieved more than he ever will in his life. But Rhys was not envious, he was happy... happy that at least one of them gets to continue living in this cruel world.


    And so, with a small chuckle, he clicked on his sister''s channel... only for the smile on his face to disappear as soon as he saw the title of her stream.


    <Joining the Cerberus Guild.>


    "Cerberus Guild..." Rhys''s eyes widened as he read the title over and over again before actually proceeding to watch it, "Isn''t that...


    ...where that guy is joining?"

 Chapter 3: Everything Is My Fault?

    <h4>Chapter 3: Everything Is My Fault?</h4>


    [There are rumours that the Cerberus Guild are inviting you to join theirpany. Is there any truth in that, Emilia?]


    [Well, I guess. It''s not really a secret anymore.]


    "No..." The sun was still out, and yet the only source of light that could be seen in Rhys''s room was his phone; the face of his sister, being reflected into his eyes. The two didn''t really look alike at all¡ªher sister had orange hair and a small, cute face¡ªeasily making her popr with boys, as is most of her subscribers.


    [But aren''t there also rumours that... Ss West is also joining the guild? He''s being released today. How do you feel about that?]


    [There''s... nothing to feel,] Emilia just shrugged her shoulders as she looked right at the camera, [I''d like to leave the past behind me.]


    [But he killed your mother... and posted it on WeTube.]


    [I can''t really me him for what happened, we were all young. I was just 10 then and I can''t really remember much...


    ...but I think my brother instigated the situation.]


    "...What?" Rhys could not help but hold the phone with both his hands as he reyed the video.


    [...I think my brother instigated the situation.]


    "What?"


    [...My brother instigated the situation.]


    "No... no, no, no," Rhys quickly threw his phone away, not even bothering to watch the rest of the interview as he started walking around his dark room; biting his nails and repeatedly hitting his head with each step,


    "Why... why would you say that? It''s not my fault. It''s not... It''s not?"


    Rhys''s eyes, as well as the tone of his voice, finally started to waver. His eyes that did not flicker even as he was being beaten almost to death; his voice that did not scream and crack even as a pain enough to turn one crazy bathed his body... both now stuttering.


    "No... no, no¡ªIs it my fault?" Rhys''s breaths started to be heavier by the second, "Did I do it? Did I... did I kill mom? Was it me? No... no... no..."


    Rhys then rushed to get his phone that he threw to call his sister, only to find the screenpletely shattered.


    "Please... please tell me you don''t think that," Rhys started looking everywhere, almost as if trying to find something that wasn''t there. But finally, after a few more seconds of walking around his dark room, Rhys''s breaths started to calm.


    And without any dys, he quickly grabbed a hoodie from his suitcase; messing up his hair so it could cover his face, and then wearing the hoodie to cover his head even more before he stepped outside his room.


    Rhys and Emilia did not go to the same school. Both their fathers were deceased, and when the government found out that Rhys was a Lowborn, they decided to ce Emilia at a different school.


    Rhys approved of this¡ªhe was 12 andpletely shaken when the incident happened. But if he had to make the decision now, he would still put Emilia in another school. After all, if the people found out that he was her brother, they might also start bullying her.


    And now, she is being continuously trained by the government; even managing to get her Explorer license at a very young age. She was set for life, and that was all Rhys could hope for.


    Rhys rode the train, making sure that his face wasn''t being caught by the CCTV or any other cameras. And after a 2-hourmute, he arrived in front of his sister''s dorm.


    "Good day, ma''am. Can I meet... Emilia Wolfe?"


    "..." The person in charge of taking care of the dorm could not help but squint her eyes as a tall young man, with half his facepletely hidden, stood in front of her counter; hiszy and somewhat soothing voice, almost causing her to shiver.


    "Oh..." Rhys quickly saw the olddy''s expression, "I''m... her brother."


    "...Do you have any ID as proof?" The olddy''s eyes were still squinted as she looked at Rhys from head to toe like he was some sort of creep.


    "Yes..." Rhys nodded as he immediately handed his student ID.


    "..." The olddy could really only slowly and carefully grab Rhys''s card; how could she not, when Rhys looked too jittery and nervous? As soon as she took a look at Rhys''s card, however, her eyes started to roll.


    "Sir, it says here your name is Rhys Wilder."


    "I... took my mother''s name," Rhys said as he unconsciously started biting his nails again, "We have different dads."


    "Sir, I would have to ask you to leave the premises," the olddy stood up; signaling the guards that were outside toe in.


    "No, no. Please, just... call her," Rhys raised both his palms.


    "Sir, calm down."


    "I am calm." Rhys''s voice became even more soothing as he ced his palms on the counter.


    "What''s going on here?" And with the arrival of the two guards, Rhys quickly moved away and once again showed his palms to show he wasn''t a threat¡ªwhich he truly wasn''t.


    "P... please escort this gentleman out," the olddy slightly stuttered as she looked at Rhys for some reason.


    "No, please. I''m sorry..." Rhys pleaded; his hands, trembling due to the weight of his thoughts, "I am not going to¡ªEmi!?"


    And right as the guards were approaching him, he saw a glimpse of Emilia across the hallway.


    "Emi! Emilia!" Rhys screamed as he hastily forced his way between the two guards.


    "...Brother?"


    "That''s... your brother?"


    Emilia, who was with two of her friends, could not help but almost gasp as she saw her brother running toward her. And before she could even make it halfway to her, she quickly turned around,


    "Let''s just go."


    "Wait, Emilia!" Rhys hastened his steps, but the guards already grabbed him by the arms; even violently pinning him to the floor in front of the people that were starting to gather due to themotion.


    Rhys, however, did not seem to mind as he just looked at his sister, "Emilia, please talk to me! Why, why did you say it was my fault that mom was murdered? Please, please tell me that was script, Emi... Chloe, please, I---"


    "Just leave me alone, okay!?"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, Emilia turned around and looked him straight in the eyes,


    "It is your fault!" Emi screamed as she pointed at her brother, "And you know what...


    ...I think you''re the one that should have died!"

 Chapter 4: A New Meaning To Digging Your Own Hole

    <h4>Chapter 4: A New Meaning To Digging Your Own Hole</h4>


    "It is your fault! And you know what... I think you''re the one that should have died!"


    And all of a sudden, everyone and everything turned quiet. Even the guards that were pinning Rhys down could not help but instinctively let go of Rhys, just looking at each other in shock. The people that were watching the scenario, whispering and letting out gasps of bewilderment.


    Even Emilia gasped, not believing the words that came out of her mouth.


    "You... think I should die?" Rhys very weakly stood up, almost falling on his knees again as his eyes which were hidden by his hair started to falter while looking at Emilia,


    "...Why? Was it really my fault?"


    "Brother..." Emilia''s head started to tremble as she backed away; she saw a glimpse of her brother''s eyespletely still... and almost lifeless, "Brother, I''m s¡ª"


    But before she finished words, Emilia suddenly turned around and ran away.


    "Emi!?" One of Emilia''s friends, a girl with long blonde hair, could not help but stare at Rhys for a few seconds, before rushing to follow her, "Why would you say that to your brother!?"


    "..." Rhys was at a loss as to what to do. He found himself just standing there as this piercing whistle started to drown his ears.


    "You..." The guards that were previously trying to throw him out of the dorm carefully approached him, "...You''re the boy in the video."


    "!!!" And as soon as those words entered Rhys''s ears, the sharp whistle growing in his mind started to ring. He looked at the crowd that gathered due to themotion, only to see them staring at him.


    "No...no," And as the deafening whistle grew louder and louder, Rhys started shaking his head. He tightened his hood as he rushed out of the building.


    He couldn''t hear anything anymore. His body just moved on its own,pletely out of his control¡ªhe walked without purpose, he ran, he stopped... and heughed. He doesn''t know where he is anymore, the only thing he could do wasugh at himself, causing the people around him to move and avoid him.


    Rhys waspletely unaware of this, however, his body just moved on its own without purpose.


    "Choose... I should have just died. There was a choice, it should have been me," Rhys kept repeating to himself as the memory of the incident resurfaced in his mind, like a chainsaw that keeps on shredding his sanity,


    "It... should have been me." Andpletely unbeknownst to Rhys, he was now back in front of his dorm room; his feet,pletely weak from the unexpected trek they were forced to endure.


    And then, as the ringing finally began to quiet down, Rhys found himselfpletely drowned in his own sweat. His mind, very slowly clearing with now only a single thought in his mind¡ªbut before this thought could materialize...


    ...a fist was already on its way to his face.


    "Happy birthday, fuckface."


    ***


    "!!!"


    Rhys let out a sharp and loud gasp. His body which was previouslypletely out of his control, now showered by a chilling cold that almost seared his skin. The ringing, however, that he thought was already gone was still ever present.


    He could see several silhouettes moving in front of him as his vision started to clear. And if he wasn''t currently deaf from the weight of his thoughts, then he would have definitely recognized the hazy voices.


    "..."


    Rhys started looking around, and soon recognized the ce he was in¡ªhe was on the roof of his dorm. And with his vision nowpletely clear, he saw Lex and his group of thugs that he calls friends. Lex seemed to be screaming something at him, but all Rhys could really hear was a whistle.


    Even as Lex grabbed him by the neck and dragged him to the edge of the roof, Rhys''s mind waspletely afloat; very slowly, however, he could hear the drops of water falling on his shoulders.


    "You fucking piece of shit. You are an eyesore."


    "..." Rhys could finally understand Lex''s words as he whispered loudly right beside his ear.


    "Lowborns like you should have been aborted as a baby," Lex sucked in a breath as he tightened the grip on Rhys''s neck, "They should have eradicated your kind in the concentration camps 80 years ago."


    "Hm," Rhys only let out a muffled hum as he heard Lex''s words. He had lost count of how many times he had heard those same exact words¡ªthey were white noise at this point. And so, instead of putting effort into listening to whatever Lex was saying, Rhys just turned his head down; his eyes...pletely focused on the cold, hard asphalt at the bottom of the building.


    "Pft," and this time, Rhys made a conscious effort tough. And with Lex gripping his neck, the burst ofughter that escaped his mouth cracked in the air¡ªvisceral...insane.


    "What the fuck? I think he lost it, Lex!"


    "I knew it, the guy''s a pervert!"


    "I think he likes you choking him!"


    Lex''s friends also startedughing¡ªtheirughter did notst long in the air, however, as Rhys suddenly hugged Lex.


    "Wh¡ªLet me go! Are you gay...eh?"


    And before Lex could finish his words, he felt his vision shift. The floor that carried his weight, no longer touching his feet as Rhys suddenly, and unexpectedly leaned off the ledge.


    "Don''t worry, Lex," Rhys''sughter continued to fester the air even as the wind threatened to blow his face.


    "I''m sure... you''ll survive this," Rhys then calmly said as the both of them continued to fall toward the hard asphalt, "But I hope you''ll be in prison."


    "Are you crazy!?" Lex could really only scream as he looked at the approaching ground.


    "Justice... this is justice," Rhys continued tough; his eyes that were nowpletely exposed, looking straight down to the ground. But then suddenly, out of nowhere...


    ...the ground opened up.


    Oh¡ªwas the only word that Rhys could utter as they were swallowed by this dark, and malevolent pit.


    A thousand years ago, Holes appeared on the ground¡ªthousands of them summoning creatures that appeared and emerged from the Underworld, almost wiping out mankind. And now, a thousand yearster...


    ...Rhys enters his first Hole...


    ...identally.

 Chapter 5: There is No Such Thing as A Spider Lady

    <h4>Chapter 5: There is No Such Thing as A Spider Lady</h4>


    ...Huh?"


    The Underworld¡ªnot much is known about this realm beneath the world of men. The humans know only what the gods have told them.


    But if there is one undeniable truth, it is that the Underworld is where the souls of men ferry to once they meet their end. And if their souls are judged evil, they are deemed unworthy of rest and will be spawned back as monsters.


    That is why Rhys believes that the monsters will never truly disappear, because the number of evil men outnumbers those that are not. The humans make their hell a reality.


    One would think the Underworld would be a gloomy ce because of this, but no. Rhys has seen his sister''s explorations in the novice and training areas, and it looked just like the surface... except one could see half the world on the horizon.


    As the Underworld is beneath the Earth''s surface, the Earth''s surface is beneath the Underworld, rtively speaking. Once you pass through the Hole, the gravity starts to invert¡ªmaking what is supposed to be the ceiling of the Underworld its surface.


    And right at the very center of the Underworld is the Helios, the Underworld''s sun, as well as its sky. The Underworld was an Earth that never sleeps, never turns into night¡ªa hellish paradise.


    At least, that is what it is supposed to be. But now, Rhys finds himselfpletely in the dark. His body felt like it was wrapped in a dozen heavy, damp cloths.


    "...Hm," a small breath escaped his lips. Is it possible he was actually dead? Was this how the Underworld turns the souls of evil men into monsters?


    No. Death wouldn''t be this suffocating, at least not for him.


    So, what is this situation he finds himself in? Where?


    Thest thing he remembers was being strangled by Lex, and then pushing him together to die a poetic death¡ªand then as if the Fates were ying with him, a Hole opened up and swallowed the both of them.


    Rhys most likely lost consciousness as soon as the G-force of the sudden shift of gravity hit him as he entered the Underworld''s domain.


    He''s alive.


    "That''s... unfortunate," Rhys breathed out before moving his hands in front of him; it took a bit of effort since the cloth wrapping him was incredibly tight, but he was able to do so. He then gritted his teeth, before starting to pull the cloth open.


    The cloth was weird, like several silky threads dangled together. Several of Rhys''s veins started to emerge from his skin. And finally, with a feverish effort, he was able to tear the cloth. Unfortunately for him, the entire thing ripped open as he did so, causing him to fall on the cold, but slightly soft and somewhat frosty ground.


    Not frosty in the way that it was cold, no. The ground was white.


    "..." Rhys lifted up his hand, which seemed to carry some weight as the white residue on the ground stuck to it like a string... with what seemed like a skull hanging on it.


    "...Fuck," Rhys blinked a couple of times before hastily waving his hand off of the white silky residue and throwing the skull away...into a pile of even more bones.


    There were bones, bones, and entire skeletons scattered everywhere; surrounding him from all sides.


    Maybe he really was dead? Rhys thought. But as he looked up, he saw the cloth he was trapped in¡ªand it was not alone as it hung with several others like a cocoon from the frosty ceiling.


    "...Oh," Rhys muttered as he finally realized where he was and what he was actually stepping on. He was inside a cave in the Underworld, currently surrounded by cobwebs and several dozens of skeletons.


    "Well... shit."


    If there was anything consistent in the Underworld, it was the fact that it had a tendency of making already scary creatures even scarier by making them bigger.


    This time, it was spiders.


    Giant spiders. And judging by the rming amount of cobwebs around him, whatever brought him here was as big, or bigger than him.


    Realizing this, Rhys could really only stand up and sigh.


    A gruesome death for an even more gruesome life, he thought. There truly is no justice in this unfair world¡ªor perhaps there is, and this is its way of saying that Rhys deserves all the fucked up things that happened to him.


    Well, he wasn''t going to resist. If the world wanted him dead, they could have him...


    ...there was nothing for him in the world of the living anymore.


    He had no dreams.


    He has no family, not anymore.


    And perhaps, he never really had a life¡ªhe died the very moment he let his mother get murdered in front of him.


    This is enough.


    "Where are you!?" And in that moment, Rhys roared; screaming out as he never did before, "I''m here! You''ve wanted this for a very long time, right!?"


    Rhys then started walking, pulling back his hair and revealing his face that was sculpted by the gods themselves. He then took off his shirt, showing his chiseled body. He took everything off, no longer shying from the world as he stretched his arms to the side.


    He then waited for death to show itself.


    A second.


    A minute, but it never came.


    And so instead, Rhys searches for it himself once more. He continued to walk in the unusually bright cave, stepping over several skeletons without a care in the world... and very soon, he heard a whisper¡ªa cry.


    "..." He calmly approached the sound, moving perhaps deeper into the cave until finally, he saw the image of death¡ªnot his, however, not yet.


    "R... Rhys...?"


    It was Lex; his face,pletely emaciated and dry as he dangled in the air. His hand that he tried to stretch toward Rhys as soon as he saw him, almost skin and bone.


    "Oh hello, Lex," a hint of a smile crawled on Rhys''s face as he saw the look of fear in Lex''s eyes. He then very slowly approached him; his voice, unnaturally calm and soothing, "I was wrong... we''re both going to die here today."


    "H...help me."


    "No, I''m... too weak to help anyone," a small chuckle escaped Rhys''s lips as he casually sat near Lex... watching as the life in his eyes very slowly started to fade away.


    Lex''s body soon began to flinch, but Rhys just shrugged his shoulders as he stared him right in the eyes. Rhys then turned to look at the reason why his body was convulsing, only to see somethingtching onto his stomach, eviscerating and mutting it.


    8 long ck legs; chittering in the air as it slightly moved and pierced the ground with its sharp ends. Its body was the size of a small car, with patterns that made it even more daunting than it already was. That wasn''t what made the thing in front of Rhys a monster, no¡ªthe rest of it was.


    The head that was mowing down Lex''s stomach was not the head of a spider, but rather that of an utterly pale woman that carried with her an otherworldly beauty; her long ck hair that seemed as silky as the webs around her, moving ever so gracefully as she devoured Lex.


    Soon, however, she pulled her head away, revealing the rest of her human parts.


    A set of well-toned arms.


    Herrge, round bosoms which jiggled as she stood up to look at Rhys.


    Her small waist enhanced her voluptuous shape even more.


    But then, anything human stops there as everything below it was that of a deadly spider.


    So, this is what death looks like.


    "It''s... fine, ma''am. You can continue," Rhys calmly said as he looked the spiderdy straight in herrge dark eyes,


    "I am not going to run away."


    "...Oh?" And to his surprise...


    ...the spiderdy answered, "Food... can talk?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Huh...


    ...well, that''s weird."

 Chapter 6: From Lowborn to Something Below Is As Hard As a Horn

    <h4>Chapter 6: From Lowborn to Something Below Is As Hard As a Horn</h4>


    Monsters from the Underworld.


    3-Headed hounds, giant eagles with the body of a lion, a literal half-human half-reptile with small snakes as hair. There were also sorts of monsters that existed in the Underworld,pletely different from each other and varying in strengths.


    And yet, there was one thing that was consistent amongst all of them¡ªnone of them could talk. Even those that have human heads and faces are not capable of speaking to men. Many Explorers have already tried, some have even captured monsters to experiment on them when the technology needed for such procedures became avable, and yet to no avail.


    And yet right now, in front of Rhys, with its mouth dripping with blood¡ªa monster spoke.


    "Did... you just speak?" Rhys slightly flinched, standing up from the frosty ground as he looked the spiderdy in the eyes.


    "Grukh, khee?"


    ''...Oh." But as the monster opened its mouth again, the only thing that escaped its lips was a mumbling screech. It opened its mouth again, but no words that Rhys could understand reached his ears. Was it possible that he was just hallucinating?


    Although he was calm, he is still facing death, after all. Perhaps something inside his brain started to fry¡ªor perhaps it has always been, and that is the reason why everyone around him either dies or leaves him.


    "..." And once again, Rhys''s breaths became hesitant as images of his pathetic life shed before his eyes.


    The monster did not care about his wallowing, however, as it curiously tilted its head to the side. It then started looking back and forth between Rhys and the mangled corpse of Lex in her hand. And with a chitter once again escaping its lips, it just carelessly threw Lex and rushed toward Rhys.


    "!!!"


    Rhys wasn''t even able to react¡ªno. He wasn''t even able to see the spiderdy approach. Her human parts may be just slightlyrger than that of an average human, but her spider bits could bepared to that of a small car.


    How was it even able to move that fast in front of him?


    "..." Rhys could really only very slowly look up, and he couldn''t even see its face; it was blocked by her abs, as well as herrge round, plump, bouncing breasts.


    Rhys was now officially 18 years old today, and it was just 18 years of nothing. But what he could say, however, was that this was not the first time he was seeing a naked pair of breasts¡ªhe was 12 then, and it was not really a memory he wanted to open up.


    And now that death was literally right in front of him, Rhys slightly started to feel a little nervous. He turned to look at Lex''s corpse; his stomach open, and his fleshpletely dry.


    Rhys is used to pain, but he has never tried being eaten before. But still, Rhys took in a deep breath as he once again tried to calm himself down... but before he could even exhale, his vision suddenly started to shift.


    He couldn''t even see it move, but he was now dangling in the air right in front of the spiderdy''s face; his neck, imprisoned by her surprisingly smooth hand.


    And now, as he stared at its face that truly resembled that of a woman; long jet-ck hair, sharp and thin eyebrows, pink lips, and a small nose all painted on pale wless skin¡ªRhys finally remembered the monster''s name from one of his sses.


    Arachne.


    Half spider, half woman. The very first one of them was said to be cursed by the gods, making Rhys question who the true monsters were¡ªa sphemous thought.


    There was also one thing he remembered about them; they move in a cluster... So why was this one alone?


    "Kh...!" And before Rhys could overthink again, the grip around his neck tightened. It was no wonder that Lex was eaten, she was just physically stronger than him.


    Whenever Lex bullied and strangled Rhys, he could still at least move his head. But with the arachne, it felt like his neck would snap with just a tiny bit of wind¨Cthis is good, of course¡ªit means a quick death.


    "Tck..." Rhys''s eyes started to twitch as the arachne pulled him closer to her. She then very slowly lifted up her other hand, before suddenly pricking his cheek with her sharp nails.


    A small smile then started to crawl on the arachne''s face as it looked at the blood dripping from Rhys''s cheek; her otherworldly beauty, no more as Rhys saw her teeth that looked like several saws stacked on top of each other.


    "...Shit," Rhys breathed out. His body wanted to look away, but he forced his eyes to watch¡ªhe didn''t want to miss his death.


    And so, very slowly, the arachne leaned her head closer to Rhys''s face. Rhys immediately gritted his teeth as he readied himself for the pain of his face getting torn off... but it never came.


    Instead, he felt something warm touching his cheek, And as he didn''t look away, he knew exactly what that feeling was¡ªthe arachne''s tongue.


    "...Uh?"


    And while Rhys was still slightly confused, the arachne continued to slither across his skin; damp and soft. The sound of her hungrily slurping the blood running down his cheek sang to his ears like a whisper.


    The arachne then pulled her head away; her tongue was still stuck out, a mixture of her saliva and Rhys''s blood, bridging the two of them as drips of thebined juices trailed down her chin. And then, very slowly, the arachne''s eyes trailed down below Rhys''s waist; her tongue, licking her lips as a smile once again crawled on her face.


    "..." Rhys also turned his head to where the arachne was looking, only to see the thing between his legs... violently thriving, almost hitting the arachne''s stomach from how alive it was. Perhaps out of everything that has happened in the Underworld, this was the most unexpected one.


    "Well..." And then, once again, Rhys heard a word escaping the arachne''s plump pink lips, causing him to quickly look at her,


    "...I wonder how that would taste."


    "!!!"


    And before Rhys could even contemte how disturbing the situation was, a surge of pain suddenly enveloped his entire body¡ªa pain he has never felt before. His bones felt like they were being ground, while every inch of his flesh burnt.


    Venom? Poison? Perhaps rabies from the arachne''s saliva?


    A million thoughts once again entered Rhys''s mind as the excruciating pain tried to tear away any sanity he had left. And very soon, tears of blood started to trail from his eyes. His dark irises, slowly losing their intensity as they started to pale, turning into a dull, silver color.


    His now silver eyes started to tremble as they reflected all sorts of strange images and foreign information that were entering his brain.


    And finally, in the midst of this painful journey, Rhys recognized the pattern of what was happening to him. He wasn''t poisoned, he wasn''t rabid. What he was experiencing now is...


    An Awakening.


    The blood of gods hiding within his veins was finally waking up.

 Chapter 7: The Awakening of Rhys Wilder

    <h4>Chapter 7: The Awakening of Rhys Wilder</h4>


    Awakening.


    It is the process when the blood of the gods thaty dormant in a human''s veins starts to wake up, hence the name. People could usually trace what part of society one belongs to by checking their history and bloodline, but it is truly only when one awakens that people could truly judge one''s potential.


    Awakeningmonly happens right in the middle of puberty, with the average age being 12. It could be early orte for a year or two, but it happens for everyone; even for Lowborns.


    But Rhys, nothing ever really woke up¡ªa testament to how diluted his blood was, is what the doctors said to him.


    But now, as he turned 18, Rhys could feel every strand of muscles in his body throb as the blood of the gods in his veins started to burst forth.


    The blood of the gods is powerful. Once it wakes up, it restarts your entire existence; it alters your instincts. Their blood literally injects power into your brain, giving it knowledge it never had before.


    Special talents, abilities, overpowering strength, magic¡ªa whole new world opens up automatically. And these abilities will only grow stronger with time and practice.


    And now, as a rush of information entered Rhys''s brain, there was really only one thing going on in his mind¡ªWhat the fuck?


    Rhys could not even feel the pain anymore as he waspletely lost in thought. His abilities, they could only be described as...


    ...weird and plenty.


    "..." Rhys''s breaths then started to echo in the cave as his body finally stopped convulsing. His eyes then started to blink several times as he turned his focus back on the monster in front of him.


    And as he looked at her face, Rhys blinked several times more. He thought there was dirt blocking his vision at first, but realized this dirt was conveniently shaped into what seemed like a heart.


    5 gray hearts floating above the arachne''s head, following her even with the slightest of movements.


    If Rhys was clear-headed enough to recall the information injected into him just moments ago, then these 5 hearts were some kind of... Affection Meter.


    "You... are tasty."


    "Huh... those are words, yup..." Rhys took in a small gulp as he once again understood the monster''s words. It wasn''t that the monster could truly speak, no. This is another one of his abilities¡ªOmnispeak.


    Suffice it to say, Rhys found the entire situation weird. The arachne was still looking at the thing that was fully... alive between his legs; her tongue, brushing against her lips as her eyes seemed to glimmer for some reason.


    ''I want it. I want it. Blood, the essence of Eros.''


    "Ho," a small gasp then escaped Rhys''s mouth as he heard a voice whispering in his ear¡ªno. The voice seemed like it was whispering directly inside his head. Was this... another one of his abilities?


    "Eros?" Rhys then finally tried to speak with the monster that had him literally by the neck, "Is that... a name of a god?"


    "Oh my..." The arachne''s eyes strayed away from Rhys''s manhood as she looked him straight in the eyes, "...What a seductive voice you have."


    "W¡ª"


    ''Itchy. My neck is itchy.''


    "..." Rhys could not even utter another word as a voice once again whispered inside his mind. The voice wasn''t exactly like the arachne''s, but it was simr in a way that he couldn''t quite exin.


    ''Itchy. My neck is itchy.''


    "Hm..." Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the arachne''s neck. And then, without really thinking about it any further, he very slowly raised his hand.


    The arachne snarled and showed her sharp teeth again as she saw Rhys''s hand moving toward her neck.


    "It''s okay..." Rhys gently whispered as he looked the arachne in the eyes; his words, gently flowing through her ears. And to Rhys''s surprise, the arachne let her guard down, allowing him to touch her neck.


    And then, with another gulp, Rhys started gently scratching the arachne''s neck.


    "!!!"


    And as soon as he did so, the arachne''s entire body jolted. Herrge round bosoms, bouncing wildly¡ªand as Rhys''s thing was still alive and well for some reason, her bosoms started lightly pping it. The arachne''s sharp legs then started tapping the ground, causing several snaps to click in the air.


    And very soon, the arachne''s pale face started to redden; her sharp teeth, now biting her lower lip as her body shivered.


    "Ha... ah," the arachne''s quiet moans started to whisper in the air as Rhys continued to scratch her neck; the blood that was still inside her mouth, dripping down her chin and dropping onto her jiggling bosoms.


    "..." Rhys didn''t really know what to feel right now as his... thick and long sword was currently sliding in between the arachne''s jiggling bosoms, and with the thick mixture of his own blood and her saliva dripping around it. It felt...


    ...wrong.


    Why was it even fully standing in the first ce? Did Rhys have some sort of... fetish he wasn''t aware of?


    Fortunately, or unfortunately for Rhys, the arachne''s arms started to get weak. Her grip loosened, dropping Rhys straight to the ground.


    Ridiculous. This is ridiculous¡ªRhys thought. He was supposed to die here today, but now that he awakened his abilities, the will to live was very slowlying back to him.


    But how? How exactly was he going to escape from a monster that moves faster than his eyes could keep up? It wasn''t like the abilities gifted to him gave him newfound strength to escape, no¡ªthey were just... weird.


    "..." Rhys then turned to look at the arachne''s face again...


    ...only to see that one of the gray hearts floating above her head was now red.


    ''Itchy. My back is itchy.''


    And once again, as another voice whispered inside his head¡ªhe finally recalled what sort of ability it was.


    Desire.


    The ability to know the current and immediate desires of people, or in this case, a monster.


    Affection Meter and Desires. Is the blood running through his veins truly from a god or a gigolo?


    "..." Rhys focused his attention back to the arachne''s Affection Meter. If he was able to turn all the hearts into red...


    ...what exactly would happen?

 Chapter 8: We Have Monster Hunter At Home. The Monster Hunter At Home:

    <h4>Chapter 8: We Have Monster Hunter At Home. The Monster Hunter At Home:</h4>


    ''Back is itchy. My back is itchy.''


    The ability to know someone''s desires.


    Rhys wasn''t a fool, he knows that in the hands of a more intelligent person, this kind of ability would be one of the most overpowered skills to have. But why, why would the heavens give someone who lived a life of solitude like Rhys this kind of ability?


    But then again, no matter how intelligent one is; a n usually shatters in the face of overwhelming strength¡ªand that is exactly what the arachne means for Rhys right now.


    He wanted to try and see what would happen if he filled up the 5 hearts and turned them all red. He got lucky earlier when the arachne''s neck was itching because he was lifted in the air.


    But now, her back is itching. Her legs were still tapping from Rhys''s... magic touch, and as she was even backing away, it gave Rhys ample time and space to think everything through.


    Should he just run away? No, that was absolutely not an option.


    So, what was Rhys even supposed to do... climb on her? Or at this point, it. But how exactly was he going to do that, and while his... thing was fully standing for some reason.


    He had to climb on the arachne''s spider parts. And now that his eyes were fully adjusted to the dim lights of the cave, Rhys could clearly see the little strands of... something sticking out of her spear-like legs¡ªalmost like a clear contrast of her human part''s wless skin.


    "Ha..."


    And very soon, as Rhys wasted his time overthinking again, the arachne seemed to have recovered from its... brief ecstasy. Her eyes, sharp eyebrows, immediately furrowing as she looked at Rhys with slight annoyance.


    "..." Was she annoyed that Rhys stopped scratching her, or was she annoyed that her food was ying with her?


    "Human, you¡ª"


    "!!!" And as soon as the arachne''s sharp legs once again approached Rhys, he finally decided to close his mind off of anything else and just do it.


    Although Rhys no longer wanted to die because of his newfound abilities, he was still ready for death. After all, if he couldn''t survive here, how would he expect to survive out there?


    The Underworld and the Surface¡ªthere was no difference for Rhys. All of them are vultures wanting to eat him.


    And so, with reckless abandon, Rhys just lifted himself up from the frosty ground¡ªrushing straight back to the arachne. This caused the arachne to flinch for some reason, but Rhys didn''t really notice it as he was already too focused on his goal.


    He leaped into the air, grabbing the arachne''s arm as he pulled himself further up. The blood of Eros might not have given him increased strength, but his body was already in peak human form¡ªat the very least, right now, Rhys could finally say his workouts were worth something.


    Rhys then kicked in the air, pushing himself right at the back of the arachne.


    "!!!"


    The arachne didn''t seem to like someone climbing on top of her spider parts, as her legs quickly started jittering and moving all over the ce like a wild horse, causing Rhys to almost topple back to the ground. He couldn''t even see properly anymore as nausea started filling his head. Thankfully for him, however, he had something totch onto¡ªthe arachne''s long ck hair.


    "Hun!" The arachne lightly screeched as Rhys pulled on her hair. She swung her arm back, but Rhys was able to avoid it even in the chaos as he was only focused on one thing.


    Rhys tightened his grip on the arachne''s hair, cementing his footing like a sailor as he looked at her bare back. And with a deep breath, he pulled back his free hand, opening it like an eagle''s talons... before swinging it at her surprisingly smooth, and pale back.


    "Hn...!"


    And like a painter in front of a nk canvas, Rhys started brushing the tip of his nails; gently, violently... continuously.


    "Human... human!" The arachne once again started iling around; her 8 legs, once again violently tapping the ground as her entire body started shivering.


    "Please... don''t move too much," Rhys whispered in his lethargically soothing voice. And as soon as the warmth of his breaths reached the arachne''s back, the arachne''s shoulders rose up.


    "Uhn!" And with that loud moan escaping her lips, another one of the gray hearts floating above her head turned red.


    "Hey!" Rhys could not help but grit his teeth as the arachne''s entire upper body suddenly leaned forward, once again almost throwing him down. Rhys violently tugged on the arachne''s hair so as to not fall, pulling her head back.


    "That... human... it feels good."


    And out of Rhys''s expectations, two hearts just turned red¡ªleaving only one left.


    And then, all of a sudden, the arachne''s legs just lost their strength¡ªcausing a slight rumble to reverberate in the air as her spider body dropped to the ground.


    It wasn''t only her legs that lost strength, however, as her human body also dropped to the ground, leaving no choice but for Rhys to fall and roll on the ground as she did so.


    "Ha..."


    The arachne''s breaths whispered in the air as she tried to lift herself up with her hands. The cobwebs on the ground, sticking to her bosoms and stretching out like white, and slightly wet strings¡ªsome of it, hanging from her now bulging pink teats.


    "..." Rhys then very carefully backed away as they looked each other in the eyes; he raised one of his palms and faced it toward the arachne, showing that he waspletely harmless... which he is.


    The arachne looked at his hand, before turning back to look Rhys in the eyes. And then, very slowly, another smile crawled on the arachne''s face.


    "As... expected of Eros''s descendant," she then said, "Always a wee face amidst all the violence."


    "..." Is it just him, or is this arachne getting more and more fluent with her words?


    "So..." And then, very slowly, the arachne raised one of her hands; her fingers, trailing on her belly as it crawled its way up to her bosoms. And then, with a raised eyebrow, the arachne very gently caressed her breast, before lifting one of it up and looking at Rhys.


    "...What else are you going to show me?"


    "Wh¡ª"


    ''Lick it.''


    "..." Rhys could really only bat his eyes a couple of times as another voice entered his head. Did... he hear that right?


    ''Lick my teat.''


    "...Oh."


    Yes, he heard that right.

 Chapter 9: An Arching Arachne

    <h4>Chapter 9: An Arching Arachne</h4>


    ''Lick my teat.''


    The same words repeated in Rhys''s mind as he watched the arachne very gently fondle her own bosom. The edges of her fingers, being filled up due to how soft andrge they seemingly were.


    Does... he really have no other options here? Rhys thought.


    "Hm?" The arachne seemed to have noticed him hesitating; her head, slightly tilting to the side as the smile on her face turned into light bewilderment. But then, very slowly, the smile once again appeared on her face.


    She lifted one of her soft bosoms closer to her face, before leaning her head down and sticking out her tongue. She then turned to look Rhys straight in the eyes... before touching the tip of her tongue on her own teat.


    "!!!" And like a throb that echoed throughout his entire body, Rhys felt a sort of warmth rushing through his veins¡ªlike a surge of power that made him feel like he could survive anything the world throws at him.


    Unfortunately for him, that surge of power all settled at the already raging rod between his legs.


    "...Fuck," he breathed out. Did he really have a fetish he wasn''t aware of? Monsters? Isn''t this considered beastiality?


    Rhys then immediately shook his head. It wasn''t the time to think about anything else, because this wasn''t about anything else other than survival.


    And so, with a gulp, Rhys very slowly made his way closer to the arachne.


    "Don''t... eat me," Rhys said as he raised both his hands in surrender. The arachne, however, only shivered as soon as Rhys''s bewitching voice touched her ears.


    "..." And as Rhys was now once again right in front of the arachne, with his eyes now higher than hers¡ªit almost felt as if he could do anything. He looked at her eyes, before very slowly pushing away the hair that was on her face.


    Rhys''s silver eyes then slightly flickered, before a small, and very gentle smile formed on his face.


    "You''re more human than most people I''ve met..." Rhys then said as he brushed the arachne''s cheek with the back of his fingers, "...more beautiful too."


    "..." The arachne''s eyes slightly widened as she heard that. And then, with a small breath escaping her lips, she rested her cheek on Rhys''s hand.


    And then, very slowly... Rhys started to kneel; his hand trailing down her neck, only stopping as he reached one of herrge round bosoms.


    "..." It didn''t even fit his hand¡ªbut it didn''t matter, it wasn''t his hand that needed to do something.


    "Hm..." Rhys then leaned his head closer to the great mound in front of him; his breaths, causing the arachne to let out a small, but unfettered moan.


    And then, with another breath, Rhys stuck out his tongue.


    "Nn..."


    Rhys''s wet tongue has not even touched the arachne''s perked teat, and yet her breath already shivered.


    "..." Rhys looked at the pink cherry in front of him; his thoughts, no longer hesitating even as it was covered with cobwebs.


    This is about survival.


    He has to escape the hell that he has been living in his entire life, or at the very least... drag the people that needed to be in it inside with him. And for that... he needed to survive.


    This is all this is¡ªsurvival.


    And so, with that thought, Rhys very gently ced his tongue on the arachne''s almost swelling pink teat.


    "Ahn!" A loud moan quickly escaped the arachne''s lips as her entire body jolted; even her legs that had already lost their strength all curled¡ªpractically digging through the hard ground.


    "..." Rhys quickly looked up to see if thest heart above the arachne''s head already turned, but there were no changes yet. No matter... he was only starting.


    Rhys buried his face in her ample bosom, fully wrapping arachne''s pink teat in his wet mouth. His tongue started flicking out constantly as he suckled her teat repeatedly, causing the arachne to arch her back.


    "Hun..." Moans once again escaped the arachne''s lips. They were small at first¡ªbut monsters like her knew not of restraint; she allowed her moans to grow longer and stronger.


    Rhys did not stop. Instead, he suckled even stronger. And as the arachne felt her teat very slightly being stretched, a shiver went down her spine, causing her stomach to tighten and shiver at the same time.


    "Hn!" And then, with a screaming gasp that caused everything around them to ripple, the arachne suddenly grabbed the back of Rhys''s head; burrowing it even deeper into her bosom.


    "!!!" Rhys could really only wake up from his wild stupor as he felt his skull seconds away from being crushed. If the arachne didn''t have suchrge and ample soft bosoms, then his head would have burst like a watermelon right now.


    Luckily for Rhys, the pressure didn''tst long as the arachne''s entire body seemed to have gone limp.


    "..." Rhys waited for a few seconds, before pulling his head back¡ªhis saliva, stringing out from his mouth before dripping down on the arachne''s soft bosom.


    The arachne''s entire body once again shivered; every breath and movement, she could suddenly feel crawling on her skin. Her face waspletely flushed; almost reflecting the color of her perked teat.


    Her bosoms, very lightly puffing in and out due to her heavy and fettered breaths. She was smiling, however. A shivering smile that caused the blood flowing through Rhys''s veins to once again gather in the thing between his legs.


    No¡ªRhys quickly whispered to himself as he shook his head of whatever disturbing thoughts were growing in it. He then turned to look at the 5 hearts floating above the arachne''s head...


    ...only to see thest heart very slowly turning red.


    And then, there it is¡ª5 Red Hearts.


    "..." Rhys waited for something to happen; his eyes, looking back and forth between his hands and the arachne...


    ...but nothing really happened. No... he could feel a change growing inside his body, he just doesn''t know what yet.


    "That was good, human..." The arachne seemed to be regaining its strength as its legs started standing up; her eyes, still focused on Rhys,


    "...And now I''m hungry."


    He''s dead. He is officially dead.


    He did all of that for nothing.


    "Wait..." Rhys slightly took a step back, before turning to look at the thing between his legs,


    "...I can do more."


    "Oh...?" The arachne raised an eyebrow as she looked at Rhys''s long and hard weapon, "...And what do you n to do with that?"


    And as soon as the arachne said those words, the 5 red hearts above his head merged into one¡ªturning into arger heart. Its color, however, was once again gray.


    Rhys was aware that bosses in video games usually have 2nd phases, but he didn''t expect something like this.


    "I can¡ª"


    "I think I heard someone here! It might be the students that fell!"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, several voices started echoing from the darker parts of the cave¡ªpeople.


    "Oh, I suppose time is up," the arachne then let out a small chuckle as she looked at where the voices wereing from, "I have to say, I had fun."


    "..." Rhys once again took a step back as the arachne approached him.


    "My name is Arachnea."


    Contrary to his expectations, however, the arachne just stretched her hand to him. Rhys didn''t really know what else to do but just shake her hand.


    "I''m... Rhys," he said¡ªwondering if monsters typically have names.


    "Rhys, hm..." Arachnea then smiled and licked her lips, "Well, Rhys...


    ...perhaps I''ll eat you next time."


    "I saw something here!"


    And with the voices of the people nearing, the arachne in front of Rhys just suddenly vanished.


    "I see a shadow, someone is here!"


    Rhys did not really have time to react to anything, he just stood there without saying a word as the voicesing from afar finally showed themselves to him.


    There were 5 of them¡ªand judging by what they were wearing and by the fact they were here in the first ce, they were most likely Explorers tasked to clear out this Hole.


    "..." Rhys then turned to look at the 5 explorers...


    ...only to see all of their eyes looking at the thing dangling between his legs.


    "I..." Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh. And instead of covering his deadly weapon, he quickly messed up and pulled down his hair to cover his face instead,


    "I am not going to exin anything."

 Chapter 10: A Little Thirsty

    <h4>Chapter 10: A Little Thirsty</h4>


    "Are these your clothes?"


    "Yes... Thank you."


    "...Why were you naked?"


    "..." What was Rhys even supposed to reply to that? That he took off his clothes because it was liberating that his life was about to end? Or that he was deliberately trying to kill himself? Which one would be the more sane response?


    "It''s¡ª" And when Rhys finally opened his mouth, the rescuer who handed him his clothes back was already gone. Rhys was already back on the Surface; right outside the dorm and being assessed for any injuries.


    While everyone around him was running around, he was just asked to sit on the side and wait for instructions.


    They gave him a pair of pants and a jacket, but they were too small so he wasn''t even able to zip the jacket up. Thankfully for Rhys, they were at least able to give him a warm, damp towel to cover his head, which was throbbing like crazy earlier from the gravity shift upon returning to the Surface.


    Now that he was looking at the Hole he fell into, he realized how small it actually was¡ªjust the width of a car. For it to open at that exact same position... were the gods finally at his side? Or did they want to kill him more painfully?


    "Oi, handle that with care! We haven''t checked it for Adamantine yet!"


    "Who cares, this is a monster from a Level 1 Hole. Do you think it''ll have some good stuff?"


    "..." Rhys then turned to look at the Cleaners that were running around. And as their name suggests, they were responsible for the clean-up of whatever aftermath the Hole brings.


    And right now, they were busy gathering all the arachne corpses that were scattered everywhere¡ªand there were probably more than a dozen of them. Perhaps the reason why there was only one inside the Hole was that they were all here already.


    But for them to say that it was a Level 1 Hole¡ªthat means an area of the Underworld that possesses the least threat, carrying the weakest of monsters.


    If the beautiful arachne he met was not that much of a threat... then how strong are the monsters from the higher levels?


    "..." Rhys then watched as another arachne corpse was dragged in front of him, and they looked... weird. They were much smaller than Arachnea... and their human parts barely looked simr to a human at all. They had gray dry skin, and their saw-like teeth were more pronounced.


    Could it be... Arachnea was some sort of¡ª


    "Hey!"


    "!!!"


    And all of a sudden, Rhys''s eyes turned wide; a sort of pulse, reverberating throughout his body as the world around him seemed to have slowed down. The cleaners that were previously frantically moving about, now as if snails as their limbs sluggishly waved in the air.


    "..." Before Rhys could process any of this, however, he felt the strands of hair at the back of his neck stood up. And like a feather that was lightly being blown by the wind, Rhys suddenly felt the urge to lean to the side.


    And he did. And when he did so, he saw a hand swinging past to where his shoulder should have been just moments ago.


    "..." Rhys then looked back to see who the hand belonged to, only to see one of the women that rescued him from the Underworld. And as soon as their eyes met, Rhys''s world which seemed to have slowed down returned to normal.


    "..."


    "..."


    The two of them then looked awkwardly at each other, before the woman raised her eyebrows and let out an awed breath.


    "No wonder you survived down there, you have the reflexes of a spider," the woman said as she chuckled, "Can''t say the same about your ssmate."


    ...Reflex? Was it really that? The woman waspletely behind him and he couldn''t even see her hand, that wasn''t just a simple reflex.


    "..." Rhys started to look around again as thoughts drowned his mind. Although no one was moving sluggishly anymore, Rhys still felt... sensitive to everything that is going on around him.


    Is this because of his Awakening? But no... this feeling started when he sessfully managed to turn Arachnea''s 5 gray hearts into red.


    "Hey, you okay? You need a medic or something?"


    "Hm?" Rhys turned to look at the woman.


    "You just spaced out on me," the woman then casually sat beside Rhys, crossing her legs and slightly revealing her thighs from the skirt she was wearing. Weird, Rhys was sure she was wearing pants back in the cave.


    "Yeah, I''m... fine," Rhys then slowly whispered as he looked at the woman''s face; she was obviously wearing makeup; her short brown hair, stylishly messy. Rhys then strayed his eyes even further up...


    ...looking at the 5 Gray Hearts floating above her head.


    "..." The man that handed him the clothes earlier didn''t have hearts floating above his head¡ªand it wasn''t only him, all the men that walked in front of Rhys didn''t have hearts¡ªonly women.


    "Anyway..." the woman then subtly bumped her shoulder arm on Rhys as she adjusted her legs again,


    "...It''s crazy, for a Hole to open up inside a campus, and right beside the walls of the dorm at that. They say the engineer or whatever forgot to put holeproofing on the ground. Guess someone''s gonna get sued," the woman sucked in her breath as she continued talking,


    "A lot could have died. Lucky that only one died...well, unlucky for him¡ªWait, sorry. Was he your friend?"


    "Not... exactly," Rhys answered, wondering why this woman wouldn''t stop talking.


    "Hm. Anyway, have this. I''m sure you''re thirsty," the woman then handed a bottle to Rhys, "It will help with the gravity shift, first-timers usually faint a couple of times. Not you, you... seem sturdy."


    "Thank you," Rhys nodded. Not even thinking twice as he immediately took arge sip.


    ''Show your face. I know you''re hiding something there, I saw it earlier.''


    "..." Rhys quickly removed the bottle from his face as he heard a voice inside his mind, "Sorry... what was that?"


    "Hm?" The woman immediately smiled as Rhys looked at her, "I didn''t say anything."


    ''Your face...


    ...I want to see your beautiful face.''

 Chapter 11: One, Two, Three, Let’s Go!

    <h4>Chapter 11: One, Two, Three, Let''s Go!</h4>


    ''Show your face. Show me your beautiful face.''


    "..."


    The woman''s desires were loud, louder than Arachnea''s. Is it because she''s human? Did she see Rhys''s face when they rescued him? But he even covered his face before the thing between his legs when they arrived.


    Truly, an Explorer''s eyes were fast.


    Rhys then turned to look at the 5 gray hearts above the woman''s head again. A sort of idea has already formed in Rhys''s head of what happens when he turns all the target''s hearts red...


    ...and perhaps he can use the woman beside her to confirm that?


    "..." Rhys then took in a small breath, turning to see if there were people looking at them. But as soon as he realized that everyone was busy with the Hole, he looked the woman in the eyes... before subtly pushing the towel on his head back.


    "Oh."


    And without even a secondter, a loud gulp whispered into Rhys''s ears. One of the hearts flickered, but it did not turn red.


    "Have... I already thanked you for getting me out, Ms...?" Rhys then fully brushed his hair back, revealing his face to the woman.


    "O... Oh," the woman''s eyes quickly brightened; her lips, slightly puckering as she looked at Rhys''s silver eyes, "You... you don''t really need to. And it''s Lina, you don''t really need to add ''Ms.'', we''re like only 2 years apart."


    And with that, one of Lina''s hearts turned red. Rhys had to scratch the neck of a monster to turn one of her hearts red, but he only needed to show his face to Lina?


    "I do need to thank you," Rhys then let out a sigh as he shook his head, "A Lowborn like me would have died there."


    "You''re... a Lowborn?"


    And then, all of a sudden, Lina''s red heart flickered before fully turning back into gray.


    "..." Rhys could really only squint his eyes as he saw this.


    "Uhm..." Lina then started looking away, "I think I''m needed there or something. I''ll see you around?"


    "Yes, of course."


    Of course not¡ªRhys thought. This was a chance to finally gain something from people that have ignored him for years, he wasn''t going to just let it slip away.


    And so, as Lina stood up, Rhys also lifted himself up¡ªputting the bottle between them and deliberately letting it spill onto him.


    "Oh..." Rhys let out a small breath as the liquid thered onto his chest and down his finely sculpted abs. He then quickly removed his jacket, revealing the body he had worked so hard for for years... finally putting it to use.


    "Oh... oh, my..." An audible gasp once again escaped Lina''s lips; her face,pletely turning red as her eyes were locked onto Rhys''s toned chest.


    "Sorry..." Rhys then whispered as he touched his wet abs, and then used the juice that spilled on it to once again fully pull his hair back.


    "No, it''s¡ª" Lina could not help but instinctively back away; her legs, losing their strength as she almost fell to her butt. Luckily for her, Rhys caught her in time.


    "Are... you okay?" Rhys wrapped his arm around Lina; the warmth of his bare body, almost piercing Lina''s clothes.


    "I... I''m fine," Lina wanted to look away, but was clearly unable to.


    "Hm..." Rhys then let out a soft hum next to her ear, causing Lina''s entire body to shiver in delight from the tone of his slightly alluring voice,


    "Perhaps... I can pay you back some other time?"


    "Hm?" Lina took in a small gulp as she lost herself in Rhys''s silver eyes, "Then... maybe we can meet¡ª"


    "Rhys!"


    But s, before Lina could finish her words, a loud voice approaching them caused her to push Rhys away. She didn''t even look him in the eyes anymore as she just walked and left away.


    "..." Rhys could really only just look in disappointment. But not at Lina''s back, but at the single red heart above her head. His... tactic seemed to have worked; but s, it was not meant to be.


    "Rhys, are you okay!?"


    Rhys then quickly covered his face with his hair again as he looked at the voice calling for him, only to see the school''s doctor, Katarina, running towards him.


    The men that were busy with cleaning up the aftermath of the Hole,pletely stopped as they saw her approach. How could they not, when Katarina''s bosoms that her shirt could barely contain bounced around in front of them?


    "Rhys!" And as Katarina finally reached Rhys, she quickly pushed him down back to his seat, grabbing his wrist to check his pulse, "I... I rushed here immediately when they told me you were one of the people that fell in the Hole. Are you... you''re not hurt, are you?"


    "I''m... not."


    And if there was one man that was not ogling or looking at Katarina, it was Rhys; his eyes just focused on the hearts floating above Katarina''s head.


    "What were you even doing outside?" The frustration in Katarina''s voice was clear for everyone to hear, "Even if you''re graduating, you still have to follow the curfew hours, Rhys. Rhys! Are you listening to¡ª"


    And before Katarina could finish her words, Rhys suddenly grabbed her hand, causing her to flinch and suck in a deep breath.


    "What---Are you alright, Rhys? What''s wrong? Does something hurt?"


    But as soon as Rhys heard her words, he quickly stood up and looked away¡ªrefusing to look at the 5 hearts above Katarina''s head as he let go of her hand.


    3.


    Three out of the five hearts were already red.


    Rhys didn''t even have to do much, and that tempted him for a brief moment. He almost lost himself as he thought of using the only person in his life that made the effort of helping him. He didn''t even think twice, he just grabbed her.


    These newfound abilities¡ªit was changing him. If he doesn''t learn how to control it, then it will control him.


    "Dr. Lopez..." Rhys then let out a short but very deep breath as he looked at Katarina,


    "...I need your help."


    "What... is it?" Katarina did not seem to hesitate as she once again approached Rhys.


    "I... finally had my Awakening."


    "..."


    "...Follow me back to the clinic."

 Chapter 12: Spider...man?

    <h4>Chapter 12: Spider...man?</h4>


    "Open your mouth wider, Rhys."


    "..."


    "That... that''s good. Hmn... hmn... Okay, there doesn''t seem to be anything wrong with your mouth."


    Katarina''s curious hums whispered through her clinic; the sound of her gloves, snapping in the air as she took them off after checking the color of Rhys''s tongue. Rhys was currently seated topless on a stool; his body, being professionally checked by Katarina.


    Once the blood of a god that had remained dormant inside one''s body awakens, there would usually be a slight change in one''s body¡ªincreased muscle mass, a change of color, bone density, etc.


    Some changes, however, are less noticeable than others; some are even unnoticeable.


    "Besides your eyes, I don''t see anything different..." Katarina then carefully ced the gloves that were wet with Rhys''s saliva on the clean steel te on the table beside her,


    "Do you see anything differently now? What did you say you were feeling again?"


    "Nausea..." Rhys sighed, "It feels like my body is being left behind and I am sensitive to everything around me, it''s... making me want to puke whenever I move."


    "Sensitive how?" Katarina adjusted her sses as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "It might just be a side-effect of the gravity shift."


    "I... can hear your heart beating, Dr. Lopez."


    "Wh¡ª" Katarina was about to raise her voice, but she saw a smile crawl on Rhys''s face, causing her to stop her puffing chest. Rhys, throughout his 6 years ofing and going inside the clinic, has never smiled even once.


    Maybe even he himself didn''t realize he was smiling...but for his first smile to be somewhat cheeky and a little teasing, it made Katarina think of what kind of cheerful person he could have been.


    "Seriously..." And so, Katarina could really only sigh as she shook her head, "...Like how?"


    "Like this."


    And without even any slight pause, Rhys suddenly swung and stretched his arm to the side. And as he opened his hand, a small baby fly fell from it.


    "...Interesting. That increase in senses is too drastic for someone who just awakened," Katarina once again adjusted her sses. But then, all of a sudden, her hand blurred. And when it cleared, it was already right in front of Rhys''s face.


    "You... saw that?" Katarina could not help but blink a couple of times as Rhys seemed to instinctively lean his head back.


    "W¡ªNo?" As for Rhys, he could really only take in a small gulp as he saw the fist in front of him.


    "But you avoided it... interesting," Katarina hummed as she ced her hand on her chin; her breasts, being pinned as they seemed to be seconds away from bursting through her buttoned shirt.


    "Aren''t you... a doctor?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "You don''t think you''re the only one in the world that exercises, right?" Katarina said as a smirk crawled on her face. This smirk, however, quickly turned into a genuine smile as her eyes which were blocked by her sses started to moist,


    "Congrattions, Rhys Wilder," Katarina then sniffled as she tried to stop the tears from her eyes from falling, "You finally Awakened."


    "Th¡ª"


    ''I want you to be even happier, Rhys. I want you to be happy.''


    "..." A douse of weight suddenly bombarded Rhys''s body as soon as he heard the voice in his head¡ªa feeling of warmth that was enough to drown himpletely.


    Katarina''s desire... was for him to be happy?


    "W...what?" Katarina''s voice slightly hummed as she saw Rhys suddenly pause, "Are you gonna cry too? Come on, let it out. We''re the only ones here."


    Rhys, however, only took in a deep breath as he shook his head, "Can you not tell them?"


    "Hm?"


    "Can you not tell them that I awakened?" Rhys then said as his lethargic voice became evenzier, "Even if they register me, I''m still a Lowborn¡ªI can''t dive inside a Hole."


    "But... I''m legally obligated to tell the government and the school, Rhys," Katarina let out a short but deep breath, before looking at Rhys and nodding her head, "But if that is what you want, then¡ª"


    "No, never mind. You could lose your job if they find out, right?"


    "..." Katarina did not really say anything and just nodded her head again, "Let''s... finish checking your body, then."


    "Hm," Rhys nodded as he rxed his shoulders, "Can I ask you something, Dr. Lopez?"


    "Ask away," Katarina shrugged as she lifted Rhys''s arm.


    "I know I can be difficult to deal with..." Rhys then turned to look at the hearts above Katarina''s head,


    "...So, why are you helping me, really?"


    "Because I can," Katarina answered without any hesitation.


    ''I just want you to be happy.''


    "Because... you can," Rhys mumbled as he looked at the remaining two gray hearts. And right there and then, he decided that he will never fill the two, at the very least, not with intent.


    He will never use Katarina¡ªshe is basically the closest thing he has to a family other than his sister.


    The three red hearts above her head were probably purely tonic.


    "You said you have the blood of Eros? I''ve never heard that name before," Katarina then said as she continued checking Rhys''s other arm, "What about the other gods, you should know their names too."


    "I... don''t know," Rhys shook his head, "Their blood is probably too weak?"


    "That''s... weird, everyone should know what blood they have," Katarina sighed as she finally just focused on checking Rhys body. She had seen Rhys''s body evolve throughout the years, and she still couldn''t believe he managed to sculpt a silhouette as he has.


    One could even encase him in cement and put him inside the Altar of the Gods, and no one would know.


    He always seemed to have power¡ªbut now he has a real one. And for a person that has been beaten, abused, and humiliated his entire life... this was dangerous.


    "Rhys..." Katarina then held Rhys''s hand and ced it on her forehead, "Promise me...


    ...Promise me that you won''t do anything rash with this."


    "I... won''t," Rhys slightly paused as he answered; his silver eyes, just staring at Katarina''s face, "I know where I stand, Dr. Lopez¡ªI''m still weak. But... with my increased reflexes, maybe this is thest time you''ll be seeing me in the clinic."


    "...I hope this is thest time I see you in my clinic," Katarina softly chuckled as she repeated Rhys''s words, "You''re graduating soon too. I hope the next time I see you, it will be outside."


    "We can see each other during the graduation," a smile also formed on Rhys''s face, "You are practically my school mother now."


    "How dare¡ªI''m just a few years older than you!" Katarina''s eyes widened; the smile on her face, widening as she tightened her grip on Rhys''s hand.


    "!!!"


    However, as soon as she did so... several white, sticky strings of something suddenly shot out from Rhys''s fingers...


    ...and onto her face.


    "W... what is this?"

 Chapter 13: A Sticky Situation Turning Hard

    <h4>Chapter 13: A Sticky Situation Turning Hard</h4>


    "Rhys, what... is this sticky stuff?"


    Both Rhys and Katarina could really only stare at each other as some sort of white, sticky fluid now bridged his finger and Katarina''s face. Rhys''s silver eyes,pletely nk as several thoughts entered his mind.


    Katarina also couldn''t move, the only thing she could do was just hold Rhys''s thick arm.


    "Wh¡ªHeh!?" And right when she finally decided to move, her face was once again showered by the white sticky fluiding out of Rhys''s fingers. If she wasn''t wearing a pair of sses, then her eyes would have surely been also covered by the sticky fluid.


    "Perhaps... you should let go of my arm, Dr. Lopez?" Rhys''s thoughts finally stopped as he looked at his hand.


    "That''s... probably a good idea," a small awkward chuckle escaped Katarina''s lips; her words muffled as she didn''t really want the sticky white fluid to enter her mouth. But as she let go of Rhys''s arm and started pulling away, a small wince whispered in the air.


    "A...ow..." Katarina breathed out, "It''s... it''s stuck to my hair, do something!"


    "I don''t know how to stop it, Dr. Lopez..." Rhys instinctively followed the rhythm of Katarina''s breaths.


    "Try rxing your arm! And stop moving, you''re getting it all over me!"


    "Wait, Dr. Lopez..." Rhys then lightly pulled his arm away, but as he did so, the sticky white fluid seemed to instantly harden.


    "!!!"


    Katarina could not help but tumble forward in fear that her hair would be pulled out from the sudden force. Unfortunately for both of them, Rhys was unable to regain his bnce on the stool as he fell backward straight to the floor.


    "R... Rhys, are you¡ª" And before Katarina could finish her words, she could not help but take in a deep breath as she realized her lips were only inches away from touching Rhys''s¡ªin fact, she could already feel the warmth of their breaths mixing in the air.


    "N... no." But that wasn''t the only warmth that started to mix together. Katarina felt her buttoned shirt finally snap when they fell... and so, right now; aside from her bra blocking the skin of her humongous bosoms, their skin waspletely sticking to each other.


    "..." Rhys could really only look to the side as he felt Katarina''s flesh mounting on him. The softness of her bosoms, even softer than Arachnea... perhaps¡ªNo. Rhys quickly shook off the thoughts that were growing inside his mind.


    And soon, his entire body started to rx. And with it, the white stuff that created all this chaos started to soften again, fully turning into liquid and just evaporatingpletely in a couple of seconds.


    Not all of it was gone, however, as a little bit of residue seemed to still be stuck on Katarina''s face.


    "Dr. Lopez... I''m sorry," Rhys then gently brushed Katarina''s cheek.


    "R... Rhys, no..." Katarina''s breaths started to stutter as she looked directly at Rhys''s lips, "We... we shouldn''t do this. At least... at least not here in¡ª"


    "You still have some on your face, you should probably wash it off." And before Katarina could fully say something she shouldn''t say, Rhys gently lifted her up, "We don''t know if... it has any other effects."


    "..." Katarina could really only quickly cover herself up; her eyes, nowpletely nk,


    "...Right."


    ***


    "Enhance senses, as well as spider webs?"


    Katarina was now covered by curtains as she washed herself from the sink in the clinic. The curtains were slightly thin, however, as Rhys could stillpletely see her silhouette; the edges of her bosoms, bouncing with Katarina''s every movement.


    "Are you sure you don''t have the blood of the god of spiders instead?" Katarina said as she continued to wipe herself up.


    "I... don''t know," Rhys said. A lie, of course, as he already fully had an idea of what one of his abilities could do.


    The thing that shot out from his fingers were exactly the same as the web that came out of Arachnea.


    The 5 Hearts¡ªhe could probably copy a part of the target''s abilities if he sessfully turns them all red.


    Wouldn''t that mean that if he conquers Katarina''s heart... he would gain the power to heal?---Rhys thought as he stared at Katarina''s silhouette, the edges of her teats, fully visible in the shadows.


    Rhys once again shook his head off of the thoughts that seem to be bombarding and corrupting him persistently. He covered his mouth, only to realize that a smile was actually painted on his face.


    "I..." Rhys quickly stood up, "I''m going, Dr. Lopez."


    "What? Why!?" Katarina could be seen rushing to immediately get dressed from the other side of the curtain, "We still need to talk about your abilities, Rhys!"


    "Let''s... talk tomorrow."


    "Wait!" Katarina was able to get dressed in no time; her hair, still dripping as she swung the curtains open. But s, the only thing she was able to see was Rhys closing the door on her.


    "...Seriously?" Katarina could really only let out a sigh loud enough to fill her entire clinic. She then started cleaning all the mess on the table... before her eyes reached the gloves she used to check the inside of Rhys''s mouth.


    "..." Katarina then turned to look at the door as she grabbed the gloves with her bare hands. And as soon as she was sure that no one was there... she ced the gloves beside her cheek.


    "Rhys..." Katarina''s breaths then started to shudder as she walked toward one of the beds; closing the curtains behind her as she did so.


    If Rhys was to see this right now, he would have noticed that the hearts above Katarina''s head...


    ...4 of them were now red.


    ***


    Rhys gasped for breath as he finally stepped out of the school. Hepletely forgot to breathe as he just focused on getting away from the situation he found himself in.


    He wanted to go back to the dorms topletely collect himself, but there were even more people now than there were before he left with Katarina¡ªthe trucks to fill up the hole were also here now.


    "..." Rhys started looking around for where to go in the meantime. Since he wouldn''t even be able to sleep even if he managed to return to his dorm...


    ...should he start practicing the abilities he received from Arachnea?


    "Rhys Wilder."


    And before he could even take a single step to find a ce to practice, 2 people suddenly approached him¡ªa man and a woman wearing a suit, and a pair of sunsses even in the darkness of the night.


    "...Yes?" Rhys quickly made sure to cover his face as he answered.


    "We''re from the Holes Investigation Unit," the woman showed her badge to Rhys as she stepped forward,


    "We need you toe with us to the local precinct...


    ...we have questions about the death of your ssmate."

 Chapter 14: Opportunity

    <h4>Chapter 14: Opportunity</h4>


    "Can you wait here for a while?"


    "...Okay."


    Without allowing him to rest, the people from the HIU, Hole Investigations Unit, brought and escorted Rhys to the city''s local precinct; making him wait in front of a door that no one truly ever wanted to see in their lives.


    They did not even allow him to wear his hoodie, making him feel slightly vulnerable from all the surveince cameras littered around the building.


    The local police didn''t seem to heed him any mind, however, as they were also busy dealing with the aftermath of the Hole inside their city¡ªsomething that never should have happened in the first ce.


    Throughout the thousand years since humans have battled the monsters from the Underworld, they have learned to prevent and block them froming up to the Surface by using a special resource from the Underworld itself, and some human engineering.


    This resource is limited, however. And the ces that have been covered with this material in the past, in time, became the cities that the people can peacefully live in now.


    Cities are supposed to be safe, and yet, right now, the city of Old York was awake in fear of monsters.


    "Rhys Wilder, you cane in now."


    "Oka¡ª"


    And as Rhys was finally called to enter the interrogation room after an hour of waiting, he saw a familiar face step out of the door.


    "R... Rhys, you... you''re alive?" It was Rob, one of Lex''s friends. One of his friends that was there when he was brought to the roof unconscious...


    ...one of his friends that was there when he tried to kill himself, pushing Lex along with him. Is it possible... he said something to the detectives? Is that why Rhys was called here in the first ce?


    "You... you''re gonna pay for what you''ve done! You fucking bitch!"


    And almost as if to confirm Rhys''s fears, Rob suddenly lunged toward him; his fist, already only inches away from hitting Rhys''s face.


    "..." Rhys has felt the very same fist in front of him right now thousands of times, and yet this was the very first time that he was actually able to see it. No, he wasn''t just seeing it.


    All the strands of hair on Rhys''s body stood up as it almost automatically moved to the side to avoid Rob''s fist. Rhys even had the time to look at each of the individual folds on Rob''s hand as it leaped past him.


    Rhys could probably push Rob right now while he was in the air¡ªthere''s a possibility he could break his neck if hended the wrong way... and Rhys can make that possibility possible right now.


    Just one tiny push and one of the people that made his life miserable could possibly disappear. And perhaps because of Rhys''s thoughts being incredibly heavy, his hand started to move on his own.


    And perhaps lucky for the both of them, Rob was already out of Rhys''s reach before he made his decision.


    "Gods damn it! Restrain the boy!"


    "Calm your ancestor''s tits, boy! We have enough problems as it is! Someone, take this fucker home!"


    "..." Rhyts could really only watch as Rob was immediately bombarded and pinned down by several people as soon as hended back on his feet.


    "What are you still standing there for?" The man from the HIU snapped his fingers right in front of Rhys''s face, before gesturing to him to step inside the interrogation room,


    "Let''s get this over with so we can all sleep."


    ***


    "Do you know Lex Tatum?"


    "Yes, he was my ssmate."


    Rhys was right. As the woman from the HIU slid a picture of Lex across the table and showed it to him, he knew that he was in deep trouble¡ªwhatever Rob, and Lex''s other friends said, he was sure they lied through their teeth.


    "The young man who tried to attack you outside is also your ssmate, correct?" The woman removed the photo from the table. Due to the oversized sunsses she was wearing, Rhys could barely even see her expression, or what she even looked like.


    ''I just want to sleep.''


    "..." Her thoughts, however, could not be any louder.


    "Why did you push Lex Tatum!?" And all of a sudden, the woman''s partner that was quietly standing in the corner rushed toward the table and mmed both his palms on it.


    "I didn''t push anyone," Rhys did not let himself get intimidated as he answered without any pause, "We fell."


    "3 people," the man leaned closer to Rhys as he rested his elbows on the table, slightly pushing his partner to the side, "3 people were there as a witness and they all told us that you pushed Lex Tatum. We should just lock you up right now!"


    And even as the man''s raging saliva showered across Rhys''s messy hair, Rhys remainedpletely stoic and calm. He was used to being screamed at and intimidated¡ªthat was his everyday life as a Lowborn.


    "Lex knocked me out while I was on my way back to my dormitory room. I woke up on the roof surrounded by Lex and his friends," Rhys''s lethargically soothing voice whispered in the air. His silver eyes that were hidden by his hair, looking at the woman instead of his yelling partner,


    "Lex then lifted me up and threatened to throw me from the roof, he slipped and took me with him."


    "What? You expect us to believe that!?" The man once again mmed his fist on the table; Rhys, on the other hand, just repeated his statement.


    "You Lowborns really should learn how to know your ce. I am going to make sure you''ll be locked¡ª"


    "That''s enough, John."


    And before the man could turn everyone in the interrogation room deaf, his partner stood up and pushed him to the side.


    "We''ve taken your statement, Mr. Wilder," the female detective gestured to Rhys to stand up, "You can go, but please don''t leave the city in the meantime so we can find you if we need to."


    "What!? We''re just going to let him go!?" Detective John once again raised his voice as he saw Rhys just casually leaving the interrogation room. He seemed to want to pull him back, but his partner stopped him.


    "We know where to find you, boy! Don''t think this is over! You should have been the one that died!" Detective John continued to shout, but as soon as Rhys waspletely out of the room... Detective John''s face instantly calmed down.


    "So..." John then calmly turned to look at his partner, "...What are we thinking here, Maria?"


    "I think you overdid it," Maria''s sighs almost filled the entire room as she sat back down, "We were here to find out how a Lowborn survived a Hole that a Commoner with Herakles'' blood could not."


    "Want me to follow him around, boss?"


    "No," Maria shook her head,


    "...I''ll do it."


    ***


    Rhys was unable to read the desires of men; perhaps if he wanted to find a silver lining with almost being arrested, it was that he was able to confirm that thanks to detective John.


    His only problem now was going back to the dorm. Since most of the officers were busy running around the station and all over the ce, there was sadly no one left to escort him back home¡ªand with the time, all of the public transportation was already closed.


    And so, with a very long and deep sigh, Rhys just started walking. This is good, he thought¡ªit would at least give him the time to think of everything that had happened today... or so he thought.


    "Rhys!"


    Without even minutes of leaving the police station, Rhys found himself surrounded by Rob and two other people.


    "..." Rhys just wanted to think...


    ...but it would seem the opportunity to try his new abilities presented themselves to him.

 Chapter 15: Reaching The Top Floor

    <h4>Chapter 15: Reaching The Top Floor</h4>


    "Where... are you taking me?"


    "Did you really think we would fucking beat you up next to the police station!?"


    "...Right."


    Rhys was now inside a car, with Rob in the driver''s seat while two of his friends apanied Rhys at the back. He initially thought they were just going to drag him into a dark alley like they usually do, but no.


    They took him to a parking lot and pushed him inside a car. They have been driving around the city for almost an hour now¡ªwere they trying to find a spot to finally get rid of him?


    He wanted to test his abilities so he willingly let himself be dragged away... but could he actually be dying here?


    "..." Rhys then subtly turned to look at the thugs on each of his sides; the two of them, gripping his wrist and pinning him to the seat. If Rhys contracted the muscles on his arms right now, will webs shoot out of his fingers?


    And if it does, won''t Rob and the others panic¡ªcausing them to crash and die? Rhys was fully aware of their strength as they have been beating him for years, the only one in their group that would survive a fatal car crash is Lex, and he was already dead.


    But then again, Rhys will die too if that happens.


    He probably should have just run away¡ªwas the prevalent thought in Rhys''s mind right about now. The group drove a few more minutes, until finally stopping as they reached a construction site of a small building.


    Suffice it to say, the three did not waste any time as they pushed him out of the car, quickly dragging him into the deste building and up the stairs like they have done it a hundred times... which they have, and more.


    "..." As for Rhys, he was just watching as his feet bounced on the steps of the asphalt stairs. Just a day ago, he would have probably tried his best to at least try and find a way to escape. But at this moment... he was just thinking why thugs that bully people like high ces.


    And finally, as they reached the fourth and topmost floor, they quickly threw him to the cold, hard, and dusty floor.


    Rhys really only groaned as he felt himself rolling several times on the floor¡ªhe was used to this. But of course, back then, he was truly only feigning calmness. After all, throughout the years, he learned that not having a reaction to the beatings at all would make them leave quicker. They... get bored when you don''t react.


    But now, he wasn''t just acting calm¡ªhe is. For some reason, he was probably the calmest he has ever been in his life even as he breathed the sand and the gravel of the unfinished floor beneath him.


    And now, as he very slowly stood up, he even found his situation somewhat liberating. And as he looked at the thugs in front of him, he finally realized why.


    One of them was missing. Lex, their ringleader, was missing... and that thought truly put a smile on his face.


    "I told you guys..." Rob tapped both his friends as he saw the smile crawling on Rhys''s face, "This fucker''s turned crazy."


    Rob''s friends only scoffed as they looked at Rhys. And without even saying anything to each other, the two began silently walking around him.


    And as soon as they fully surrounded Rhys, Rob started to approach him; his steps, echoing through the empty building.


    "What did you tell the police... Rhys?" Rob then confidently raised his hand. And as he turned it into a fist, all the sand and dust around him began flying to his hand; attaching themselves to it until they formed some sort of caestus.


    Elemental control¡ªthe mostmon ability in the world. Almost all Commoners have it one way or another. From summoning a wind that could just blow a feather, to a gust that could empty out the leaves of an entire tree.


    As for the Nobles, well... they could blow an entire bus meters into the air, but the strongest ones could clear out entire mountains.


    "What did you say?" Rob tightened his fist as he repeated his words.


    "I told them what happened." Even with all this intimidation, however, Rhys just let out a small but deep breath, "You guys knocked me out and brought me to the roof to beat me up. Lex threatened to drop me from the building but tripped and we both fell."


    "Fell!? You obviously grabbed him, you fucking psychopath! We''re going to kill you!"


    ...He was the psychopath?---was Rhys''s only thought as Rob was now rushing toward him. And as he watched as Rob threatened to hit him in the face with his gravel-d fist, the only thing that Rhys could think of was how slow it was.


    No, Rob wasn''t slow at all. Rhys''s ability was not to slow down time, he knew that. Rob was still fast, but Rhys was just processing his movements faster, much faster.


    He then stepped to the side, making the most minimal possible movements as he dodged Rob''s fist. And this time, he made sure to trip him¡ªblocking his feet with his leg and causing Rob to fall face first on the cold, hard, sandy floor.


    "..." Rhys turned to look at the back of Rob''s neck for a few breaths, before slowly raising his leg. But before he could do anything else, he suddenly tilted his body back as a small razor de flew past his nose and lodged into a wall.


    If that thing had hit him... wouldn''t he have possibly died? Did they... really bring him here to kill him?


    "Bitch!"


    And before Rhys could get lost in his thoughts again, another one rushed toward him¡ªthis time holding a steel rod. Rhys quickly stepped to the side to avoid it... but didn''t realize that Rob, who was previously just lying face t on the floor, was now holding him by his ankle.


    "!!!"


    Rhys opted to just block the attack and cover his face. But s, his newly found senses did not directly grant him additional speed as he was hit right on his cheek.


    The impact was enough to cause him to roll on the floor several times, only stopping as he hit a wall.


    "Is... is he dead?" The one that threw a razor de on Rhys''s face could not help but gulp as he saw him rolling on the floor, "I think you killed him, fuck!"


    "W... what? But Rob said we''re going to kill him!" The guy with the bat looked absolutely confused.


    "That was a figure of speech, you fucking dumb fuck!" Rob yelled as he stood up from the floor; his frustrations, echoing through the building, "We¡ª"


    And before the three could actually start talking about what happened, Rhys started to lift himself up from the floor, and along with his deep and gasping breaths...


    ...cameughter.

 Chapter 16: A Snap

    <h4>Chapter 16: A Snap</h4>


    Rhys waspletely dazed. His mind, fleeting in and out of consciousness as he tried to keep himself on his feet¡ªhe was used to this feeling, after all.


    For years, without stop, all he had known was pain. And throughout the years, he realized that he wasn''t in pain because he was weak; he wasn''t in pain because of his face; he wasn''t in pain because he was a Lowborn.


    He was in pain because there are people out there who like inflicting it on other people, it just made it easier to hurt him because he was weak.


    Lex, as well as the three in front of him right now were some of those people.


    When Rhys waspletely traumatized by the murder of his mother, he instinctively chose to just stick to himself from then on. Even as the government threw him into Old York High School, he remainedpletely stoic; his entire person, hidden from the world... literally.


    But then, one time, Lex saw his face.


    And that was it. That was the entire reason why he has been bullied for 6 straight years¡ªbecause Rhys was way better-looking than him, and a Lowborn shouldn''t have that right.


    And Rhys, with that thought, could not help but justugh as he looked at the three in front of him. And with his nose and mouth drowning in his own blood from being hit right on the face, theughter that escaped his lips truly sounded... guttural.


    "Fuck... did you really turn crazy?" Rob did not realize it, but he slightly took a step back as he saw Rhysughing with his face dripping blood on the floor.


    "You guys..." Rhys then whispered; his once lethargic voice now sounding menacing as he gasped for air fromughing too much, "...you guys should have just¡ª"


    "Stop. Fucking. Laughing!" And before Rhys could finish his words, Rob once again rushed toward him; his fist, locked onto his already bleeding face.


    Rhys, even with his mind still a little dazed, did not let his focus stray away from Rob; his silver eyes, as calm as they could be as he watched as Rob''s fist once again passed his face. This time, however, he caught his arm and did what he couldn''t do back in the police station.


    He pulled Rob closer to him, before grabbing the back of his head and using his own momentum against him to m his face straight onto the hard wall.


    "!!!" The sound of Rob''s nose breaking whispered into the air, only drowned by the loud snap that reverberated the entire wall. Rhys did not seem to be done, however. As Rob''s legs momentarily lost their strength from the impact and caused him to kneel, Rhys mmed his knee directly at the back of his neck.


    The two thugs that were about to rush at Rhys, could really only halt their steps in shock from this sudden and unexpected scenario. And as Rob fully dropped to the floor, they watched as Rhys started violently stepping on his head.


    The difference in strength between a Lowborn and a Commoner is wide¡ªbut that is if both were average in their category. Rhys trained and worked out for 6 years straight, only resting his body when it needed to.


    And for an untrained Commoner that did not belong to the Strength type, this difference bes thin.


    "Fuck..." The one with the razor des sucked in a deep breath, "...What are you doing!? Are you trying to kill him!?"


    The two thugs wanted to lunge and ganged up on him to stop him¡ªbut they seem to be waiting on who between them will go first. Soon, however, they found that they did not need to do anything as Rhys stopped on his own.


    "Heh... that''s funny..." A small chuckle escaped Rhys''s lips as he removed his foot from Rob''s head; his shoe, creating a sort of squishy noise as he ced it on the floor.


    "You guys..." Rhys then whispered as he covered his mouth with his hands. And then, with a deep breath, he brushed his hands upthering the blood on his mouth all over his face and using it to push his hair back,


    "You guys should have really killed me when you got the chance."


    There are usually two paths that weak people take once they gain power.


    Some will be corrupted by it, addicted to the power that they start abusing and using it on other people because they think it is their right to do so.


    Some will be humble. Anding from weakness, they have learned and appreciate what it is like to have no power at all¡ªand thus they only use their power sparingly and when necessary.


    But for people like Rhys, who have been abused by people with power---something in them just snaps...


    ...and they be a bit unpredictable.


    ***


    "...What am I even doing here?"


    Outside the empty construction site, Dr. Katarina Lopez stepped out of her vehicle. She was no longer wearing her uniform but was instead just wearing a loose t-shirt that hid herrge breasts, and a pair of leggings.


    After all, how could she even get dressed when Rhys, who just suddenly ran out and left her in the clinic, suddenly called her at 3 in the morning using an unknown number?


    [Dr. Lopez, pleasee. I need you.]---those were his exact words before he hung up and just sent her a location on where to go.


    "...Why am I doing this?" Katarina once again whispered to herself as she looked at the building. But then, as soon as she saw an unfamiliar car parked on the lot; the hesitation on her face quickly disappeared as she rushed inside the unfinished building.


    And as soon as she did so, she heard a voice whisper into her ear.


    "Rhys!" Katarina looked up, before rushing to the stairs and climbing up at a speed one wouldn''t expect from a doctor.


    "Rhys, answer me! Are you¡ª" And as she reached the fourth floor, her words, and legspletely stopped.


    "Dr. Lopez," Rhys then very slowly turned to look at Katarina as soon as he noticed her,


    "I think... I messed up. But... I finally got the justice you''ve always been talking about," he then said; his voice, oddly calm even as blood dripped from every inch of his body.


    "Rhys..." Katarina could really only just blink a couple of times, not really knowing what to say as she saw Rhys covered in blood...


    ...and on the floor were three people,pletely unmoving; their faces, all mangled up beyond recognition,


    "Rhys...


    ...What did you do?"

 Chapter 17: The Longest Night

    <h4>Chapter 17: The Longest Night</h4>


    "They''re all still alive."


    "Oh..." Rhys was now seated on the floor. His back, against the wall as the blood that drowned his entire silhouette started to dry up, "I... do not really know what to feel about that, Dr. Lopez."


    "Rhys, this..."


    Katarina could really only ce her hand on her waist as she stared at Rhys; her breaths, slightly stuttered as several thoughts also circled in her mind¡ªbut for some reason, one prevails the most.


    "Look," Katarina then started wearing a pair of gloves she had in her pocket, "I took the oath of Asclepius, I am obligated to save lives and do no harm intentionally...


    ...but if you wish to end them, I won''t stop you."


    "..." Rhys quickly turned to look at Katarina as soon as she heard her words, only to see her eyes staring straight at his.


    "But there will be consequences to that, but I am willing to go down with you," Katarina said without breaking eye contact, "I can heal them right here, right now. But there will also be consequences to that. They mighte after you even harder... or if you''re lucky, they will start avoiding you altogether."


    "..."


    "It''s Lex and these students... right? The one who has been beating you for 6 straight years?" Katarina''s eyes suddenly turned cold as she looked at the three almost lifeless bodies around her,


    "Their lives are in your hands now, choose."


    "..." Rhys stood up; squinting his eyes as he looked back and forth between Katarina and his three unconscious schoolmates. He did not even have to think, however, as he quickly shook his head after,


    "...No," he said, "I think I just need to clean myself, Dr. Lopez."


    "..." Katarina looked Rhys in the eyes again, before sighing and nodding her head, "Go wait in the car, I will take you back to the dorm. As for clothes... I have some on the back and some wet wipes...


    ...let me handle this."


    "...Okay," Rhys didn''t think again as he just nodded and started walking away. Before taking a step down the stairs, however, he nced back at Katarina,


    "Thank you, Dr. Katarina."


    "..." Katarina did not really respond and just watched as Rhys disappeared into the darkness. And as soon as she was sure she was gone, a long and very deep sigh echoed throughout the entire floor.


    She said that the three were alive... they were, but barely. It will take a doctor with a greater healing ability than her to fully bring them back to normal.


    This is what Katarina has been afraid of ever since meeting Rhys.


    Throughout the years of seeing him almost every day in the clinic, she came to know the kind of man Rhys is. One could say she knew him better than he knew himself, much more.


    Rhys is extremely reserved due to past traumas¡ªwell, that is what he seems at first nce.


    But he is a man riddled with illnesses of the mind.


    Clinical depression, scopophobia, schizoid personality disorder, and obsessivepulsive disorder; all derived from severe post-traumatic stress disorder from what happened to him as a 12-year-old.


    Traits and diagnoses like this usually drive a person into psychosis; most be clinically insane and will have high tendencies for violence and self-harm. But throughout the years they have been seeing each other, never once has Rhys shown any signs of that¡ªone could even say he avoids itpletely.


    But now, Rhys was starting to show emotions and even smiling casually¡ªthat was good... but he was also starting to show signs of something else.


    "Hm..." Katarina ced her hand on her chin as she started whispering to herself, "Did finally gaining the power to fight back triggered everything Rhys has been hiding... or was it knowing her sister is joining the same guild as the very person that caused his illness in the first ce?"


    Katarina continued whispering to herself as she looked at the three dying students lying on the floor. But after a few more seconds, she let out a small but very deep sigh and looked at the shadows on the walls.


    "So, until when are you gonna hide there?"


    "..."


    "Are you going toe out, or should I help you?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Hm..." And after a few seconds of silence, the sound of steps started whispering in the air; the shadows that were on the wall, forming into a silhouette that slowly made its way closer to Katarina,


    "...I knew I recognized the name of the student."


    The silhouette then formed into the shape of a woman. And if Rhys was still here, he would quickly recognize her as the female agent that briefly questioned him back in the interrogation room, Maria,


    "Rhys Barber, son of the victim of the Ss West incident," the shadows beneath Maria''s feet started gathering to her; like tails being retracted back into her body.


    "Wilder," Katarina clicked her tongue as she looked at Maria from head to toe, "And he is not the son of the victim, he is one of the victims."


    "Semantics," Maria also looked at Katarina from head to toe, "What I truly did not expect, however, is to see you here, Agent Lopez."


    "Dr. Lopez..." Katarina once again sighed, "...I quit a long time ago."


    "Hm."


    "..."


    "..."


    "...Since you''re here, call someone to heal these thugs."


    "...Right."


    ***


    "Well, I guess it fits... pft. Just go back straight to your dorm, you need to rest."


    Rhys was now back in front of the school. The people that were handling the aftermath of the Hole were still there, but the reporters were forced to go home.


    "It''s fine." As for Rhys, he was standing in front of the gate and wearing Katarina''s clothes. And since Katarina''s clothes were overly loose because of her bountiful figure and humongous breasts, the clothes fit him just fine,


    "Thank you again, Dr. Katarina," Rhys said as he looked at Katarina inside the car.


    "Stop thanking me already," Katarina sighed and rolled her eyes, "But... are you sure you don''t want to spend the night at my ce? I''m not going to make you pay, you know."


    "..." Rhys quickly looked at the 3 Red Hearts above Katarina''s head.


    ''I want you to be happy.''


    And with her desires whispering into Rhys''s mind, he just shook his head and smiled, "I don''t want to bother you any further than I already have."


    "Your loss. You almost got to spend the night with a hotdy," Katarina then chuckled, "Also, don''t worry about being questioned by the police about what happened tonight anymore¡ªI''ll talk to them and just say you were with me."


    "You... don''t need to do that."


    "But I will," Katarina then stuck out her tongue as the window between them started to close, "Remember, go straight to sleep!"


    "I... will. Drive safel¡ª"


    ''I want you to be happy... with me.''


    "..." Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he watched as the car drove away. But after a few more seconds, he just shrugged his shoulders and started walking into the campus¡ªmust have been the wind, he thought.


    "!!!" It would seem that Rhys''s longest night was not over, however, as his body once again instinctively moved to the side, grabbing a hand that was stretching toward him from behind.


    "Woah... you really do have the reflexes of a spider."


    "..." Rhys then quickly turned to look at the owner of the hand, only to see a woman with short brown hair, and heavy makeup on her face¡ªit was the female explorer from earlier, Lina.


    "So, coffee or juice?" Lina then raised her hands; holding coffee, and the juice that Rhys drank earlier on the other.


    ''Don''t sleep yet. I want to get to know you more.''


    "..." And as Rhys heard her thoughts, he slowly turned his eyes toward the 5 Hearts floating above her head. He then turned to look at Katarina''s car; its rear lights, now the only things visible from the distance.


    "I... I''m a little tired," Rhys then whispered.


    "Oh..." Lina could really only awkwardly drop her arms as she heard Rhys''s words. The only Red heart of the 5 Hearts above her head, now flickering.


    "So...


    ...Is it alright if we drink them in my room?"


    Rhys''s longest night, it would seem... was not over just yet.

 Chapter 18: Happy Birthday, Rhys

    <h4>Chapter 18: Happy Birthday, Rhys</h4>


    "Are you sure we''re allowed here?"


    "...Yes."


    "Feels like we''re breaking the rules. Kinda makes you nervous, no?"


    "You weren''t allowed to bring people in your dorms, Ms. Lina?"


    "Just call me Lina, and no¡ªI have never been. I was in the Explorer Academy, but that''s not really a school. By the way, is...


    ...this all you have? Did you just move here or something?"


    Even with Lina''s presence adding to Rhys''s room, it still feltpletely bleak and empty. Throughout his 6 years in Old York High, this was probably the first time that someone else was inside his room¡ªand an outsider, at that.


    Rhys wasn''t really actually aware of the dorm rules. Even though he had lived here for years, he didn''t consider it a home. It was just a ce to sleep and whittle his time away, four walls and a roof.


    No, throughout his istion, the only thing he considered his home was his sister... was.


    "Yes..." Rhys''szy and somewhat smooth breath whispered in the corners of his empty room.


    "...And how long have you been here?"


    "About 6 years."


    "..." Lina could really only walk around the room, not failing to notice how spacious it was¡ªand not just in the sense that it was empty, no¡ªthe room truly was spacious.


    A suitcase, and a mattress without pillows.


    "Are they... mistreating you?"


    "...Not at all," Rhys shook his head, "I''m... just treated like any other Lowborn, Lina."


    "That''s¡ªsorry," Lina sucked in a breath as she approached Rhys''s bed, "I... haven''t really talked with your... I haven''t talked much with a Lowborn before."


    "It''s fine," Rhys just once again shook his head as a small chuckle escaped his lips, "I would offer you a seat, but¡ª"


    "I''ll sit here," Lina shrugged before letting her butt fall to the bed. And although her breasts were nowhere near Katarina''s size, it was still bountiful enough to jiggle as she lightly bounced on the bed; her short skirt, however,pletely folded and showed more of her thick thighs... squeezed by the garter of her somewhat frilly panties.


    Lina, however, did not seem to mind that her underwear was exposed; pretending ignorance as she once again looked around the room.


    "Are all the rooms in this dorm this big?" Lina''s voice contained a slight hum.


    "Just mine."


    "Huh...wait, is that a toilet?" Lina then blinked a couple of times as she saw a door.


    "A... bathroom."


    "A bathroom!? Well shit..." Lina giggled as she looked up at Rhys; her eyes,pletely turned up, "So...


    ...coffee or juice?"


    "..." Rhys watched as Lina once again offered him a drink; shaking her hands as she handed her a can and a bottle. Rhys did not really think long, however, as he just grabbed the bottle of juice.


    "Do... Explorers usually stay up thiste?" Rhys then asked, "It''s 4 in the morning now and I could still hear them outside."


    "Oh, shit... If you''re sleepy, we can just¡ª"


    "No," Rhys shook his head before Lina could stand up, "I... won''t be able to sleep with all this noise anyway."


    "...Yeah," Lina awkwardly chuckled as she looked at the windows, only to see them fully covered with newspapers, "Well, to answer your question¡ªWe don''t really have a set time to work. I won''t even consider it work."


    "Hm?"


    "Holes can open up at any time and anywhere; well, not in the city¡ªthis is an isted case since cities are supposed to be fully holeproofed already and¡ªI''m bbering on, aren''t I?"


    "No, go on..." Rhys looked at the 4 empty Hearts floating above Lina''s head, "...You''re the first Explorer I have ever talked with."


    "No," Lina, however, ced the can of coffee she was holding on the floor, "I wanna know more about you instead. You... have this air of mystery around you."


    "There''s... not much to know, really," Rhys turned his head down; his breaths, long and somewhat exhausted.


    ''I want to know more about you.''


    "I... suppose I''m just like any other person in this world," And as Rhys said that, the memories of him being beaten almost to death for years resurfaced in his mind. His skin being burnt; his bones being shattered¡ªhe was more ustomed to pain than breathing, "Life...


    ...life gave me challenges."


    "I say cheers to that," Lina chuckled, before leaning back and cing both her palms on the bed.


    "..."


    "..." Rhys thought several things to say, but that was all that wasing out of him¡ªthoughts.


    "So..." Fortunately for him, Lina quickly broke the silence that almost filled the room, "Are you interested in bing an Explorer?"


    "Hm?"


    "''Coz you asked me about it, do you want to be one?"


    "Oh..." Rhys slightly groaned as he looked away, "...I can''t, I''m... not allowed to be one."


    "You can be a Porter," Lina said as she very subtly moved closer to Rhys, slightly crumpling her skirt as she did so, "I can introduce you to my guild if you want. We''re pretty small, but we''re good."


    "That¡ª"


    "Don''t worry, I can protect you," Lina then crossed her legs...her knee, now touching Rhys''s leg.


    "...If the timees, then," Rhys also very slightly faced Lina.


    "..."


    "..."


    "Do you have any social media?" Once again, Lina was the one to break the silence between them.


    "I... don''t."


    "Seriously!? You''re graduating already, right? You''re like... 17?"


    "18 today, Lina..." Rhys nodded, "Well, I suppose yesterday."


    "O...Oh," Lina slightly stuttered as she heard that, "That''s... that''s goo---I mean, happy birthday, Rhys Wilder."


    "...Thanks."


    "Now to find you on the inte," Lina then let out a mischievous giggle as she grabbed her phone from her pocket, "There''s no way I can''t find a trace of you somewhere."


    "...Don''t," Rhys''s breaths started to stutter as soon as he saw Lina typing his name, "There''s... nothing there."


    "Aw, no need to be shy, birthday boy," Lina waved her hand as she scrolled through her phone.


    "N¡ª"


    ''I want to get to know you more.''


    Rhys was about to say something, but Lina''s desires once again entered his mind. He looked at the Hearts above her head before gritting his teeth and just looking away.


    "Let''s see here..." Lina once again hummed as she looked at her phone, "Oh... there''s quite a lot. A video? Are you a streamer?"


    "..."


    Lina then clicked the video with a smile on her face... a smile that did not reallyst long as her eyes reflected the images in front of her. Lina then quickly closed her phone, throwing it on the bed as she looked at Rhys.


    "That... that was you? I''m..." Lina started stuttering; her eyes, no longer knowing where to look, "I''m... sorry, I..."


    She subconsciously stood up from the bed, and as her eyes once again scanned the empty room and the covered windows; suddenly, everything makes sense.


    Lina then turned to look at Rhys. And although his eyes werepletely covered by his hair, the distraught contained in them was obvious.


    "I..." Lina opened her mouth... before just deciding to kneel in front of Rhys as she held his hand, "Shit. I... really didn''t know."


    "It''s... fine, Lina," Rhys shook his head.


    "No, it''s not fine," Lina whispered as she ced Rhys''s hand on her cheek. She then closed her eyes; her lips, now touching his hand.


    "..." And as she opened her eyes, they reflected only Rhys.


    "Happy... birthday, Rhys...


    ...let me try and make it up to you."


    And with those words, Lina leaned closer and ced her lips upon Rhys''s.

 Chapter 19: Arise (18+)

    <h4>Chapter 19: Arise (18+)</h4>


    "Nh!"


    The sound of Lina''s breaths moaned in the air as she pulled away from Rhys''s lips, filling Rhys''s once-empty room with a sort of sultry vor. Lina''s tongue was slightly sticking out; a string of saliva, tempering the bond between the two.


    The temperature in the room seemed to rise with each second until it was almost unbearable. And yet... it was weird, Rhys knew what they were about to do and what was about to happen, and yet he wasn''t even feeling any sort of anxiety... he wasn''t even excited.


    The only thing he focused on was how. How to give Lina what she wanted and needed.


    ''I want to get to know you more.''


    And if she wants to know him, then Rhys will show who he is.


    "!!!"


    And then suddenly, like a wild beast unleashed, Rhys scooped Lina into his arms and lifted her off the floor. She gasped in surprise but soon enough allowed herself to rx in his embrace, winding her arms around him; her warm breaths filling Rhys''s neck as she started licking and sucking on it, marking it with the red lipstick she was wearing.


    "Kh!?"


    Lina let out a small growl as Rhys suddenly mmed her back on the wall, supporting most of her weight with his strong arms as she almost got lost in clear silver eyes. They were like two burning fires that threatened to engulf her whole; glowing brightly in anticipation of what was yet toe.


    "Oh... my god," whispered Lina breathlessly as she ran her hands through his hair and pulled him closer towards her, "You''re so hot."


    "..." Rhys stared at Lina as her teeth slightly showed themselves as she bit her lower lip¡ªhis stare did notst long, however, as he no longer allowed her lips to be lonely. Rhys had absolutely no idea what he was doing, and yet at the same time, it felt like his body knew just how to move as he ced his lips on Lina''s, devouring the warmth they held.


    "Hn..." Lina once again stuck out her tongue, inserting it inside Rhys''s mouth, and started wrapping Rhys''s tongue with it. And while her tongue waspletely in a trance, her hands started lifting her clothes¡ªand as their lips once again separated as she raised her arms to remove her shirt, Rhys suddenly grabbed both her wrists with one hand.


    And with her hands stillpletely locked in the air, Rhys carried her to the bed and then very gentlyy her down...pletely changing the rabid pace that surrounded them as he now looked at her from above.


    Her body was toned, as expected from someone in her line of work¡ªwhat Rhys did not expect, however, was the fact that she wasn''t wearing a bra at all; her nipples which were the color of Came, fully perked up.


    "..." Lina''s eyes did not really shy away as she also just stared at Rhys; her ample breasts that were shuddering due to her heavy breaths, however, showed her slight nervousness.


    "You''re... very beautiful, Lina," Rhys then whispered as he too, lifted his shirt off, "Do you know... you will be the first woman I will ever be with?"


    "W...what?" Lina''s breasts slightly jiggled as she quickly removed her hands from the shirt that bound them; her breaths, getting heavier by the second as Rhys''s words repeated in her mind. And very soon, she could no longer even close her mouth,


    She then gently pushed Rhys away from her, before just lifting up her skirt and pulling her panties off. And as she did so, the juices that were trapped in them created strings that stretched and stuck to her inner thighs.


    "Remove them... Remove your pants," Lina then ced two of her fingers inside her mouth, before letting them crawl straight between her legs as she slid them between the crevice of her lower lips¡ªspreading them as she finally showed Rhys every inch of her. And without even waiting for Rhys to do anything, her fingers very slowly started rubbing against her clit.


    "..." Rhys slightly took in a small gulp as he watched as Lina started ying with herself. But after a few more breaths, his heart once again became calm as he removed his pants.


    "W¡ª" And as soon as Lina saw Rhys''s phallus almost leaping out from his pants, she almost instinctively closed her legs from the sheer size of it,


    "What..." She shuddered as her eyes reflected the rod in front of her. But after collecting her breaths, she once again very slowly opened her legs; the juices that wereing out from inside her, already drowning Rhys''s sheets,


    "Inside... put it inside," a smile then crawled on her face as she begged; her fingers, once again moving between her thighs, "Let... let me take your first time."


    ''Put it in me. Put that thing inside me.''


    "..." Rhys then looked above her head, only to see that two of her Hearts were now filled. And with that, any hesitation that was building inside him was swept away as he gently moved closer to Lina... holding her thighs to support and keep her legs open.


    "Hmn!" Lina''s eyes instantly widened as she felt Rhys''s warmth going inside her; her toes, curling as Rhys very slowly moved closer and closer, "Ha...ha...wait, it''s... it''s so big."


    "Does... it hurt?" Rhys whispered.


    "No, don''t... don''t speak," Lina shook her head as she grabbed Rhys''s arm, "Just do¡ªHaa!"


    Lina''s screams wailed throughout the room as she felt Rhys moving deeper and deeper inside her. Her head, now supporting most of her weight as her entire back lifted itself into an arc.


    "Kh..." Rhys also slightly shivered as he felt a sensation he hadn''t felt before. The warmth that wrapped around him was tight, causing his entire body to feel trickles with just even the slightest of movements. It felt... good.


    And he wanted more.


    "Oh... oh my god, oh my god..." Lina stuck out her tongue as even more of Rhys went inside her¡ªit almost felt like it didn''t end as her walls continued to stretch open. But it didn''t hurt, not at all. It felt... good.


    And she wanted...


    "...More."


    "..." Rhys did not reply to Lina''s words. Instead, he slowly let his body drop, until his entire weight was now on top of Lina. And with that, he finally went deeper inside her.


    Rhys stared at how Lina was once again biting down on her lower lip¡ªher eyes, however, were opened wide as she wrapped her legs tightly around his body, trapping him.


    "Oh Rhys, oh my god... Rhys..." Lina moaned as even more of Rhys entered inside her, "You''re so big... haa... so good..."


    Lina felt his presence everywhere, literally; his scent, his warmth, his... love. And with that, her entire body suddenly felt like a stringless marite. But she wasn''t limp, not at all¡ªshe was free. And with that wet and electrifying freedom, she started moving her hips; slowly grinding against Rhys to make them both feel good.


    Rhys could feel his entire self being sucked inside Lina as her walls kept rubbing against him. It was like a vacuum that was trying to consume him¡ªlike she wanted to take everything Rhys had. But he did not wish to lose in the first ce.


    And with that, he did the same; Rhys started moving his hips in tune with Lina, starting to rub and grind against what had be... an adorable, little toy.


    "Aah...!" Lina once again released a scream as she did not expect Rhys''s thrusting to be so rough; his member continuously ramming against the deepest parts of her,


    "Rhys... Rhys!" Lina''s body started shaking; her perky nipples, brushing on Rhys''s body as they continued their dance, "Rhys... I''m... i''m near...wait..."


    And as Rhys heard that, he felt his entire body suddenly getting tighter.


    "Rhys... I''m..." Lina''s back once again arched as her toes curled, "I''m¡ª


    ¡ªAah...!" Lina wailed¡ªher voice, almost causing the newspaper on the windows to flutter.


    "Lina, I''m also about to..."


    "Do..." Lina''s voice shuddered and stuttered as her legs did not let Rhys pull away, "...I''m safe...do it... do it inside."


    "..." Rhys blinked as he stared into Lina''s eyes. But after a few seconds of contemtion, he slowly nodded as he went back to slowly moving his hips.


    "Ah..." Lina''s mind was already out. And soon, her entire body followed as it spasmed just from the sheer pleasure she felt.


    "Lina, I''m..."


    "Aah... Ah!" Lina instantly felt a warmth filling inside her as Rhys released his seed; his hot juices, flooding every inch of her.


    "Hn..." And as Rhys pulled himself away, Lina''s entire body shook from the sudden jolt she felt. It hasn''t even been a second, and yet she already wanted Rhys inside her again.


    "Rhys... that was..." Lina slightly covered her face as Rhys''s juices flowed out from inside her, "Was that... really your first time?"


    "...Yes," Rhys''s chest almost drummed; his breaths, mixing with Lina''s moans as they created a music of pleasure, "Can... we go again?"


    "...What?" Lina then turned to look at Rhys; her body, barely even able to move, "Can you still¡ª"


    [Arise.]


    "E...Eh?"


    And with those words whispering into Lina''s ears, she watched as Rhys once again became hard¡ªno, it was even bigger than before. Her eyes then very slowly turned to look at Rhys as a small smile formed on her lips,


    "You know... you don''t have a ss today," she then whispered as she once again very slowly opened her legs.


    "...I know."


    Arise¡ªone of the many abilities that Rhys received from his Awakening. An ability to instantly recover his body''s stamina, and with it... his sexual vigor.


    "I can do this all day."

 Chapter 20: A Small Crack

    <h4>Chapter 20: A Small Crack</h4>


    "Oh... oh my god, I don''t think... I can stand."


    The birds have already long stopped their songs, and yet it was only now that Lina was finally able to calm her heavy breaths. If it wasn''t for the a/c in Rhys''s room, then she would have definitely been drowned in her own sweat by now.


    "I think... I will need to visit my doctorter. I... I don''t think what we did was healthy."


    The sun outside was already harshly seeping through the cracks on the newspaper covering Rhys''s windows as hey on his soiled mattress... which he now definitely needed to rece.


    "I''m... tired, but I also feel refreshed for some reason."


    "..." Rhys turned to look at the woman who was resting on his chest, only to see her facepletely red; the short strands of her hair, sticking onto her flushed cheeks.


    "..." Lina also turned to look at him, before just leaning closer and casually cing her lips on his, "I... need to go, Rhys... my phone''s been vibrating like crazy since 2 hours ago."


    "Of course," Rhys nodded as he watched as Lina stood up; her bare and thick figure, now illuminated by the sun. Rhys''s eyes, however, were looking at the hearts above Lina''s head.


    "I''m going to shower first, alright?" Lina sucked in a breath as she covered her breasts/


    4 Red Hearts. They have done all that, and yet he still hasn''t fully filled Lina''s hearts¡ªhe also couldn''t read her desires anymore. Could it be possible that she didn''t have any more desires right now?


    Just what does he need to do to fill all of them up? It was much simpler with Arachne, he just needed to¡ª


    "..." Rhys then sat up from bed. He just slept with someone for the first time, and yet the only thing he could think of was using her to gain an ability?


    This... is wrong¡ªRhys thought as he shook his head. He didn''t even know what sort of abilities she had, or if they would be useful to him¡ªNo, he was focusing on the wrong things again.


    He has to care for her, he needs to care. If not... then what difference did he have with all the monsters and predators prowling around the world?


    "...Your mirror is broken, what''s up with that? And can I borrow a towel?"


    "..." Rhys quickly turned to look at Lina as she leaned out of the bathroom; steam, veiling her silhouette like a bride being revealed from the other side of the door,


    "Lina... you''re really beautiful," Rhys then breathed out as he stood up from the bed and very slowly walked toward Lina.


    "R...Rhys, stop that," Lina could really only giggle as she heard Rhys''s words, "A towel, please... I''m alreadyte as it¡ªW... what are you doing!?"


    And before Lina could finish her words, Rhys suddenly wrapped his arms around him.


    "I... I just took a shower!"


    "I haven''t yet, Lina," Rhys whispered into her ear, "Since you''re already dirty again, why don''t we take a shower together?"


    "Y¡ª" Lina was about to say something, but she suddenly felt something hard hitting her from below, "I...


    ...I guess so?"


    ***


    "Lina!? Where have you been!? We''re already done here!"


    "I''m sorry, I''m really sorry. I... fell asleep!"


    "..." Another hourter, Rhys and Lina finally escaped the prison they made for themselves as they left the dorm building. Fortunately for the two of them, no one really noticed them in the hallways, as most were already outside, curiously watching as the Explorer team and the Cleanup unit did their final check of the area.


    Rhys watched as Lina got grilled by her teammates, not knowing whether he shouldugh or feel pity for her. A few seconds after, however, he noticed Lina looking at him¡ªsmiling and sticking her tongue out as she subtly gestured something to him, something Rhys had absolutely no idea what it meant.


    Lina wanted to exchange numbers, but as Rhys''s phone was currently... shattered, she just said that she''ll visit him again soon. Was... that what it meant?


    "Damn, I heard someone in our ss died."


    "What, who?"


    "Lex. He was with another guy, but they''re refusing to reveal who it is."


    "Lex!? The fuck, how can he die from a Level 1 Hole? Isn''t he a Strength-type? What was he even doing near the Hole?"


    "No idea, the guy was probably high. What you should ask is why is there a Hole inside the campus in the first ce."


    "Fuck that, who cares. Let''s just get out of here, I heard they''re already continuing the ss tomorrow."


    "...Already!? What are we wasting our time here for, then!?"


    "..." Rhys could really only watch as the crowd that was curiously watching the Explorers slowly disperse and disappear, thinking of how weird it was that no one knew that the other guy that fell into the Hole was him.


    Did... the HIU hide his identity? But they seemed adamant in trying to pin something on himst night.


    And before Rhys could lose himself in his own thoughts again, he saw three people making their way into the dorms. And judging by the way they stopped walking, they also clearly saw him.


    It was Rob and the others¡ªtheir mangled faces, nowpletely healed as if nothing happened to them in the first ce.


    "..." Rhys quickly tightened his fist, trying to prevent the sudden urge to justsh out at them as soon as he saw their faces. The three, however, weren''t looking at him as they just continued to walk¡ªtheir eyes, clearly avoiding Rhys as they passed by him and entered the dormitory.


    ...Was that it?---Rhys thought as he blinked his eyes several times. Will they actually stop bothering him now? Was it that easy?


    Just because they were bruised and beaten, they are giving up on hurting him? No... It shouldn''t be that easy, they should gang up on him and beat him more. If not...


    ...then how else would Rhys have another excuse to beat them almost to their deaths again?


    Rhys''s fists started to shake as he once again remembered the feeling of his bones being broken as he smashed them straight into their faces. It was... liberating.


    "Rhys, Rhys!"


    "Hm?" Rhys then suddenly woke up from his mild stupor, only to see Lina standing in front of her.


    "I''ve been calling you a thousand times!" Lina squinted her eyes as she pouted.


    "Sorry, I was... daydreaming."


    "I noticed," Lina''s expression quickly changed as she giggled, "You do that a lot, huh?"


    "...I do?"


    "Hmn," Lina nodded, "Anyway, I kinda hoped we could spend the rest of the day together too, but... duty calls."


    "But you haven''t slept yet," Rhys breathed out.


    "I''m used to not sleeping 3 days straight," Lina sighed as she bumped her forehead on Rhys''s chest, "This is the problem when you''re contracted with the government."


    "..." Rhys didn''t really know what to do as Lina suddenly stuck to him in public. Her teammates were looking, and none of them really seemed happy.


    "Anyway, you can have this," Lina then suddenly put something in Rhys''s hand as she pulled away, "You broke your phone, right? I have some spare since I also always break my phone whenever I stream down there, my number''s already saved there. Call me, I''m sure I''m free this weekend!"


    "Wait, I¡ª" And before Rhys could even refuse his new phone, Lina already ran away. And judging by the way his teammates were reprimanding her, they probably didn''t like that she was spending time with a Lowborn.


    "..." The only thing Rhys could really do was grunt as he looked at the phone Lina gave her¡ªit seemed brand new. Was this... really a spare phone?


    And as Rhys was contemting, the HIU, Explorers, and Cleanup unit swiftly disappeared from the campus. And with everyone gone, Rhys took this chance to approach the Hole, or at least where it was before they covered it¡ªthere was absolutely no sign that there was once arge gaping pit just hours ago on where he was standing.


    It''s almost as if nothing happened at all. But something did happen, and it happened to him.


    Rhys then turned his head up, looking at the roof where he decided tomit a murder-suicide. He didn''t even hesitate as he pushed himself and Lex over the edge of the roof.


    He wanted to die... but the gods decided to step in and open a way for him, quite literally¡ªRhys thought as he looked down. Was it perhaps Fate?


    Or just an impossible coincidence that a Hole opened up right to where he and Lex were falling?


    Whatever it is, it didn''t matter. What matters is it gave him a chance to fight back, to finally seek the justice that he kept hearing over and over again. And he will exact vengeance on his own...


    ...even if he has to break every bone in his body to do it.


    Ss West must suffer, it wasn''t enough that he dies for the crime of killing his mother. It won''t be enough.


    And unbeknownst to Rhys, a smile was slowly crawling on his face as he thought of a million ways to make everyone that hurt him pay.


    And then once again, as he walked away, unbeknownst to him...


    ...a small crack was starting to form on the ground he was previously standing on.

 Chapter 21: Waking Up From A Beautiful Day

    <h4>Chapter 21: Waking Up From A Beautiful Day</h4>


    "Why don''t you drink this, Rhys?"


    "Why... why are you doing this to me!?"


    "Because you''re a Lowborn."


    Rhys was once again on the floor of thevatory¡ªthe familiar smell of sulfur and ammonia, piercing his nose, but then again, it wasn''t familiar back then. He wanted to lift his head, but every time, a foot stepped on his head to bring him back to the dirty floor.


    "Drink it. Don''t worry, we boiled it so it''s clean."


    "..." The only thing that Rhys could really do was watch as Lex spat on a ss filled with every dirty thing that one could find inside the school... and thevatory.


    "Drink it, or we break one of your bones."


    "W... what?" Rhys could only hear the sound of his own heart as the ss was ced in front of his face¡ªthe smell, almost causing his stomach to implode there and then.


    "Oh, don''t vomit... we''ll make you drink that as well."


    "Please... please stop doing this," Rhys begged, but it seemed they liked it even more as they lifted him up¡ªforcing him to chug the scalding liquid. He couldn''t really taste it, not at all¡ªhe only felt it as it burned the insides of his mouth and throat.


    Lex and his friendsughed, theyughed as Rhys struggled on the floor; his tears, now one of the smells on the dirty floor. And very soon, everything turned dark as Lex and his friends withered away¡ªthevatory, reced by the familiarfort of the living room of his previous home.


    "Pathetic, Rhys. Very pathetic, you really drank that?"


    "..." Rhys then quickly sat up as he heard a familiar voice, a voice he never wanted to hear again. He then very slowly looked behind him; his trembling eyes, not wanting to see what was about to happen.


    "You think you''re better than me just because more people like you!? Because you''re taller!? Because you look good!? Do you see it now, the difference between us!? And you''re even bing close to my big sister!?" A white-haired boy was now screaming at him; the boy''s hand, gripping the throat of Rhys''s mother.


    "Please... please, not mommy..." Rhys reached out his small hands, "Not mommy and Chloe! Let them go, please!"


    "No, Rhys. I won''t."


    "Please, Ss... Please! Why are you doing this!?"


    "Choose. Your mother or your sister. Choose who dies because you overstepped."


    "No...no," Rhys looked at the face of her mother, shaking her head as she pointed at his little sister, who was crouching on the floor and crying¡ªnot knowing what was happening.


    "Well, since you''re not choosing... then I will just kill the two of them."


    "No... No!" Rhys wanted to rush toward his mother, but he couldn''t... his feet were shattered and broken. The only thing he could really do was roar and watch as Ss West ced his palm on his mother''s mouth... filling it with water and making her drink all of it.


    ...All of it.


    He forced all that water inside her until she couldn''t anymore... and Rhys watched. He watched as his mother''s stomach burst open; her blood and guts, showering and spilling right on his face.


    And then he watched again... as Ss West very slowly made his way toward his sister.


    "Rhys... this is all your fault."


    "No..." Rhys then watched as his sister''s hands were pinned by Ss.


    "This... is all your fault."


    "No!"


    Rhys sat up, his voice now echoing throughout his empty, and dark room. He looked around, and the only thing he could really see was that he was alone. Once again, he was hounded by the dreams that were unfortunately memories for him.


    He didn''t really need to wake up from the nightmare as it was his life.


    "..." Rhys closed his eyes again as he calmed his breaths; his mind, once again lost in thought. And after a few more breaths, he finally stood up from his bed... pushing away all the thick and stringy cobwebs that littered on the floor.


    No, it wasn''t only his floor. Now that his eyes adjusted to the dark, he could finally see the canvas he painted on¡ªa room filled with webs.


    While the rest of the students used their free time yesterday, Rhys went back to his room¡ªchecking and training his newfound abilities until his own mind just gave up on him; he didn''t even realize that he fainted and fell asleep.


    "Hm..." Rhys grunted as he stretched his arm, and with a flick of his wrist... the webs just withered away, dropping and melting to the floor until all that was left of them was some sort of... smooth residue.


    "...Arise," he then whispered. And as soon as he did so, he felt his tired and exhausted body bing instantly lighter.


    Perhaps out of all of the abilities he gained from his Awakening, ''Arise'' was the most useful in how direct it was. It instantly recovers his stamina and rejuvenates his muscles...


    ...but it also probably has the worst side effects¡ªRhys thought as he looked down, only to see a bulge on his pants.


    Eros. The god was still aplete mystery for him; he had tried searching for the name throughout the inte, but nothing pops up, not even a single piece of information.


    He had a lot to learn about his abilities¡ªthey say one would learn it instinctively when one Awakens... but aside from some blurry details, Rhys still had to discover what he could do.


    He knows the information is inside his mind... he just doesn''t know what yet. It was... weird. It¡ª


    And before Rhys could once again be lost in thought, the sound of the school''s bell started to ring¡ªsignaling the start of sses.


    "..." Rhys could really only sigh. For him to be going to ss after everything that happened to him just a day ago was truly... mundane; bringing him back to the reality of everything.


    And so, with his breaths still filling the room. He washed up and made his way to ss.


    And surprisingly, the ss still went on just as normal¡ªthere was a mention and moment of silence for Lex, but that was it¡ªback to learning and being told what to expect in college until the ss was dismissed.


    "...College," Rhys could really only whisper to himself as he stepped out of the ss. As a Lowborn, the only thing he could really do to seed in life was to work a normal job¡ªa college degree would at least secure that.


    ...But that wasn''t an option for him anymore¡ªnot now that he Awakened. The only path for him now was West, Ss West. To make him pay...


    ...to make them all pay.


    And almost as if in cue to his thoughts, Rhys once again encountered Rob and his friends in the hallway. And just like yesterday, they clearly saw him... but they chose to look away and continue walking past him.


    And just like that, one of Rhys''s problems was gone.


    The bullies that once beat him were now just like the rest of the people that were in the hallway¡ªavoiding his gaze. The only difference was that he could sense their fear, unlike the rest who were just disgusted by his mere presence.


    He was used to this, however. Their straying eyes and whispers that were filled with prejudice were normal for Rhys. What was not normal, however...


    ...was the fact that he still hasn''t been beaten today.


    He wasn''t being dragged to thevatories, he wasn''t being burnt, he wasn''t being beaten half close to death.


    This feeling of relief and freedom¡ªis this what euphoria is?


    A euphoria he achieved by killing and hurting those who hurt him. This is it...


    ...This is Justice.


    Rhys could not help but smile as he thought of murder¡ªcausing the students that were walking past him to move further away.


    But Rhys couldn''t help it.


    This... this is a beautiful day.


    "!!!"


    "What are you doing!?"


    A student that was walking past Rhys could not help but scream as Rhys suddenly grabbed her arm.


    "L... Let go of her, you Lowborn!"


    "What... what are you doing!?"


    "Huh...?"


    And as the student and her friend screamed and asked¡ªRhys was also screaming in his mind and asking the same.


    What was he doing? Why was he suddenly holding this girl''s arm? Was he trying to be bullied again?


    "..." Rhys then quickly turned to look at the window... before pulling the girl toward him, wrapping his arms around her as he pushed her and himself to the floor.


    "Hey!" The girl''s friend screamed, "Let go of he¡ªErk...?"


    And before the girl''s friend could finish her words, a sharp de suddenly pierced through her neck.


    "...Eh?"


    The window then shattered as a woman leaped through from the outside, no... not a woman, a spider.


    An arachne¡ªone of her sharp legs, actually the de that was pierced through the student''s neck.


    "D...Diane? No..."


    "...Shit," Rhys then quickly sat up, dragging the female student he grabbed away from the arachne as they both watched as it started devouring her friend.


    A beautiful day...


    ...of course not.

 Chapter 22: ...Oh.

    <h4>Chapter 22: ...Oh.</h4>


    The second time. This is the second time that Rhys was seeing someone being eaten in front of him¡ªand in broad daylight at that. And as hepared the two instances, Rhys couldn''t help but think of how different the scenery was.


    When Arachnea ate Lex, she didn''t look as... beastly as the arachne in front of him right now. It was obvious why, though. If you exclude Arachnea''s spider parts, she was probably the most beautiful woman that Rhys has everid eyes upon.


    As for the arachne in front of him, its skin waspletely grey; its face, more akin to that of a dried-up skull. It was...


    ...disgusting.


    "Diane!"


    Rhys then woke up from his mild stupor. The girl he just pulled away from harm, now rushing toward the arachne. The girl stretched her arms to the side, summoning a set of daggers in each hand as she did so.


    "Let... let go of her!" And while the arachne was busy devouring her friend, she stabbed it right in the neck.


    "...Kh?" The arachne, however, still seemedpletely alive as it very slowly turned its head toward the girl.


    "S..." The girl could not help but hold her breath; her legs, moving on their own as she stared at the blood dripping from the monster''s mouth.


    "Krra!"


    "Eek!" The girl froze as the arachne shrieked, unable to move even as the monster stretched its hand toward her. Fortunately for her, once again, she felt herself being pulled away as Rhys grabbed her by the arm... again.


    "Move."


    This time, however, any gentleness in his touch was gone as Rhys kicked her away¡ªwith reason, of course, as Rhys also needed to push himself away from the arachne''s arms that were threatening to eviscerate his body.


    And as soon as he was clear of the sharp and deadly fingers, Rhys quickly pulled the knife that was stuck in the monster''s neck.


    "Kh..." Unfortunately for him, he wasn''t fast enough to move his hand away as the arachne''s nail tore off a part of his skin. This didn''t stop Rhys, however, as he started weaving and dodging the arachne''s arms and legs¡ªbefore finding the chance to roll behind the monster and leaping on top of it.


    The arachne quickly iled its entire body and struggled, cracking the walls of the hallway as it did so. Unfortunately for the monster, Rhys knew quite a lot regarding an arachne''s physiology.


    "Khee!?"


    The arachne shrieked as Rhys suddenly grabbed its sparse hair; pulling it back and causing its entire body to freeze for a second... and a second is the only thing Rhys needed as he mmed the knife he was holding straight through its spine.


    "Khra!?"


    "Tsk..." Rhys could not help but tighten his grip on the arachne''s hair as it once again started to move¡ªthe knife seemed to have not pierced deep enough. And so, Rhys once again pulled the arachne''s hair before stomping on the knife, finally lodging all of the de through the monster''s spine.


    The arachne''s shrieks became weaker and weaker... until its legs finally went limp and its body dropped to the floor.


    "Ho..." Rhys let out a deep breath as he clumsily stepped down the arachne''s back, almost stumbling due to the slippery floor filled with blood. The floor wasn''t the only thing that was painted with blood, however, as Rhys''s arms and clothes have also turned red.


    "That... isn''t that the Lowborn?"


    "Did... did he manage to kill the monster!?"


    "..." And as soon as he heard the students whispering about him, Rhys could not help but flinch; his head, instinctively shaking on its own to make sure his face was being covered by his hair.


    He was about to run away, but the hairs on his body once again started to stand up. He quickly turned to look at the arachne, but it was alreadypletely lifeless.


    "..." Soon, however, he took in a small gulp as he made his way to the window... and there, he saw what seemed like a hundred arachnes crawling everywhere around the campus.


    "W...What the fuck!?" The students also started rushing to the window; their voices trembling as they saw the sight in front of them.


    "D... Diane..." Perhaps the only one that was not interested in whatever was happening outside was the girl that Rhys saved; her tears, dropping on her friend''s face as she wailed and cried.


    "..." Rhys ignored everything, however, as he very slowly turned his head up... only to see even more arachne climbing down from the walls above.


    "Get away from the window! Run!" One of the students also noticed this as he screamed¡ªpushing away his friends as he rushed to get away and run through the hallways.


    And as soon as he did so, everyone started following his lead as they all just frenziedly started running away... not even caring that they were stepping, stumbling, and stomping on the arachne''s corpse... as well as Diane''s corpse.


    "W... wait!" Diane''s friend tried covering her; not minding even as she was being stepped on by her schoolmates, "W... wait, please. We need to¡ªKh!"


    And before she could even form a full sentence, her head was stomped on several times. She tried to scream, but her voice was literally being trampled on by the frenzied crowd.


    "What are you doing?"


    A few secondster, however, the pain surrounding her body disappeared as she felt herself being lifted up. She quickly looked behind her, only to see Rhys carrying by the armpits like she was some sort of cat.


    "Can you stand?"


    "Y... Yes?" The girl stuttered as Rhys ced him on the floor.


    "If you can, then run."


    "T... thank y¡ª" and before she could even thank Rhys, he already disappeared and ran¡ªnot with the rest of the crowd, however, but toward the other end of the hallway.


    "Wait!" The girl screamed as she called for Rhys, "That knife! It won''t..."


    But s, before her words could reach Rhys''s ears, she was dragged away by the current of students that were continuously running away. And even if it did, Rhys wasn''t listening to her at all... he was busy forcing his feet to move as fast as they could as he rushed toward the only person he should be helping¡ªKatarina.


    Although the clinic will be closer if he just followed the crowd, forcing his way through his frenzied schoolmates would take too long. And so, he just ran in the opposite direction. The clinic was 2 floors down, he was just hoping he wasn''t toote.


    "!!!"


    Rhys''s eyes then widened as he suddenly changed direction, entering an empty ssroom andpletely avoiding an arachne that once again leaped from the window and into the hallways. He didn''t stop running, however, as he made his way through the ssroom, exiting the other door as he continued to run across the hallways.


    Sadly for him... there was already an arachne waiting for him outside.


    "..." Rhys quickly looked around to find a way to escape, only to see another arachne behind him¡ªhis path, now blocked from both sides.


    "Tch..." Rhys sucked in a deep breath as he raised his hands. If there wasn''t a path, then he just needs to make one. And so, Rhys tightened his grip on the knife he was holding...


    ...only to find that he was holding nothing at all.


    His knife was gone.


    "...Oh."

 Chapter 23: Silent Chaos

    <h4>Chapter 23: Silent Chaos</h4>


    Knife gone.


    Two words that Rhys definitely did not want to hear with his current predicament. He subtly started scanning the floor if maybe he dropped it somewhere, but the only thing he could see dropping beneath his feet was the blood dripping from his right arm, as well as the blood of the arachne that sprayed on him like a fountain.


    "..." Rhys then turned his eye to the arachne in front of him, before carefully ncing at the one behind him. And with the way they were just standing there, it would seem he wasn''t the only one that was aloof¡ªtheir seemingly lifeless eyes, squinting as they watched his every movement.


    Were they wary of him because he was covered in the blood of their kin? Although the intelligence of these spidedies was obviously lower than Arachnea, they should still have enough brains to recognize him as a threat.


    But the thing is, Rhys wasn''t exactly a threat right now. Like these arachnes, he wasn''t that stupid¡ªhe knew he''d definitely die or at the very least be gravely injured if he tried fighting like this even with his newfound superhuman senses; his arm already almost got cut off just by fighting one of them¡ªhe wasn''t ready.


    "..." Rhys then turned to look at the ssroom to see if there was a way out but quickly removed any notion of going there as the chances of being trapped were high. And so, Rhys just moved toward the only direction he could really go right now¡ªthe window.


    His steps were as light as they could be, but the broken shards of ss beneath his feet made each of his steps whisper and ring in the air. The arachnes also very slowly approached him, stillpletely wary of Rhys and seemingly just waiting to see who will lunge first.


    And even as Rhys''s waist hit the ledge, the arachnes remained vignt.


    "..." Rhys then very carefully looked down the window, and as soon as he saw several arachnes stilltched on the walls of the building... he quickly leaped over the window without any hesitation whatsoever.


    After all, his destination was two floors down¡ªand the fastest way he knew how to go down is to fall. And as a veteran in jumping from high ces, there was no need for Rhys to think twice.


    His eyes werepletely calm as he looked down at the arachnes hanging and climbing on the walls. He already passed by several spiders, but his eyes were only focused on one¡ªthe one hanging just below the floor he needed to go.


    And as soon as it was within reach, Rhys stretched out his hands and grabbed the arachne''s hair... only for it to scream as whatever hair it had left snapped from its scalp.


    "!!!"


    Rhys quickly hugged the arachne, wrapping his arms around its waist as he stepped on its spider back.


    "Hm..." Rhys grunted as the arachne started iling around¡ªit didn''tst long, however, as Rhys mmed his knee on its back, causing it to flinch and freeze for a second.


    A second was the only thing that Rhys needed, however, as he quickly pushed himself up¡ªgrabbing the arachne by the head before stepping on its shoulder and kicking away straight through the already shattered window and onto the floor.


    He could feel the shards of ss tearing his skin as he rolled across the floor, but Rhys didn''t mind as he quickly scanned the hallway¡ªand there, an image that he could only describe as chaos.


    A silent chaos, however, as all that remained were corpses. He could see several students mangled and torn to pieces...there were, however, more arachne corpses littered in the hallway than people.


    "..." They did say the Hole was only a Threat Level 1¡ªonly the weakest of monsters woulde out of it. Monsters that even Lowborns like Rhys could kill with enough luck and effort¡ªbut then again, factor in the panic, his schoolmates probably got ughtered.


    But then... why were the monsters back in the first ce if the Hole was already covered? Were they not even to fully close it?


    "..." And before Rhys could get lost in his own thoughts, he heard the sound of arachnes chittering from outside the window; none of them, however, seemed to want to enter the floor.


    Perhaps his assessment was right? Since there were a lot of arachne corpses here, the monsters were warier. Rhys did not stay to find out, however, as he rushed through the hallway, leaping and jumping over the corpses¡ªnot stopping until he opened the door to the clinic.


    "Dr. Lopez!?"


    And as Rhys saw the scenery inside; his breaths that never faltered and his eyes that have always remained calm started to tremble as he saw the curtains of the clinic painted with red.


    "...Katarina?" Rhys then whispered as he saw a silhouette behind the curtains¡ªunmoving and lifeless.


    "No... no. Not you too... please, not you..." none of his previous calmness could be heard from his voice as he very slowly approached the curtains; his hand, trembling as it pushed open the sheets.


    Rhys then took gasped as he saw a bodypletely ripped in half; his heavy breaths, however, once again quickly returned to normal as he noticed the unusually gray skin of the dismembered torso.


    It was an arachne, ripped apart in half; separating its human and spider partspletely.


    "Kya!"


    And before Rhys could fully calm down, he heard a sharp screaminging from the hallways. He quickly scanned the clinic, before grabbing a scalpel from one of the cabs and rushing out of the room.


    He ran toward the direction of the stairs as the screams resounded there¡ªand there, he saw an arachne very slowly making its way down the steps toward a girl. And as soon as he saw this, Rhys jumped down the stairs without any hesitation, leaping straight toward the back of the arachne and pushing the scalpel straight through its spine.


    "..." And surprisingly, the scalpel prated through the arachne''s flesh and bone without any resistance, unlike the missing knife he had used earlier. Rhys didn''t really think too much about this as he pulled the scalpel, before stabbing it on the back of the arachne''s neck.


    The arachne did not even have the chance to shriek or scream; it just fell like a marite that had its strings cut.


    "Dr. Lopez!?" Rhys then quickly stepped down the arachne as he looked at the woman, only to see a familiar student kneeling on the floor.


    "...You again?"


    "...Eh?"


    It was the girl she saved earlier. This time, however...


    ...one of the five hearts floating above her head was already filled.

 Chapter 24: Guilt

    <h4>Chapter 24: Guilt</h4>


    "...You again?"


    "...Eh?"


    Rhys and the girl stared at each other for a few seconds, both seemingly confused but for different reasons¡ªRhys thought the girl would have been out of the building by now, as for the girl, she definitely thought she would be dying here today.


    "Have you seen Dr. Lopez?"


    "Huh?"


    "Dr. Lopez, have you seen her?"


    "..."


    She still seemed visibly stunned, unable to really say anything as she just stared at the dead arachne in front of her.


    "..." Rhys could really only wait for her to recover from the stupor she found herself in. He started looking around to see if there was anyone else there, but the only thing he could see were 3 other arachne blocking the way down to the ground floor¡ªall dead.


    And judging by the dozens of familiar-looking knives pierced through each of them which made them look like a group of porcupines, they were killed by none other than the shriveling girl with her butt on the floor.


    They did say these arachnes were of the lowest threat, but still, Rhys could not help but be momentarily impressed. She already had one of her Hearts filled for some reason... maybe it was possible to get her abilities?


    "..." Rhys then turned to look at the arachne he just killed, only to notice several des stuck to its breast and stomach¡ªbut sadly not deep enough to cause actual damage. Did she get exhausted?


    But she was already able to kill 3 on her own at the same time... she shouldn''t have had any problems dealing with thisst one.


    "..." Rhys then started looking at the girl from head to toe. She was small¡ªno, perhaps petite would be the best way to describe her. Since she was on the same floor as Rhys, she should be a senior. But her stature, partnered with her colorful orange hair made her look like she just passed the school''s entrance exam.


    And as Rhys''s eyes reached her legs, he finally noticed her swollen ankle.


    "...Can you stand?" Rhys then finally broke the silence as he offered the girl a hand.


    "I...I don''t know?" The girl looked back and forth between the arachne and Rhys, before hesitantly reaching for his hand. She was able to stand up but found herself hopping on one foot as her injured ankle was too painful to put pressure on.


    "Kh..." The girl sucked in a deep breath as she tried standing on both feet; before she could do so, however, Rhys pulled her closer to him, "...Eh?"


    "It''s fractured," Rhys said, "Putting pressure on it will only make it worse."


    "I... I think it''s just a spra¡ª"


    "It''s broken," Rhys did not let the girl finish her words as he suddenly lifted her up, easily carrying her like a baby, "We need to get you out of here."


    "Wh¡ªput... put me down!"


    "I can do that," Rhys sighed as he very slowly loosened his arms, "But you''ll probably die."


    "W...wait, don''t!" And as soon as the girl felt Rhys putting her down, she quickly wrapped her arms around his neck and clung to him like a ko, "Are... are you sure? Isn''t your arm... bleeding?"


    "It''s fine," Rhys said as he started carefully going down the stairs, stepping over the dead arachnes while still very gently carrying the girl, "What''s your name?"


    "...Chloe," the girl breathed out as she made sure to hold on tight.


    "Chloe¡ªmy sister had the same name," Rhys lightly grunted as he carefully leaned to look at the hallway, making sure there weren''t any monsters there.


    "...Had?"


    "Hm. My name is Rh¡ª"


    "Rhys Wilder, I know," Chloe shook her head.


    "...You know me?" Rhys sighed as he started running across the hallway as soon as he was sure there weren''t any monsters...alive, that is¡ªlike the floors above, there were a lot of corpses littered on the floor, "Everyone knows the resident Lowborn, I guess?"


    "That''s..." Chloe couldn''t really say anything. After all, it was true¡ªRhys was the only Lowborn in the school, and since he was easily noticeable because of his height and weird hairstyle, it was easy to identify him.


    "I don''t care if you''re a Lowborn," Chloe then shook her head as she looked at Rhys''s covered face, "You... you saved my life twice now, that matters more."


    "Hm..." Rhys grunted as he continued to carefully make his way down the hallway. Rhys initially thought there would be more people and arachnes fighting, but all he saw were corpses, "I''m... sorry I wasn''t able to save your friend."


    "She..." Chloe slightly flinched as she tightened her embrace; her breaths, slightly bing high-pitched, "She wasn''t... just my friend."


    "..." Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as Chloe''s tears started damping his shirt. He then once again turned to look at the 5 Hearts above her head to make sure he wasn''t hallucinating one of the hearts being filled... but it was still there, as red as it could be.


    "The... two of you were together?"


    "Hm."


    "I''m... sorry," Rhys shook his head before focusing on the path ahead of him, "We''re nearly outside. I don''t know how safe it will be since I saw a lot of them, so make sure to grab tight because I''ll be running as fast as I can."


    "...Thank you, Rhys," Chloe rested her head on Rhys''s chest as she continued to cry, "Really... thank you."


    "Thank me when¡ª"


    And all of a sudden, as the two neared thest turn for them to reach the building''s main exit¡ªevery hair on his body stood up.


    "..." His legs quickly stopped moving as he just stared at the bloody hallway in front of him. He could hear voicesing from the main exit, but they werepletely clouded by the sound of his own breaths as everything around him seemed to slow down.


    "...Rhys? What''s wrong?" Chloe whispered, "Did you see some¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And before Chloe could finish her words, a group of a dozen students suddenly emerged from the hall¡ªtheir faces, filled with dread, frenzy, and desperation as they all ran in panic toward Rhys''s direction.


    "I told you not to open the fucking door!"


    "Fuck, just run!"


    Rhys quickly recognized three of the men in the group¡ªIt was Lex''s friends, Rob and the two others. Rhys and Chloe didn''t really even have to wonder why they were running, however, as the reason for it quickly showed itself.


    A cluster of arachne¡ªtoo many to count as they almost filled the entire hallway, violently stepping on each other just to chase the humans in front of them.


    "W... wait, what are you doi¡ª!!!"


    "!!!"


    Rhys was about to turn around and run, but he saw as Rob and his group suddenly started tripping the others behind them, deliberately pushing them toward the wave of death that violently chased them.


    "H... help m¡ª"


    The students that were left behind weren''t even able to fight, they were just instantly swallowed by the onught of arachnes. And with the wave slowed down, Rob and his friends ran as fast as they could.


    Chloe, and even Rhys were both stunned by what they have witnessed¡ªbut once again for two different reasons.


    Chloe was shocked, refusing to believe that there would be someone that would push someone else to death just to survive. As for Rhys, he was thinking that if he didn''t ask Katarina to save Rob and his friends back on the construction site...


    ...then people they just watched die wouldn''t have had to die in the first ce.

 Chapter 25: Let The Right One In

    <h4>Chapter 25: Let The Right One In</h4>


    Rhys hasn''t really felt anything from all the corpses he had seen and literally stepped over since the chaos started. Those deaths were out of his control, after all¡ªhe knew that.


    But this¡ªtheir limbs were torn, necks mangled, and lives lost¡ªThis is his fault.


    4 people. 4 people that could have still been alive if Rhys had only left Rob and his friends for dead back on the construction site. In the first ce, why would he even ask Katarina to save them?


    Rhys already knew they were... evil people. If it wasn''t him they were targeting and bullying, it would have been someone else¡ªthat is the kind of people they were. He already managed to get rid of Lex, three more shouldn''t have been a problem.


    "..." And even as Rob and the others ran and passed by him, the only thing that Rhys could do was watch and stare at them.


    "...Rhys!?"


    And finally, as he heard Chloe''s voice screaming into his ear, he finally woke up from his stupor and turned around. This wasn''t the time to be thinking of anything else; the only thing that matters now was to survive.


    "They''re... they''re starting to chase us!" Chloe could really only tighten her grip on Rhys as she watched as the arachnes stopped fighting over the 4 students; most of them, turning their sharp legs to the next free prey¡ªthem.


    "Where do we go!? There''s fucking spiders everywhere!"


    "The canteen! I heard people gathered at the canteen!"


    "Fuck... fuck! The canteen is at the end of the hall! What if we get trapped!?"


    "We''re fucked either way. Just fucking run!"


    Perhaps even more drowning than the sound of the arachnes'' legs chasing them was the sound of everyone''s worried breaths. But while everyone feared the wave of monsters chasing them, Rhys was more worried about what was in front¡ªeven making sure to keep his distance from the others.


    After all, the arachnes were too busy stepping trapping themselves on the narrow hallways; busy stepping on each other into a stampede than actually chasing them. Instead, Rhys had his eyes on Rob and his friends; waiting for them to try and push someone else.


    Unbeknownst to Rhys, however, Rob and his friends were also cautious of him; instinctively ncing at him from time to time.


    "We...we''re near the canteen!"


    Contrary to both parties'' worries, however, everyone just focused on running to salvation as their group finally reached the end of the hall...


    ...only to find the door to the canteen was barred from the other side.


    "F... fuck! Why is it locked!?" Rob and the others tried forcing the door open, violently knocking on the door as they screamed to let them in.


    "We can hear you! Please, let us in! We... we''re going to die!"


    "Please, help us!"


    "Open the fucking doo¡ª"


    "Go... go away! You''re leading the monsters here!" And finally, after a few more knocks, they heard a voiceing from the other side, "Just go away!"


    "W...what!? You''re leaving us to die out here!?"


    "Please... please open the door! They''re getting closer!"


    "Go away!"


    "..." And while the others frenziedly knocked on the door, Rhys finally let Chloe go, gently helping her to stand on her own.


    "What... what do we do now, Rhys?" Chloe said; her breaths stuttering as she heard the wave of monsters getting closer and closer.


    "...We''re probably going to die," Rhys could really only sigh as he scanned the hall, and the guy that said they''ll be trapped was right... there was no way for them to go.


    "..." Chloe could really only hold in her breath as she looked at Rhys, "We''re... going to be eaten like the others...?"


    "I''m nning to fight," Rhys shook his head as he grabbed the scalpel, gripping it tight as he faced the hallway, "But as I said, we''re probably going to die."


    "...No, I... I don''t want to die yet!" Chloe also shook her head, before hurriedly limping toward the door of the canteen and joining the others, "Please... please let us in!"


    "Chloe!? Is... is that you!?"


    "Anne!? It... It''s me! Please, please help us!"


    And as soon as the others heard someone recognizing Chloe, they quickly stopped knocking on the door and made way for her; their eyes, seemingly relieved.


    "Don''t open the door!"


    "She''s my friend!"


    But s, they could still hear the people inside arguing loudly.


    "Have... have you guys no heart!?" And once again, Rob and the others started screaming, "Are you really going to let us fucking die here!?"


    "Shut the fuck up! There are more than 50 of us here! Just go away!"


    "..." Rhys took one final nce at the people¡ªthinking if this is what ''Knocking at Death''s Door'' actually means. And then, with a sigh, he once again focused on the hallway, only to finally realize why they call it a wave of monsters... because it truly looked like a tidal wave, threatening to crush him in pieces.


    Rhys then took in a very slow and deep breath, before he started walking toward the wave.


    "Rhys!"


    But before Rhys could even take 3 steps, however, he heard Chloe calling for him. He turned to look, only to see the door to the canteen now open and the group hastily stepping inside it.


    And so, without any hesitation, Rhys turned around and ran to the canteen. But once again, before he could take 3 steps...


    ...the door started closing.


    "W...what are you doing!?" Chloe immediately grabbed the door as her friend suddenly started shutting the door closed.


    "We need someone to distract the monsters or they''ll know we''re here!"


    And as soon as Rhys heard that, he hastened his steps and rushed to the door.


    "He saved my life! Rhys! Hurry!"


    Rhys reached the door, ramming his body on it¡ªbut as soon as he did so, Rob and the others joined to close it.


    "What are you guys doing!?" Chloe said as she helped Rhys keep the door open.


    "He''s just a Lowborn! If you want him inside then go out there and distract the monsters yourself!"


    "Forget this! Just throw her out too!"


    "..." Chloe stared at her friend for a few seconds, before looking Rhys straight in the eyes.


    Rhys also returned Chloe''s gaze. Chloe whispered something to him, but he couldn''t really hear it from all the voices screaming and crying. What he did understand, however, was Chloe letting go of the door...


    ...and pushing him away.


    "...What?" And for the first time, Rhys whispered out his thoughts as he watched as Chloe''s eyes very slowly disappeared; perhaps forever blocked by the door that separates them.


    "..." And then once again, for the first time, Rhys''s mind waspletely quiet. He just stared at the door; his silver eyes,pletely nk and empty. He then turned to look at the hallway, before once again stepping toward the wave that was only meters away from him.


    And as he marched toward his death, he whispered.


    "This isn''t my fault...This isn''t my fault at all...


    ...It''s theirs."


    Some people are just... evil.


    And evil must be eradicated. Is that why the gods kept him alive?


    ...To kill everyone inside that room?


    "Gods - Lord Eros..." Rhys tightened his grip on the scalpel as his nk eyes reflected the waves of monsters rushing in front of him, "If I survive here...


    ...then I will do as you ask and enact justice."

 Chapter 26: Jus...tice?

    <h4>Chapter 26: Jus...tice?</h4>


    "...Arise."


    "..."


    "Arise..."


    "Arise... arise."


    Rhys no longer knew how many times he had uttered those words¡ªno, he wasn''t even aware that it was escaping his lips. [Arise] truly is a useful skill, the ability to instantly recharge yourself and basically have unlimited stamina will always prove to be indispensable in a battle.


    There was, however, one thing that [Arise] did not recover---mental exhaustion.


    A minute.


    An hour.


    Maybe an entire day? Of course, Rhys knew it was impossible that a day had passed. He was just feeling it¡ªlike he was in some sort of trance, a lucid dream where he wakes up from time to time to see a never-ending vision of violence. He was cking out, and each time his vision clears, he sees his hand swinging toward an arachne''s neck.


    He wasn''t even thinking anymore. It was like he was a spectator of his own body¡ªhe was still in control, but it was more akin to someone controlling a character through a game controller; with the screen cking out and seizing each second.


    "...Arise."


    The word once again escapes his lips; his torso, tilting to the side as he barely dodges the sharp leg of the arachne in front of him. No, perhaps dodging was an overstatement as the leg managed to cut his cheek¡ªshallow, however, barely even a drop of blood flowing from it.


    In fact, there was probably no longer a part of his skin that wasn''t cut. Because as soon as he dodges, the next attack would follow like an endless barrage of des. His clothes werepletely tattered and filled with blood... his and the dozens of arachnes wanting to eat him.


    Rhys then once again tilted his body back, just slightly stepping back to avoid the sharp nails threatening to tear off his chest. This time, however, Rhys grabbed the attacking arachne by the wrist, before stabbing its arm with the scalpel he got from the clinic.


    And once again, the scalpel was able to pierce through the monster''s skin and bones without any resistance. And with a short but deep breath, Rhys sliced the arachne''s arm; not cutting it off, however, but dragging the scalpel from its wrist and all the way to its shoulders; using the arachne''s own momentum and eventually reaching the neck.


    Rhys didn''t really have time to appreciate what he did, as another arachne lunged toward him. He didn''t dodge, and instead ran toward the arachne before sliding on the bloodied floor¡ªcutting the arachne''s spider belly as he did so. He didn''t stop there, however, as he quickly stood up and climbed on top of the arachne, killing it with a clean stab through the back of its neck.


    And with the arachne''s body falling limp to the floor, he once again whispered,


    "...Arise."


    Rhys then lifted up his scalpel again; his eyes, scanning the arachne surrounding him...


    ...only to find that none of them were moving anymore.


    "..." Most of them were missing limbs. Some even tangled and killed their own kind¡ªthose were the ones that attacked Rhys at the same time by pushing their sharp limbs toward the direction of their sister.


    Rhys didn''t kill all of them, however, as most already ran away when Rhys started killing more and more of them¡ªbut even then, there were probably at least 20 corpses in the hallway.


    The floor wasn''t even visible anymore; the walls were painted red, and even the ceiling was dripping blood.


    "...Hm," Rhys then grunted as hezily and clumsily stepped down the arachne''s corpse; his mind, already aplete blur. He could hear a whistle seemingly trying to deafen his ears, and it wouldn''t go away even as he shook his head again and again.


    It''s over¡ªhe thought as he breathed out. He looked at the scalpel in his left hand, fully knowing that he only survived because of how abnormally sharp it was. And despite every life it ended, it still gleamed;pletely clean of blood.


    Rhys was about to let go of the scalpel as his mind was truly starting to fade on him, but before it could leave his hand...he tightened his grip on it.


    "..." Rhys then turned to look at the door of the canteen, before letting out a long and very deep sigh as he started walking toward it. And as he stood in front of the door, he brushed his hair back, revealing his silver eyes, and perfect face which was now filled with scars and covered in blood.


    He took another deep breath... before knocking calmly on the door.


    "...This is an Explorer team," Rhys breathed out; his voice, deeper and more pronounced than it was, "Is there anyone inside?"


    And as soon as he said that, loud voices seeped from the inside of the canteen¡ªan orchestra of cries, cheers, and relief.


    "Please open the door..." Rhys then said as he rested his forehead on the door. An extremely sinister smile, very slowly growing on his face,


    "...It''s safe now."


    ***


    "Fuck! I thought we already closed the Hole!? Did those motherfuckers from the construction team forget to put holeproofing again!?"


    "This... is a disaster."


    "Rhys!? Rhys, are you here!?"


    "...Who the fuck is Rhys?"


    "That tall guy we rescued from the hole, remember?"


    Half an hourter, several teams of Explorers, as well as soldiers arrived at the Old York High School¡ªquickly dispatching the arachnes that were loitering and wreaking havoc around the campus area.


    "Lina, wait up!"


    Lina''s team, of course, was the one tasked to lead the rescue and exterminate all the monsters, as they were already familiar with the area. But Lina, in particr, didn''t really have an interest in leading as she just went on a rampage¡ªkilling everything that even shortly resembles a spider.


    She rushed through the hallways of the school building, waving her hands and summoning a gust of wind that decapitates and slices everything in its path.


    "Rhys!" Lina screamed; her eyes, scanning the students'' corpses that were littered on the floor. And soon¡ªshe reached a hallway painted with webs.


    "..." Lina quickly halted her steps, before once again waving her hand forward¡ªthis time summoning a st of wind that quickly dispersed the webs in front of her.


    "Oh...?" She then squinted as her eyes reflected more than a dozen arachne corpses in front of her.


    "..." Lina started walking carefully as she saw an opened door¡ªa canteen. Without a doubt, the monsters made their nest inside as she saw the thick and abundant webs crawling from the room.


    Lina hugged the wall as she neared the door, quietly leaning and sticking her head out to see the situation inside¡ªand there, she saw bodies littered everywhere.


    Everywhere.


    There were limbs hanging from the ceiling, mangled bodies sprawled on the tables.


    "S...shit, fuck..." Lina could really only grit her teeth as she saw this scene. She wanted to look away, but there really was no ce in the canteen that didn''t have a corpse painting it.


    "H...bnlp..."


    "!!!" Lina then quickly turned her head to the side as she heard a whisper, and there, she finally saw someone that seemed to still be in one piece. It was hard to see since the person was seated on a chair and facing the other way, but Lina was sure that it was a male student.


    "...Rhys?" Lina rushed toward the student, swiftly moving in front of him as she looked at his face...


    ...but it wasn''t Rhys.


    It was Rob; the inside of his mouth, filled with cobwebs as he violently tried to gasp for air.


    "..." Lina could really only take a step back as she saw this. And before she could even think to help the young man in front of her, the light in his eyespletely faded away.


    "Lina?"


    "...Huh?" Lina then very slowly turned her head to the side as she heard another whisper. And there, finally, she saw the person she was looking for...


    ...holding the corpse of a female student by the neck.

 Chapter 27: 172

    <h4>Chapter 27: 172</h4>


    "...Huh?"


    There were limbs and guts scattered everywhere; hanging on the ceiling and littered on the floor. There were probably more than 40 corpses there, and yet seeing Rhys was probably the thing that shocked Lina the most.


    How could it not, when he just suddenly and casually appeared out of nowhere... dragging a lifeless body a few meters behind her.


    "...She''s dead," as for Rhys, he just calmly and carefullyy the body on the floor.


    "I tried to resuscitate her, but..." Rhys then turned to look at the corpse.


    "Rhys..." Lina could really only sigh as she heard Rhys''s words. She was, however, not surprised that he tried to perform CPR on the corpse¡ªafter all, out of all the lifeless and mangled bodies here, she stood out the most from how immacte her death was,


    "Fuck, Rhys. Did... did... you know her?"


    "Chloe," Rhys whispered as he shook his head, "And no, I... only know her name. I think she was¡ª!!!"


    It was sudden. Rhys doesn''t know whether his mind was just too tired, or if his reflexes and senses reverted back to what it once was... but he didn''t even flinch or try to dodge as Lina leaped toward him.


    Or perhaps, he truly just allowed and let Lina freely wrap her arms around him.


    "Rhys...I thought..." Lina''s voice was muffled as she buried her face in Rhys''s chest; her words, however, couldn''t be any clearer as they seem to pierce through the deepest parts of Rhys,


    "Shit, man. I... thought you were dead. Thank... thank the gods that you''re not."


    "I''m..." Rhys started blinking as he didn''t really know what to do. Aside from Katarina, this was probably the first time that he truly ever felt weed. It...


    ...wasn''t that bad at all.


    But...


    Rhys turned to look at Chloe. One of her hearts was filled, and yet she literally pushed him away to his death. These hearts represent affection, Rhys knew that much¡ªit was called [Affection Meter], after all. But what is affection?


    Love? Lust? Whatever it was, it definitely wasn''t trust.


    But for now, all it mattered was that it felt nice.


    "Thank... you, Lina." And finally, another smile appeared on his face; his arms, returning Lina''s embrace.


    "I... I wouldn''t know what I would have done if I lost you, Rhys..."


    Rhys could feel his chest slowly getting wet as Lina''s tears continued to flow. He wanted her to stop, but felt like anything he would do would just make it worse.


    "I know, I know that we''ve only just met. But shit... you...you and I...


    ...I think we have something, Rhys."


    "!!!"


    And all of a sudden, the only remaining empty heart floating above Lina''s head instantly filled up; turning red as the 5 Hearts merged into onerge empty Heart.


    And this time, the change Rhys felt wasn''t subtle at all. He felt his body somewhat be lighter, but not in a way that seemed like his strength or speed increased, not at all. It felt like his entire body was surrounded by a weak breeze, a tiny... gust of wind.


    "..." And while still tightly embracing Lina, Rhys lightly and carefully removed one of his hands, and as he opened it, a cute little tornado started to form and dance on the top of his palm.


    "Yo... What the fuck happened here!?"


    The dance did notst long, however, as he had to make it disappear when Lina''s team soon, and other explorers and soldiers arrived in the canteen.


    172 students.


    By night, it was reported that 172 students of Old York High School died, while hundreds more were injured by this devastating mishap.


    A mishap¡ªas no one was calling it an ident anymore. With that many deaths, the news was not only reported in the country of Amerka, but also to the rest of the world.


    172. This number of deaths was actually quitemon whenever a Hole opened up, the world wouldn''t even bat an eye at this news¡ªbut as it happened right in the middle of the city, the local government was quickly scrutinized.


    The day wasn''t even over yet, and the speech that was being given to the masses was already being spoken by a new mayor. And although the speech was heartfelt and sincere, the question that people wanted to ask still remained unanswered.


    Why did the Hole open up again, and why was there a Hole inside the city in the first ce?


    As for Rhys and all the other survivors, they were sent to different hospitals; making sure that the reporters wouldn''t know where they were while they recovered from all the injuries and mental trauma they suffered.


    "Say ''Aah''..."


    "I''m... not a child, Lina."


    "Doesn''t matter."


    "...And I''m not injured."


    The next day, most of the students were still settled in each of their own hospital rooms¡ªbeing observed for any dyed reaction to the incident. Rhys wasn''t allowed to leave his room. But he wasn''t alone, no¡ªthroughout the entire time, Lina was beside his bed.


    And right now, she was trying to feed him a hospital ssic; chicken pot pie with a side of sliced apples... although Rhys could actually fully feed himself on his own.


    "Shouldn''t you be... out there handling some stuff?" Rhys sighed as he continued to try and grab the fork from Lina, but to no avail.


    "Nope," Lina just smiled, "The team can handle whatever shites up. And also, that''s why we have the Clean Up Unit, I rarely stay after work¡ªand also, the only reason I stayedst time was...


    ...because I saw you."


    "..."


    "..."


    "S...say something," Lina could really only force a chuckle as she ced the tray of food to the side, "You... should usually say something back or it''ll just be cringe."


    "I... don''t think it is cringe at all?" Rhys didn''t really know what to say. But what he said was true, in a way, as Rhys was hearing something else¡ªLina''s desire.


    And it says, ''I want you to feel better.''


    "It''s not cringe at all, Lina."


    "Right... please sound more convincing," Lina then sighed. But after a few shakes of her head, she started looking around the room¡ªspecifically toward the door.


    "Well..." She then said as she stood up, "...since you''re not injured, then maybe some light exercise will do you good?"


    "Wh¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even utter a word, Lina suddenly jumped on top of him.


    ''I want you to feel better.''


    "..." Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as Lina''s desires once again whispered into his mind. So... this is what she meant by that?


    "You... don''t have to move, Rhys. I''ll do everything this ti¡ª"


    "Rhys!"


    And as soon as Lina''s fingers started crawling between Rhys''s thighs, someone suddenly entered the room.


    "I''m sorry it took so long, I was visiting everyone since I was handing out---Rhys...


    ...Who is that?"


    And of course...


    ...it just had to be Katarina Lopez.

 Chapter 28: Congratulations, Rhys.

    <h4>Chapter 28: Congrattions, Rhys.</h4>


    "...Who the fuck are you?"


    Do you know the feeling of being caught masturbating by your own mother? Rhys doesn''t¡ªbut for some reason, it probably felt like this.


    He wasn''t doing anything, not really. But since there was a pretty, short-haired girl currently on top of him, it felt like he was doing something... wrong. But then again, Lina was indeed about to do something.


    And while Rhys''s mind was once again lost in its own world, Lina and Katarina just stared at each other; with the twitching of Katarina''s eyes getting faster and faster by the second.


    "S...sorry," but after a few more seconds, Lina quickly jumped off the bed; fixing her skirt and hair as she moved to the side, "There... there was something on his shirt so I was just trying to get it off."


    "...Right," Katarina squinted her eyes as her head nodded slowly, "And were you trying to get it off with your mouth?"


    "That''s¡ªwait, who are you?" Lina also squinted her eyes as she started looking at Katarina from head to toe. She initially thought she was a doctor in the hospital, but realized she saw her before when she first met Rhys. And now that she was looking at her from head to toe, Lina could not help but take in a small gulp as she saw the difference in their... physique.


    Suffice it to say, Katarina''s breasts were evenrger than Lina''s thighs¡ªand she was proud of her thighs.


    "I''m Rhys''s... personal doctor. I should be the one asking you that, who are you?" Katarina adjusted her sses before she looked at Rhys, "Rhys, who is this?"


    "..."


    "Rhys!"


    "What? Oh..." Rhys finally snapped out of his mild stupor as he looked back and forth between Katarina and Lina,


    "This is Lina, she''s..." Rhys then turned to look at Lina; staring her straight in the eyes, "She''s...


    ...my girlfriend?"


    Rhys was a little hesitant, but he didn''t really have to think that long. He and Lina have really only known each other for a few days, and they both barely know anything about each other¡ªbut there was already a connection between them that he couldn''t quite exin.


    "R... Rhys, are... are we?" Lina could really only stutter as she returned Rhys''s gaze¡ªtherge empty Heart floating above her head, starting to show a hint of red at the bottom.


    "..." Rhys took notice of the change; quickly wondering what else would happen if he was to fill therge heart, "And this Dr. Lopez, she''s... I suppose you can say she''s family."


    "Girl...friend?" Katarina also stuttered; herrge breasts, slightly jiggling as her breaths turned heavy. She didn''t even hear what Rhys said about her.


    Her shock didn''tst long, however, as she quickly shook her head and approached the bed,


    "I... suppose it doesn''t matter. It... it''s not my business whether you have¡ªit''s not my business," Katarina continued to mumble as she tried her best to hide what she was feeling, "I came here to talk to you about something."


    "Oh, I''ll... leave you guys to talk," and with a smile and a blush on her face, Lina made her way to the door, "I''ll be outside, Rh¡ª!!!"


    Before Lina could make it to the door, however, Katarina suddenly grabbed her arm as she passed by her. And although Lina was an Elemental-type, she was still quite proud of her strength... and yet as she tried to pull her arm away from the growing pressure, she found that she couldn''t even budge Katarina''s hand for even a single millimeter.


    "Did... you need me for something?" Lina''s eyebrows started to furrow as she looked Katarina straight in the eyes. Although Rhys said that she was family, as a woman, Lina sensed that there was something about Katarina that she just didn''t like.


    ...Like she waspetition.


    "I do, actually," Katarina, on the other hand, just tried her best to smile as she let go of Lina''s arm,


    "Since I need a witness for this, anyway," she then said before suddenly handing something to Rhys¡ªsome sort of thin binder.


    "This is..." Rhys opened the binder, only to see arge print of his name on it.


    "Congrattions, Rhys..." And all of a sudden, any other emotion on Katarina''s face disappeared; with the only one remaining a mncholic joy that was enough to reflect in her eyes as she held Riley''s hand.


    "W...what?"


    "You survived high school, literally..." Katarina then ced Rhys''s hand on her cheek as she let out a small but heavy chuckle, "I''m... I''m so proud of you, Rhys."


    "...What?" Rhys could really only repeat his words as he once again looked at his name, before seeing the word ''diploma'' written somewhere on the paper, "This... I''m... graduating?"


    "You already have," Katarina smiled as she looked at Rhys''s face, "The board decided that... it was best to just close the school for now. Hence, they expedited the¡ªyou know what, it doesn''t matter. The most important thing is that you no longer have to go back to that hellish ce anymore."


    "That''s... I don''t really know what to feel right now, Dr. Katarina," Rhys could really only breathe heavily as he looked at her, "Just... thank you?"


    "You should thank yourself for being so stro¡ª!!!"


    And before Katarina could finish her words, Lina suddenly rushed to Rhys''s other side and kissed him on the lips without any warning.


    "Congrattions, Rhys..." Lina then smiled as she pulled back, "We... we need to celebrate this. How about we take a photo for¡ªAw!"


    Lina was about to pull out her phone, but before she could do so, Katarina suddenly appeared behind her; pping her hand and causing her phone to violently roll away.


    "Bitch, what did you do that for!?"


    "You''re his girlfriend and you don''t even know!?"


    "Know wha¡ª" Lina was going to raise her voice even more, but as soon as she nced at Rhys, he noticed him looking away; his arms that were covering his face, slightly trembling as they tried their best to hide his face,


    "Rhys, I''m... I''m sorry. I... I forgot," Lina took in a small gulp as she remembered... the video.


    "It''s... it''s fine," Rhys very slowly lowered his arm; his breaths, obviously still heavy as he looked at Lina and Katarina, "I just... I was just surprised."


    "Rhys, I''m sorry," Lina gently grabbed Rhys''s hand, "It''s... I swear it''s not going to happen again. I was just... too happy that something nice finally happened from all the shit that''s been happening to you."


    "I... know, Lina. Thank you," Rhys shook his head as Lina''s desires echoed inside his head.


    "Do you want to rest, Rhys? We can go out if you want," Katarina ced her hand on Rhys''s leg, "I can get you something from the nurses?"


    "I''m fine, Dr. Katarina. You promised, remember...? No more meds."


    "That''s¡ª"


    "And I''m actually more worried about something else," Rhys then let out a small sigh as he once again looked at his diploma, "Now that the school''s officially closed...


    ...I don''t really know where I''m going to stay anymore. And I don''t n on going to college, so the government won''t provide me with housing anymore."


    "...Why are you worrying about that?" Katarina blinked a couple of times as she looked at Rhys, "Isn''t it obvious? You''ll be living with me¡ªthat''s another thing we promised each other, remember?"


    "Oh, then¡ª"


    "Wait, wait. Hold on," Lina slightly raised her voice before Rhys could say something, "What do you mean it''s obvious? I''m her girlfriend, remember? He...


    ...should be staying with me."

 Chapter 29: A Dangerous Plan

    <h4>Chapter 29: A Dangerous n</h4>


    "I''ve known him ever since he was a freshman, I basically raised him. Of course, he''ll be staying with me."


    "...Do you think I don''t see what you''re up to? You''re acting like his guardian, but all I''m hearing from you is how you''ve been grooming him ever since he was a freshman. Shit... you''re a pedophile."


    "Excuse me? What did you just say to me?"


    "Yes, you''re excused. You can go now, Dr. Lopez."


    "What do you know of Rhys? You''ve only known each other for what... 3 days?"


    "And we''ve probably done more things to each other than you can imagine."


    "...What? So, you''re a slut?"


    "Shit... you''re really starting to piss me off, bitch. You think your humungous fucking tits are great? Wait ''til you get old."


    "Call me a bitch again and you''re not going to have a chance to get old."


    1 hour.


    Katarina and Lina have been arguing for over an hour. At first, they were slightly civil as the two were basically strangers¡ªthat didn''tst long, however, as the words they''d been exchanging became fiercer and feistier by the minute.


    The two were so focused on each other that they did not even notice Rhys stepping out of the bathroom, already dressed and ready to be discharged from the hospital.


    Rhys was nning to take it easy for a few days after all the tragedies that have happened; perhaps experience a normal life that a guy his age should experience¡ªbut with him now officially graduating from high school, any thoughts of rest disappeared from him.


    Perhaps it is for the best¡ªhe shouldn''t falter.


    The use and support he had with the government onlysts as long as he was involving himself in the matters of academia, but he wasn''t nning on going to college¡ªno.


    What he needed was power¡ªtrue power. He wasn''t going to achieve that by wasting away as an underpaid employee once he gets his college degree. He needed to¡ª


    "Where are you going!?"


    But s, before Rhys could reach the door, the 2 voices that warred with each other suddenly unified as both Katarina and Lina noticed him sneaking out of the room.


    "We''re not done here, Rhys. Choose..." Katarina crossed her arms, causing herrge breasts to almost pop out from her shirt, "...I''m your doctor. I know all about you."


    "You want to be an Explorer, right?" Lina did not back down as she sat on the bed, crossing her legs and slightly revealing her plump thighs, "I''m an Explorer."


    "Let''s... talk about thister," Rhys could really only let out a small but deep sigh as he shook his head; his ears, extremely exhausted from listening to the two,


    "I need to inform the mayor''s office about this," he then said as he raised his diploma.


    "Oh, I''ll drive you, then."


    "Good, I''ll being too."


    And once again, the two women somewhat became unified. They even stepped out of the room before him, urging him to hurry up or the office would close.


    Rhys hasn''t really wondered what it would be like to have more than one friend. After all, Katarina was enough. But now that there was one more person in his life, he... couldn''t help but think of how chaotic it actually is.


    Is... it also like this for the others?


    Unfortunately for Rhys, this chaos did not die down until they reached the local government office. And even as he stepped out of the car, he could hear the two arguing with each other.


    The only thing Rhys could do was hurry inside the building, ''less he wanted the two to suddenly get the idea ofing with him inside. And as Rhys entered, the guards stationed at the entrance did not really check him. Even with half of his face covered, he just casually went through the security without pats or questions.


    After all, inside this building, most of the people knew who he was.


    "Ah, Rhys? Do... you have a meeting with the deputy mayor?" And even before he reached the concierge, one of the staff working behind the counter noticed him.


    "I... don''t," Rhys approached the staff as he shook his head, "I was hoping to meet with him, is he avable?"


    "Sure, you can just go right ahead. I''ll inform him you''re here."


    "Thank you, Jonathan," Rhys then grabbed the keycard handed to him by the staff, before just nodding and making his way to the elevator.


    "...Who''s that tall guy?" The other staff beside Jonathan quickly whispered to him as Rhys disappeared into the elevator, "For him to meet the deputy just like that? Is he some sort of basketball yer or something?"


    "You... don''t know Rhys Wilder?"


    "Hey, I''m new here."


    "He''s... the guy in the video."


    "Video¡ªfuck, that Rhys Wilder!?"


    "Shh, keep your voice down. We''re...


    ...not allowed to talk about him."


    ***


    "Rhys! Howe I am only seeing you now, how long has it been?"


    "A year. I''ve been busy with school, deputy mayor."


    "Right... such a tragedy what happened there."


    Rhys was quickly weed by a tall, but skinny man. Rhys was 6''3", it was a little hard to find someone taller than him¡ªand yet the man approaching him with his arms wide open made him look like a child.


    There was also another person in the office that Rhys didn''t recognize, but he just stood on the side and didn''t really say anything.


    "Sit, sit," the deputy mayor then gestured to Rhys to sit down on the sofa as he sat on the chair beside it, "You want anything to drink? We have a new energy drink in the fridge, Bolt or something."


    "No, but thank you. I won''t be wasting too much of your time, deputy mayor," Riley sat down as he immediately ced his diploma at the center table and slid it toward the deputy.


    "This... oh," the deputy mayor just ced his hand on the diploma, looking at it before letting out a loud sigh, "I''m actually the one who ordered them to close down. I apologize you couldn''t wear your toga to an actual graduation."


    "It''s... fine," Rhys shook his head.


    "I''m proud of what you have achieved, Rhys," the deputy then nodded several times before handing the diploma back to Rhys, "And so, I''m guessing you weren''t just here to show me your diploma?"


    "Hm..." Rhys grunted, "...I''m here to officially tell you that I''m not pursuing my studies anymore. I don''t n on going to college."


    "...What?"


    And as soon Rhys''s words reached the deputy''s ears, the friendly tone he had in his voice quickly faded away,


    "But what else are you going to do if not get a degree, Rhys? It''s not like you have a lot of options."


    "I wish to be an Explorer."


    "You¡ª" The deputy''s eyebrows were about to furrow. But after a few seconds of just staring at Rhys, he raised his hand. And as he did so, the man that has been standing on the corner approached him and started massaging his temples.


    "..." Rhys watched this happen for a few seconds, before the deputy gestured to the man to go away.


    "You said you want to be a Porter?"


    "An Explorer, deputy mayor."


    "Hm..." The man standing on the corner was about to approach the deputy again as he sensed his blood pressure going up, but the deputy waved him away before he could get near.


    "You do know you can''t be an Explorer because of your... status?" The deputy then sighed as he looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "I am fully aware, deputy mayor," Rhys nodded as he returned the deputy mayor''s re, "I... am also aware that there''s a way for me to bypass that."


    "...I guess you''ve already thought this through since you know that?" The deputy once again sighed; shaking his head as he leaned back on his chair,


    "What am I going to do with you, Rhys? It''s not like I can stop you¡ªthat goes against my tform of pushing equal rights for Lowborns. But that''s a death sentence for people like you, Rhys...


    ...No Lowborns have ever been discharged from the Military, alive or without missing a limb. So, why? Why risk your life, Rhys?"

 Chapter 30: A Wonderful Dilemma

    <h4>Chapter 30: A Wonderful Dilemma</h4>


    "...No Lowborns have ever been discharged from the Military, alive or without missing a limb. So, why risk your life, Rhys? Why?"


    "..."


    Rhys didn''t really have an answer for the deputy mayor. He could say whatever he wanted to, but he doubted anyone could really understand what he wanted.


    "Is it revenge...?" And so, since silence was the only answer he got from Rhys, the deputy just answered his own question, "Power...? If so, the chances of you attaining either of both are lower than the chances of winning the lottery. Sadly, the opposite is true for the chances of your death."


    "I''m... aware of the statistics."


    "You''re a Lowborn, Rhys. You will be lucky to get out there missing a limb," the deputy still continued his little sermon, "And no matter how much you try, you''ll just be a soldier at the bottom of thedder, a grunt."


    "Hm," Rhys grunted. Everything the deputy mayor said is true... for a normal Lowborn, that is. Wait, could he even be considered a Lowborn anymore? Granted, how strong one''s blood was would already be determined by birth¡ªbut it is only when one goes through Awakening that one could know their true worth.


    Even in the hierarchy of Lowborns, Commoners, and Nobles¡ªthere was an inter-hierarchy. Not all Commoners are equals, and some Nobles are stronger than their peers.


    Maybe, just maybe¡ªRhys was the strongest of the Lowborns? Could that possibly make him as strong as the median Commoner?


    "I see your habit of overthinking still has not changed," the deputy mayor then let out a small sigh as he shook his head, "Anyway, what branch were you thinking of applying to?"


    "The Underworld Corps."


    "I see," the deputy mayor nodded several times... before his eyes suddenly widened,


    "The Underworld Corps!?"


    The deputy mayor''s assistant that was standing on the corner once again quickly rushed to catch the deputy as he leaned too far back on his chair. His screams of shock, however, did not stop even as his assistant pushed him back in ce.


    "So, you''re just actually trying tomit suicide, is that it? Are you tired of life? If you are, then I might as well just end you here."


    "No..." Rhys shook his head, "...I''m serious about the Underworld Corps."


    "Crazy is what you are, boy," the deputy mayor could really only pinch the bridge of his nose to try and calm himself down. And after a few seconds, he seemed to be sessful as he let out a long and deep sigh,


    "I can''t stop you," the deputy then breathed out, "And I can''t not do anything as well since I feel like it will still fall on me either way if you die. So, I''m only really left with one choice...


    ...offer you my support."


    "You... don''t really have to do that, deputy mayor."


    "I do, actually. It is in my best interest that you seed," the deputy chuckled as he finally rxed his arms, "I know the currentmander of the Underworld Corps, I''ll send her a message and tell her about you."


    "That''s¡ªthat will be a big help, deputy mayor. Thank¡ª"


    "Now go!" The deputy mayor started violently waving his hands before Rhys could finish his words of gratitude, "Go before I change my mind and just force you to go to college!"


    "...Hm," And so, the only thing Rhys could really do was just nod before quickly making his way out of the office. And as soon as he left, the deputy''s loud sigh hummed through the entire room¡ªandsting for several seconds.


    "That... was Rhys Wilder?" And finally, his assistant that has just been quietly moving around in the office finally spoke; wearing arge pair of sses that seemed to change the color of his eyes into red.


    "Hm. What do you think of the boy?" The deputy mayor stood up and walked toward the window.


    "He doesn''t look like a Lowborn," the assistant followed.


    "That''s the very reason his life''s a hell," the deputy sighed; his breaths, causing the window to fog, "A beautyparable to gods, but with no strength to protect it."


    "Should you be saying something as sphemous as that? What if they hear it?"


    "The gods?" The deputyughed, "You think they even care about us?"


    "I hear they are quite petty."


    "Now who is being sphemous?" The deputy shook his head as he stepped away from the window and finally went back to his desk.


    "You should have just supported the sister," the assistant, however, seemed not done with discussing Rhys.


    "My campaign''s tform is all about helping Lowborns, his sister is amoner," the deputy shook his head as he started signing the papers on his desk, "And besides, I don''t think I can handle the more broken of the siblings."


    "The sister... is the more broken of the two?" The assistant blinked a couple of times as he sat on the chair opposite of the deputy, "I thought Rhys received most of the trauma, wasn''t the girl just 10 years old then?"


    "Hm..." The deputy could really only let out a short but very deep sigh as he dropped his pen, "I was one of the people handling the case back then¡ªand we managed to cut the stream before the worst part."


    "...Worse than someone''s stomach bursting open?"


    "Hm," the deputy nodded before looking his assistant in the eyes, "Ss West didn''t just kill Rhys''s mother in front of him, Dan."


    "What do you¡ªwait..." the assistant, Dan, slightly widened his eyes as he realized what the deputy was insinuating, "You mean he...?"


    "Hm."


    "But wasn''t he just 12?"


    "13."


    "...Why are they letting someone like that out? And the top guild in Amerka is even inviting them¡ªwhat would the other countries say if we allow that?"


    "We allow it for the very same reason why Rhys is risking his life¡ªpower. Because deny it as much as we want...


    ...power is everything in this world."


    ***


    "I''m joining the military."


    "...What?"


    Rhys was now in a cafe, where Katarina and Lina were waiting for him¡ªand suffice it to say, as soon as the staff realized he was with the two, the very first thing the staff did as he entered was beg for him to take the two away as they were disrupting the peace of the cafe.


    Luckily for the cafe, Katarina and Lina stopped arguing as soon as Rhys joined them at the table.


    "What do you mean you''re joining the military? Are you... serious?"


    And while Lina waspletely and utterly shocked by the news that Rhys brought them, Katarina didn''t really seem surprised at all. After all, she knew what Rhys could do and how much of a survivor he was¡ªthe military is nothingpared to the hell he had already experienced.


    "Are... you sure?"


    "Wait, you''re okay with this?" Lina blinked a couple of times as she heard Katarina''s words, "He can die there, Kat."


    "Will you, Rhys?" Katarina looked Rhys in the eyes; adjusting her sses as she did so, "Will you die there?"


    "No..." Rhys shook his head, before he returned Katarina''s gaze, before also looking at Lina, "I promise to the both of you that I will return."


    "Rhys..." Lina closed her eyes, before just nodding several times as she held his hand, "...You can just return to me."


    "..." Katarina looked at Lina in disgust, before just rolling her eyes and also holding Rhys''s other hand.


    Suffice it to say, every man within the vicinity just gritted their teeth as they saw this. Two beautiful women, both very different from each other...were holding the hand of a single man? Just what sort of sorcery is this?


    "I know you''ll return, Rhys," Katarina then sighed, "But which branch are you joining?"


    "...The Underworld Corps."


    "Ah, I see..." Katarina then nodded her head and smiled,


    "...Do you want me to just kill you right now?"

 Chapter 31: Welcome to Hell, Boys and Girls.

    <h4>Chapter 31: Wee to Hell, Boys and Girls.</h4>


    And once again, the people could not help but just re as Rhys''s table drowned the entire cafe with their voices. And of course, Rhys quickly grabbed Katarina''s arm, pulling her closer to make her lower her voice.


    "I... thought you support me bing an Explorer?" Rhys then whispered as he slightly leaned over the table.


    "I do!" Katarina loudly whispered, "But the Underworld Corps is different. You''ll be living in hell, quite literally. You''ll be hellishly training in the Underworld for 6 months before you can evene to the Surface again."


    "Shit... finally something you and I agree on," Lina nodded several times as she heard Katarina''s words, "Kat''s right, Rhys. Why not just join something like the Holes Investigation Unit, or the Defense Force? At least you''ll be with us. You... can live in my house while you''re training."


    "..." The only thing Rhys could really focus on what Lina said was her calling Katarina ''Kat''. She also called her that earlier; did... these two just be close while he was gone?


    "Rhys, listen..." Katarina then let out a small but very deep sigh, "...It doesn''t matter whether you live with me or with Lina. But please, don''t serve for the Underw¡ª"


    "Can I borrow this while I''m there?"


    And before Katarina could finish her words, Rhys suddenly ced something on the table. And as soon as she saw what it was, Katarina quickly closed her eyes.


    "I... only survived the arachnes because of this."


    It was the scalpel he used to kill all the arachnes back in Old York High.


    "It''s... incredibly sharp," Rhys then said as he slightly lifted the scalpel, causing Katarina''s face to reflect on it, "I found it in your clinic."


    "Rhys, that''s¡ª"


    "I''m not going to ask you what this is, or why it''s as sharp as it is¡ªbecause I trust you, Dr. Katarina," Rhys then looked Katarina straight in the eyes,


    "I hope that you can trust me back. I promise you I will live. I... have so much to do here on the Surface for me to just die down there."


    "..." Katarina just returned Rhys''s gaze. Staring at his eyes that were hidden by his hair for several seconds. But after a few more breaths, she once again gently held his hand and just nodded,


    "I... trust you, Rhys. I just... want you to be happy."


    "I know," Rhys could really only smile as she heard Katarina''s words. It... felt weird hearing iting from her mouth as he had been hearing it several times already in his mind.


    And as for Lina, she had been staring at the scalpel ever since Rhys brought it out; her eyes, slightly squinted. She had received the reports from her team regarding the tragedy in Rhys''s school¡ªand a number of the arachnes there were killed by precise cuts from a small de.


    There... was also the report about the students that died in the canteen. Although most of the bodies were mangled, the reports said that their wounds were quite different from those that died outside¡ªand Rhys was the only one left alive there.


    Is it possible that he was the one who did all that to the students? No. Lina quickly shook her head off of the thoughts she was having and stood up from her seat... before just hugging Rhys without caring about the public eye.


    "You... will be alright, Rhys," Lina then said as she tightened her embrace, "When... did you n to leave?"


    "Now."


    "I see..." Lina nodded, "Wait...


    ...what do you mean now?"


    And as soon as she said those words, a loud horn came from outside as arge military truck parked in the distance in front of the government building


    "That''s...


    ...my ride."


    ***


    Amerka. One of Earth''s most powerful countries, holding the record for having the most number of people in the Top 15 strongest Explorers in the world¡ªwith their best standing at Rank 2, just below the indomitable monster from the country of Russea.


    But even as one of the most powerful countries in the world; thends of Amerka, like most countries, were still covered in Danger Zones¡ªzones that are rarely explored, and thus filled with Holes that have probably been opened ever since the first time the monsters dug their way through the Surface.


    Empty fields, deste forests, and brutal mountains in which one could just see monsters lurking everywhere.


    And right in the center of one of those Danger Zones, Rhys was currently stepping out of the truck that he''s been on...


    ...for 7 straight days.


    "..." Rhys quickly stretched every inch of his body as soon as his feet touched the ground. And it wasn''t only him¡ªthe 12 other recruits he was in the truck with also groaned, with some of them even dropping straight on the ground and hugging it.


    Rhys has always imagined the base of Amerka''s Underworld Corps would be grand, with several buildings and a fortress of gates and walls to protect them from the dangers that lurk everywhere.


    But no¡ªthe only thing protecting them from the outside was a perimeter of metal grill fence. Partnered with a sliding metal grill gate. Of course, judging from all the blood he saw painting the ground outside the fences, it was probably equipped with a ton of voltage.


    As for the buildings... there were no buildings.


    There were just... military-grade tents of varying sizes. If anything, it was perhaps more proper to call this a camp, rather than a base.


    The crowd of soldiers that were very slowly gathering to see him and the other new recruits also did not look like soldiers¡ªno. They just looked like people who are ready to die at any time, both figuratively and physically.


    "..." Rhys looked at their faces one by one. And while some had smirks on their faces, most were just... tired and sighing.


    But perhaps the most noticeable part of the base was therge Hole gaped right at the very center of the base... which was just right beside where the truck unloaded them.


    "Eep!"


    The other new recruits seemed to have finally noticed the Hole as well, as they all either crawled or ran away from it. Rhys, on the other hand, stepped closer to the Hole¡ªamazed by how wide it was.


    The Hole he fell from back in Old York High was as wide as the length of a bus, but this one... was perhaps 10 times wider than that. Just... what sort of creature came out of this? A cyclops? Perhaps a hydra?


    "I heard there was someone interesting amongst you litter of pups."


    And before Rhys could bepletely lost in his own thoughts, a loud and robust voice echoed throughout the entire camp¡ªalmost causing him to flinch and fall into the hole.


    "..." Rhys quickly backed away, turning around to see who the voice belonged to¡ªonly to see all the soldiers that were previously smirking at them now standing straight and giving a salute; their bodies, all turned in a single direction.


    "13 new victims. Just one less and you''d be like the mighty Olympians." It was a tall dark-skinned woman wearing a tank top and a pair of camo pants; her hair, braided and ornamented with a pair of feathers.


    She wasn''t as tall as Rhys, no¡ªbut she still towered over the other soldiers just from her sheer aura alone. Her arms were filled with power, obviously gained with effort from the fact that they were littered with scars. Her... breasts weren''t asrge as Katarina, but almost.


    "13; well, we can fix that number..." the woman then stretched her left arm to the side¡ªand as she did so, one of the soldiers that were standing beside her handed her arge duffel bag,


    "...Let''s get this started with."


    And as soon as she said that, her left arm blurred; the bag she was previously holding, now right in front of one of the new recruits... and it didn''t stop moving.


    "!!!"


    The only thing the recruit could do was let out a loud cough as the bag hit him right on the stomach... and then threw him straight into the Hole along with it. And before anyone could react, another bag flew straight toward them¡ªthrowing another into the Hole, and another... and another.


    "Wee to hell, boys and girls."


    The woman then let out a small giggle as she continued throwing the recruits'' bags, "This is where you''ll be dying again and again until you are reborn¡ªOh?"


    And before the woman could finish her routine monologue, her arm suddenly stopped moving as she saw a recruit dodge her throw.


    It wasn''t only her, the rest of the soldiers that seemed to be having fun watching the recruits fall all opened their mouths; their eyes... all staring at Rhys.


    "Now, why do you have to go and avoid that?" The woman clicked her tongue several times in disappointment as she looked at Rhys from head to toe, "Now you gotta find your bag down there."


    And while everyone was staring at him, Rhys was staring at the woman; his breaths, slightly fettered.


    He already knew the bag wasing, he already saw where it wasing, his enhanced senses already knew it was aiming for his stomach... and yet he was barely even able to dodge therge, heavy bag by a hair''s breadth.


    As expected of the highest officer of the Underworld Corps.


    Commander Ayesha, the only Commoner in the Top 15 Strongest Explorers in the world.


    Ranked No. 14...


    ...And the very reason why Rhys chose the Underworld Corps.

 Chapter 32: Commander Ayesha

    <h4>Chapter 32: Commander Ayesha</h4>


    "Now, why do you have to go and avoid that? Now you gotta find your bag down there."


    Ayesha was already very slowly making her way toward Rhys; her hand, once again blurring as she threw thest of the bag toward the other remaining recruit. And as she saw the recruit not even able to react as he was flung straight into the Hole, Ayesha nodded her head.


    "See? That''s what it''s supposed to b¡ªHoly..." Ayesha then suddenly backed away as she stood in front of Rhys, "...By the gods, you are asrge as theye. Probably the biggest recruit I''ve seen for thest 3 years."


    "..." And while Commander Ayesha was busy eyeing Rhys from head to toe, the only thing Rhys could really do was touch the side of his stomach. He initially thought he was able to avoid the bagpletely by a hair''s breadth, but he was now feeling some sort of sting building slowly but surely crawling from his liver.


    If he wasn''t used to the pain, then he would have probably been kneeling on the ground by now.


    "I thought you were simple because of your stupid hair, but it turns out not at all, huh?"


    "...Ma''am?"


    It wasn''t until Commander Ayesha started pressing the muscles in his arms that Rhys finally looked at her¡ªRhys, however, did not back away even as her face was already only a few inches away from his.


    ...Rhys expected her to smell like the sun, but no. There was a scent of sweetness covering her... a cologne, perhaps?


    "Not bad, not bad at all..." Ayesha finally backed away, nodding her head as she did so. Soon, however, she looked Rhys straight in the face, "...I suppose you need to do all that effort because you''re a Lowborn."


    "..."


    "And that already makes you better than half these dimwitted idiots they keep sending me. Finally, a man that knows pain," Ayesha then ced her hands on her waist and sighed; the jiggle of her breasts, even the slightest, waspletely noticeable due to the rest of her body beingpletely toned, "But then again...


    ...are you even really a Lowborn, Rhys Wilder?"


    Rhys took in a deep breath as he stood in attention, "It... should be written on my file, Ma''am."


    "I know what''s written on the goddamn file, Rhys Wilder. You think I don''t read?" Ayesha leaned closer to Rhys as she raised her voice; the feathers attached to her hair, flowing with the slight breeze,


    "I''m asking you."


    "I... am a Lowborn, Ma''am," Rhys whispered; his eyes, trying their best not to look at the crowd of soldiers surrounding them.


    "What was that!? I can''t hear you!"


    "I am a Lowborn, Ma''am!"


    "God damn right, you are! Finally, someone without a pussy!" Ayesha yelled right in Rhys''s ear. But before he could pull away, Ayesha suddenly grabbed his head¡ªhe wasn''t even able to react.


    "Ma¡ª"


    Ayesha then suddenly pushed him down and brought him to his knees.


    "Let''s test, shall we?"


    "...What?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he saw Ayesha grabbing something from her pocket¡ªa needle.


    "You said you''re a Lowborn¡ªbut all the other fresh recruits that were with you were Commoners," Ayesha then smirked as he looked at Riley''s neck, "Now, doesn''t make sense that you were able to dodge my throw when none of them couldn''t, no? You''re hiding something, Rhys Wilder... I intend to find out what."


    "I... Awakened just recently," Rhys breathed out as he stared at therge needle, "Just... a little more than a week ago."


    "Oh, well then...


    ...thank you for giving me a valid legal reason to do this."


    ***


    "Well, this is interesting..." And just a few minutester, Commander Ayesha was handed a paper by one of her subordinates; her eyebrow, raising as she read the results of Rhys''s blood test.


    "Your blood..."


    As for Rhys, the only thing he could really do now was take in a long and very deep breath as he stared at the paper Ayesha was holding. Katarina already tested his blood, but she said it was still just the same as before¡ªcould it be any different now... that he gained another ability from Lina?


    "...is the worst I have ever seen in my life."


    And with those words, Rhys was able to release his breaths.


    "They are worse than worst, what... what is this?" Ayesha looked at the soldier that handed her the results, "Are you sure this isn''t an error? There''s not even a trace of blood of any known gods? The purity ispletely zero?"


    The other soldiers started snickering and whispering as they heard the results. As soon as they did so, however, Ayesha quickly crumpled the results and threw it toward the soldiers¡ªthe one that was hit, violently rolling on the floor as no one even tried to catch him, ''less they wanted to also face the Commander''s wrath.


    "You people canugh as you want..." Ayesha then let out a loud scoff as she looked at her men, "...But that would mean that you people are admitting that a Lowborn has better reflexes than all of you."


    "..." The soldiers already had their mouths shut, but when Ayesha''s words reached their ears, the only thing they could really do was turn their heads down.


    "Listen up, you retards!" Ayesha then raised her voice again, and as soon as he did so, all the soldiers stood in attention, "I said this before, and I will say this again...


    ...all of you are equal here! Understood!?"


    "Ma''am, yes, Ma''am!"


    "..." Rhys felt it before, but themand Ayesha exuded was something that even he, who was just a civilian just moments ago, could feel. It was somewhat... exhrating.


    "I am the only one that stands above all of you. Understood!?"


    "Ma''am, yes, Ma''am!" The roars of the soldiers reverberated through the air¡ªeven those that were standing guard in the gates far and away, Rhys could hear screaming.


    "Even if the gods bright forth their lightning upon us, my orders remain the absolute. Understood!?"


    "M...ma''am, ye...Ma''am?"


    "Hm, well..."


    "You pussies!" And with the soldiers'' roars faintly dying down, Ayesha clicked her tongue and rolled her eyes.


    "You, recruit..." Ayesha then patted Rhys''s chest, slightly causing him to cough,


    "...Follow me to my tent."


    ***VERY IMPORTANT NOTE***


    I would like to use this space just to once again give a fair warning. You may have noticed by now that the story is just fun and extremely simple...but with heavy underlying themes that may not be suitable for the majority of people. It''s not deep or anything, just real.


    The MC, as I said, is wed and broken---a product of an even more broken society. My other characters will share the same treatment. The story is rated 17+, which means topics about sex, abuse, love, drugs, sexuality, a bad day, raw violence, mental illness, and anything and everything in the world will be touched. No yaoi or NTR for MC, so... sorry for those expecting it.


    But there will be gay characters---and there was already one(RIP student Chloe). So, if you''re easily spooked by that, then that is on you. As to why there will be; well, because gay people exist. But it won''t be their whole personality, just a part of what they are. And this is the greek pantheon, for crying out loud, a pantheon where every god is either bi, gay, or into animals. lol


    I wrote this in the earlier chapter, and writing it again here because people have startedining, but the only thing I really have to say about that is---I suppose this story isn''t for you, and thank you for giving it a try.


    But for those that are still reading, I hope I don''t disappoint. And please do continue voting. If the novel keeps up, I might even do a mass release! And thank you very much!

 Chapter 33: Ayesha’s Tent

    <h4>Chapter 33: Ayesha''s Tent</h4>


    "Have... you been in the Commander''s tent before?"


    "No. Who would want to be? You''ve seen the way the woman treats people in public, you really want to find out what she''ll do to you behind closed doors? Nope, no. Not me."


    "But, I mean... aside from her tendency for violence and impulse to berate everyone, she''s... super hot."


    "Get that toxic shit out of here, man. You don''t date crazy people, she clearly has a few nuts loose."


    "She can loosen my nuts."


    "...Why am I even your friend?"


    Outside Commander Ayesha''s tent, the two soldiers that were making their rounds around the camp were walking exaggeratingly close to the tent¡ªtheir ears, almost visibly gettingrger as they tried to eavesdrop on whatever was happening inside.


    But then again, the two couldn''t really make their rounds if they wanted to. After all, it wasn''t only them. Even those that were not supposed to be there were surrounding Ayesha''s tent, making it impossible for the two to move.


    How could they not be curious, when this was probably the first time any of them was asked to enter Ayesha''s tent¡ªand a fresh recruit at that?


    "Don''t worry about those idiots, the tent is equipped with some silencing magic or whatever it''s called."


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    Rhys wasn''t really thinking about the soldiers as he was busy scanning Ayesha''s tent. He was already half expecting it because of the pair of feathers strapped on her hair, but Ayesha''s tent was filled with things that Rhys could only describe as... tribal.


    There were totems, not of the Olympians, but of random idols that Rhys could only assume to be of old gods. Gods that were proven to be false as soon as Zeus made themselves known.


    There was, however, one thing out of ce¡ªa small teddy bear sitting on the desk.


    ...No bed.


    Does she not sleep here?


    "Wow... you think a lot," Ayesha scoffed as she started walking and circling around Rhys, "Not a good trait for a soldier."


    "I apologize, Ma''am," Rhys quickly stood up straight, "I''ll try to change my¡ª"


    "Pft. No, forget that..." Ayesha then stood in front of Rhys, crossing her arms as she looked him straight in his hidden eyes, "...Whose blood is running through your veins? You should have instinctively known it when you Awakened, it''s weird like that."


    "..." Should he tell her? She''s one of the most powerful people in the world, as well as one of the highest-ranking officers in the military. She will find out¡ª


    "You''re doing it again," Ayesha groaned as she leaned her head closer to Rhys; her lips, slightly snarled, "As a soldier, you answer when asked. Understood?"


    "...Understood, Ma''am."


    "So...? You certainly know mine, and I''m going to find out yours sooner orter, either way. I am sure you told someone of your abilities already...like that naughty nurse friend of yours."


    "She''s a doctor, Ma''am," Rhys let out a small but deep sigh as he shook his head.


    "I know, I''m just letting you know that I know more about you than you thought," Ayesha scoffed, "The tragedy of¡ª"


    "Eros," Rhys breathed out; his fingers, almost digging through his palm, "It''s called Eros."


    "Ares!?" Ayesha slightly backed away; her eyes, widening as she looked at Rhys from head to toe, "That''s... a rare blood! It makes sense that even a Lowborn would exhibit...bat abilities like yours."


    "...Eros, Ma''am."


    "Oh," Ayesha once again quickly crossed her arms and stood up straight, "I have no idea who that is."


    "..."


    "..."


    "!!!"


    And out of nowhere, Ayesha suddenly stretched her hand...straight toward Rhys''s face.


    "Well, whoever that is, you lucked out," Ayesha then smirked as she tilted her head to the side, only to see that Rhys was able to lean his head back to avoid her fist,


    "I thought a little depressed Lowborn came here to die when that tall pervert sent a letter to me...


    ...but you''re not that simple. Are you, recruit?"


    Tall pervert; was she talking about the deputy mayor?


    "Meh, I don''t believe in all that blood supremacy nonsense anyway. Lowborns, Commoners, Nobles... you will all just shit and pee yourselves when hit hard enough," Ayesha then said as her smirk turned into a chuckle,


    "On that note, hit me."


    "Ma''am...?"


    "Punch me. You don''t have to worr¡ªegh."


    "..."


    "..."


    Ayesha could really only stand there in silence; her eyes, batting several times as she stared at Rhys... and his fist that was now nted right in front of her face.


    "This little..." Ayesha grabbed Rhys''s wrist as she leaned her head back, "...you didn''t even hesitate to hit your Commander?"


    "I''m a soldier, Ma''am," Rhys said; the tone of his voice, still soothinglyzy, "I... shouldn''t think and just follow orders."


    "Oh? A soldier? Not just yet," Ayesha once again smirked, "What else? What else do you have?"


    "..."


    "Listen, recruit..." Ayesha slightly tightened her grip on Rhys''s arm; her slightly yful and authoritative voice, now only filled with thetter as she saw the hesitation on Rhys''s face,


    "...You don''t have to show me whatever it is you''re hiding, because whatever it is, it will surely be useless if the one in danger is already me. But the people out there, recruit? The people that will be your brothers and sisters? They will trust you with your lives."


    "..."


    "If you continue to hide your abilities even then... I will gut you myself. Unders¡ª"


    And before Ayesha could finish her words, Rhys gave her the same treatment as she did Katarina when they were discovering his abilities...


    ...shower her face with his thick cobweb.

 Chapter 34: Entering a Bigger Hole

    <h4>Chapter 34: Entering a Bigger Hole</h4>


    "Such flexibility, and you can also harden it by will?"


    "...Yes."


    It was apletely different reaction than what Rhys was expecting. Although he already knew that Katarina and Ayesha''s personalities could not be any more different, he was still quite intrigued by how truly different their responses were.


    Ayesha''s face waspletely covered in Rhys''s thick white web, and yet unlike Katarina who slightly panicked... Ayesha was ying with it.


    She was testing its flexibility, and is even rubbing it even more on her face to test how sticky it was. And even as Rhys hardened it, Ayesha just casually snapped it in half like a biscuit.


    His webs had the strength to lift an entire human without breaking, and yet Ayesha was just treating it like a toy. Just a testament to how strong Rankers are.


    "Huh... this is extremely useful," Ayesha hummed as she pulled a web that was on her lower lip, stretching it along with her lip, "But increased reflexes... and web shooters? Maybe that Eros is some kind of spider god?"


    "I... don''t know, Ma''am."


    Rhys knew nothing about the blood running in his veins¡ªbut he did know that the ability he was showing was something he received from Arachnea¡ªbut of course, saying that would already be revealing things no one needed to know.


    "Huh..."


    And while Ayesha continued to y with his thick white web, Rhys started to focus on the 5 empty Hearts floating above Ayesha''s head. He had been waiting to hear Ayesha''s desire to whisper in his mind ever since they met...


    ...but not even a single whisper echoed in his mind.


    Could Ayesha not desire anything? Or could he only hear desires that directly involve him one way or another? Thetter would make more sense, as desiring nothing was impossible, not unless Ayesha was some sort of monk that has reached enlightenment.


    Of course, Rhys was just guessing¡ªit was like he knows everything about his abilities, but also knows nothing, it was... weird. Is it like this for everyone that has Awakened?


    "...By the gods, I can hear you thinking from all the way here," Ayesha finally wiped all of Rhys''s web from her face as she raised her voice, "You... were thinking of something lewd, right?"


    "No, Ma''am."


    "I would understand, I am likely the grandest specimen you have ever encountered," Ayesha scoffed, "But harbouring feelings for your superior is illegal. You got that, boy?"


    "...Yes, Ma''am."


    "I was just messing with you, you runt. Zeus, can''t you young people take a joke anymore?"


    "..." Rhys has already noticed this, but Ayesha seems to be the kind of person that just says whatever''s on her mind¡ªtheplete opposite of him.


    "Well, that''s enough of that," Ayesha then gestured to Rhys to follow her as she stepped out of the tent. Rhys took one final nce at Ayesha''s tent to try and learn more about her¡ªbut aside from all the Indian tribal stuff, the only thing that was worth taking note of was the teddy bear.


    "You two! Since you just like eavesdropping on your Commander''s conversation, then go join the recruits for training!"


    And as soon as Rhys stepped out of the tent, she saw Ayesha scolding two soldiers¡ªthe two soldiers from earlier that were supposed to be patrolling the base but instead ended up eavesdropping. Sadly for them, they were too slow to leave and were seen by Ayesha.


    "But, Ma''am...we just got back to the Surface."


    "Did you just disobey a direct order!?"


    "N...no, Ma''am!"


    The two soldiers quickly stood up straight and saluted, before starting to walk down their way to hell, literally. The two of them, seemingly whispering loudly at each other,


    "Oh shit, she talked to us!"


    "You fucking simp. We''re being punished."


    "Punished. What do you think it''s like to be punished by her... physically?"


    "I am truly starting to question why I''m your friend."


    And as the two soldiers reached the Hole, Rhys could not help but be amazed as he saw them just casually stepping off the edge; still chatting with each other even as they fell.


    "Recruit!" Ayesha then called for Rhys.


    "Ye¡ª!!!"


    And before Rhys could even utter an answer, Ayesha suddenly appeared beside him... already grabbing his neck. His increased senses felt her, but he was just too slow to do anything.


    "You''re not dodging anything this time," Ayesha suddenly ran toward the Hole; dragging him as she leaped high up in the air.


    "..." Rhys widened his eyes as he saw the Hole in its entirety. He wasn''t shocked by howrge it was, however, but how high Ayesha could jump¡ªthey were higher than his school''s building.


    "Clench," and with that word as her only warning, Ayesha forcefully threw him straight down into the Hole.


    And Rhys truly did as she said¡ªgrit his teeth. He had fallen before, so aside from the added unexpectedness of it all, the feeling wasn''t really new to him.


    "Oh?" And as Ayesha saw Rhys not screaming or even losing his calm, a small smirk started to crawl on her face as she followed Rhys into the Hole.


    Rhys tried his best not to close his eyes even as they reached theplete darkness of the Hole. It was a weird feeling¡ªthere seemed to be air resistance, but at the same time, there was not.


    10 minutes. It wasn''t until 10 minutes had passed that he could see a pinch of light from afar¡ªgettingrger andrger by the second.


    It is said that the Underworld was 700 to 1000 kilometers below the Surface, but it might as well be apletely different dimension altogether.


    And soon, he felt a rush gutturally crawl throughout his entire body as the gravity started shifting. It felt as if his organs and entire soul were being left behind as he emerged to the Underworld.


    Well, it was more like he was spat out by Hole, throwing him to the side as he violently rolled on the ground.


    "Kh..." Rhys quickly tried to calm his breaths and ignore the nausea entering his brain as he stood up¡ªbut it was hard. The smell piercing his nose didn''t really make it easy.


    The smell of vomit from the other recruits that fell ahead of him; some of them, still sprawled on the floor. As for the two soldiers, they were just casually standing there and still chatting about Ayesha.


    "..." Rhys then started looking around, only to notice several buildings surrounding the Hole, as well a towering wall that protected the perimeter¡ªaplete contrast to the tents back on the Surface.


    Rhys finally understands why the base on the Surface seemed too scarce, because that truly was just a camp. The real base of the Underworld Corps...


    ...is in the Underworld.


    "...That makes sense."

 Chapter 35: The Underworld

    <h4>Chapter 35: The Underworld</h4>


    "...That makes sense."


    And as Rhys was surrounded by the other recruits that were either groveling on the floor or struggling to sit up, he continued scanning his surroundings. When he was previously in the Underworld, he was inside some sort of cavern¡ªbut this time, he was outside.


    He had seen photos of it before, but seeing it in person truly makes one almost feel like they were drowning. No photo could do this ce justice.


    The Surface world is a sphere, the horizons will always have an end. But in the Underworld, the horizons do not end, it loops. It almost made Rhys feel like he was in some sort of gigantic ball... which he sort of actually is.


    It was hard to see the distance, however, as a sort of fog seemed to nket the endless horizon. And of course, perhaps the most noticeable of all was the ''sun'' showering everything with its light.


    Floating at the very center of the inside of this sphere, Tartarus.


    It is said that one of the gods, Hades, resides there¡ªno one really attempts to find out, however.


    "Well, I''ll be. The very first thing you do in reaching the Underworld is think."


    "!!!" Rhys then almost fell back to the ground as the very first thing Ayesha did when she reached the Underworld was smack Rhys on the back.


    "You are going to have so much fun here, Rhys Wilder," Ayesha then let out a small chuckle as she started walking to the middle of all the recruits that were almost lifelessly lying on the ground,


    "Recruits, gather up!" Ayesha then roared. And as soon as she did so, several more people in civilian clothes started to line up in front of her¡ªand seeing as they weren''t in uniform yet, they also seem to be recruits, but from an earlier batch.


    "It''s... her?"


    "It''s the Commander, she''s here!"


    "Shut up!" And before the recruits could start whispering to each other, Ayesha once again roared; causing the very air itself to tremble,


    "I am Ayesha, Commander of the Underworld Corps. My word is thew here, and thew is to survive. As for the rest of you sorry lot, you are less than shit...


    ...You are sperm that was wiped in tissue and thrown in the toilet to never see the light of day again. Understood!?"


    "..."


    "Understood!?"


    "Ma''am, yes, Ma''am!"


    "For 120 days, you will be trained, hardened, and moulded to the point that you will want to die. For 120 days, the only sun you will be seeing is that!" Ayesha pointed at the Tartarus, "And I am telling you that you do not want to wake up the son of a gun that lives there!"


    "Ma''am, yes, Ma''am!"


    There were probably more than a hundred of them there, but Ayesha''s voice drowned and overpowered even their strained screams.


    "During the 120 days, if you perform poorly, you will not be sent back home! Instead, you will be punished and sent to a different camp closer to the monsters. Once you entered the gates of our base, you have already forfeited your life to the Underworld Corps. It doesn''t matter whether you are a Lowborn, a Commoner, or even a cute precious little Noble. There is no going back! Understood!?"


    "Ma''am, yes, Ma''am!"


    "Good, now jump in the Hole and go back to the Surface."


    "Ma''am, yes... Ma''am?"


    The recruits all started looking at each other as they heard Ayesha''s words. They were just told that they won''t be seeing the Surface for a long time... and now their most superior officer was ordering them to go up again?


    "I told you to jump. Jump!" Ayesha roared, causing even the recruits that were sprawled on the floor to crawl toward the Hole.


    "And once you reach the Surface, you jump back down here and again, and then go back to the Surface. Jump through the Hole again and again until I say you stop! Understood!?"


    "Y...Yes, Ma''am!"


    The screams of the recruits could be heard echoing as they jumped back into the Hole. The only one that was perhaps not either screaming, fainting, or both was Rhys...


    ...and the two unlucky soldiers that Ayesha sent back to basic training, who were now for some reason seemingly falling closer to Rhys.


    "Psst."


    "..."


    "Psst!"


    Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as the two soldiers were indeed moving closer to him. The two of them, falling on each of his sides while staring at him.


    "...Yes, sir?" Rhys squinted as he looked at the one calling him.


    "You talked to the Commander? What did you guys talk about? Why did she personally call you to her tent?" The air resistance within the Hole worked in a weird way, but it still caused Rhys''s to flutter and wave with it from time to time¡ªbut the soldier''s brushed-back orange hair waspletely still, not a single strand moving as he looked at Rhys,


    "Did you know the Commander previously? What does her tent smell like?"


    "Erik, stop bothering the recruit with your perverted questions." The other soldier stretched his hand toward Rhys, "You seem very calm for a recruit, could it be because you''re just here to die? Most Lowborns that join the corps just want the gratuity for their families when they die. You came here to die, didn''t you? It''s fine, you can tell us."


    "I''m... not," Rhys said as he shook the man''s hand. And like Erik, there was also nothing moving on top of his head...because there was nothing there at all. His head was smoother than a baby''s¡ªnot even an eyebrow in sight.


    "Ignore James''s gloomy shit," Erik scoffed, "So, how was it? What did her tent smell like? Does it smell like... indigenously hot?"


    "Indigenously... hot?" Rhys slowly muttered.


    "Yeah, like earthen and smoke, stuff like that."


    "...No."


    "Oh shit," Erik excitedly hummed and nodded several times as he looked at James, "I told you, her room probably smells like daisies and shit."


    "Stop simping, man. It probably smells like sweat just like the rest of the tents."


    "S...sweat? The Commander''s... sweat?" Erik''s nose started inting. Rhys could swear he almost felt himself being pulled closer to Erik as he inhaled almost violently.


    "Just stick close to me, Rhys," James sighed as he pulled Rhys away, "I will be a much better friend moving forward."


    "...Friend?" Rhys could really only whisper as he heard the term.


    "Pft, friend? The guy''s not our friend, James," Erik scoffed as he shook his head.


    And there it is. Throughout his entire stay in Old York High, he waspletely isted by the rest of the students because of his sta¡ª


    "He''s our brother," Erik then flicked his head to the side as he smiled, his perfect white teeth, almost blinding the two as they reflected the lighting from James''s bald head.


    "Disgusting," James quickly frowned as he whispered, "Just wait for it, he''s going to say something disgusting."


    "And as brothers, we share no secrets," Erik''s smile turned into something else as he looked at Rhys from head to toe, "So...


    ...what does it feel like being choked by the Commander?"

 Chapter 36: Start Of Training

    <h4>Chapter 36: Start Of Training</h4>


    "Attention, recruits!"


    Rest.


    The new recruits have already forgotten what rest is, and it hasn''t even been a full day since they entered the Underworld Corps. No, perhaps rest doesn''t exist in the Underworld Corps in the first ce.


    For 20 hours, they have been jumping up and down the Hole without pause. They were handed rations, but they had to eat them while falling. Some thought that by fainting during the fall, they would be able to rest...but they ended up even more exhausted than they already are. They haven''t seen a bed, or even the rooms where they are supposed to be staying in if they existed in the first ce.


    And so, suffice it to say¡ªmost of them didn''t even know what they were doing as they just instinctively gathered in front of a superior officer they hadn''t seen before.


    And of course, this superior officer noticed how exhausted everyone was, it was a sight he has been used to for the past 20 years.


    "My name is Staff Sergeant Millis! For 24 hours, my voice will be the only one you will be hearing!" The man said; his twirling mustache, almost bouncing as he stomped his foot on the ground.


    Millis was a Commoner, but he considered himself to be at the top. After all, Commoners are not created equal. Technically, for one to be considered a Noble, the blood of god that runs through your veins has to be one of the Twelve Olympians.


    Zeus, Hades, Poseidon, Demeter, Hestia, Ares, Athena, Aphrodite, Hermes, Artemis, Apollo, andstly, Hephaestus.


    But just having the blood of the Twelve Olympians is not enough¡ªif it was, then there would be more Nobles walking around the than Commoners.


    47%.


    The Olympian blood that runs through one''s veins has to be at least 47% for one to be fully recognized as a Noble.


    There are some extremely rare cases that an Olympian blood will be so strong, that even if one''s other half was a Commoner, it wouldpletely overpower the weaker blood¡ªmaking one''s offspring a Noble.


    Staff Sergeant Millis... was not one of those people. But he was close, too close.


    46.8%. Just a tiny bit more, and he could have been a Noble¡ªbut sadly, it didn''t work like that. The difference between just a single decimal percent; the difference between 46.9% and 47% was almost night and day. There was a barrier between the two, a barrier that has always mocked Millis in each of his waking days.


    A barrier that Millis will never be able to break. But still, he worked hard. Harder than most.


    But then, he hears that a Lowborn managed to sneak in with the recruits, and was even named and called by Commander Ayesha personally. What sort of connection does one need to have in order for that to happen?


    A wealthy Lowborn? That should not be made possible. If Millis, someone who was almost a Noble, needed to work hard for what he has, then a Lowborn should work a million times harder.


    Unforgivable, truly unforgivable.


    "There is only one thing you will learn here," Millis started scanning the recruits to try and find the famous Lowborn, "And that is how to kill beasts! Your knowledge will be trained and tested, your fitness,bat abilities, marksmanship, morality..."


    Millis continued his introduction while his eyes werepletely like that of a hawk''s, trying to single out his prey. But no matter how hard he tries, everyone''s eyes are just as dead as the recruit next to them.


    He squinted his eyes to try and see who has the darkest hair amongst the lot, as Lowborns tend to have ck hair¡ªand it didn''t take long to find one, as the young man towered amongst his peers.


    But surely, it couldn''t be him.


    Out of all the recruits here, the tall ck-haired young man was probably the only one that didn''t have dark circles around his eyes. In fact, he didn''t just stand out because he was tall, he stood out because he was the only one standing straight in the first ce.


    "...Andstly, there is no such thing as giving up in this ce. You will not rest, and you will not eat until you have finished this day''s training. Understood!?"


    "Sir, yes, Sir!"


    The voices of the recruits were weak, but Millis did not really bother making them repeat themselves; just shaking his head and letting out a small scoff as he started running.


    "Now, keep up and repeat what I say, and how I say it!" Millis then said as he raised his voice even louder,


    "I left my home!"


    "...I left my home!"


    "To join the Suicide Squad!"


    "...To join the Suicide Squad!"


    And as the Millis began jogging in rhythm, most of the recruits were trying their best not to burst out in tears there and then. Some because of his depressing marching song, and some because they knew they wouldn''t be able to eat and rest tonight as their legs were already giving up.


    "We will die... to keep everyone safe!"


    "...To keep everyone safe!"


    And while they continued to march on through the base, Rhys could not help but think how hellish the training is. It almost made him feel bad that he couldn''t really get tired because of his [Arise] skill.


    But of course, something Rhys learned hard and early on was that life is just unfair¡ªhe would hide his abilities, sure. But he will use and abuse it as much as he could...


    ...no one else matters.


    And so, Rhys just continued to run, even running ahead of everyone that was already getting tired. No one could really get mad at Rhys''s actions yet, however, as they were all just truly exhausted...


    ...and it didn''t help that something happened which truly made them all almost give up there and then.


    They thought they were finally going to be able to rest now that they reached a wall. But then... the wall suddenly slid open as Staff Sergeant Millis just continued running without even looking back or checking on them.


    "Warm up''s over, boys and girls!" Staff Sergeant Millis roared,


    "Wee to the Underworld Corps!"


    ***


    "...Oh?"


    And while Rhys was currently undergoing basic training with the Underworld Corps, arge arachne from thousands of kilometers away dropped its prey; her nose, sniffing the air around her.


    The arachne started walking as she continued sniffing; herrge breasts, swaying as her sharp spider legs prated the mountain of corpses of beasts and humans beneath her.


    "Well, well..." And if Rhys was here, then he would surely recognize the owner of the voice and the beautiful face---Arachnea.


    "...Look who came back to y."

 Chapter 37: Bitch

    <h4>Chapter 37: Bitch</h4>


    "Take a minute to gather yourselves!"


    "F... finally."


    "I feel like I''m going to die."


    "You will, just not today."


    "Look at that guy, is... he even human?"


    "Shit... he''s the only reason why we''re only resting now."


    "Tch, show off."


    "Fucking Dregger."


    "Woah, woah. Who used the D-word!?"


    "With the hard R too!?"


    "Wow... you guys are ssist as fuck."


    Dregger. It has been a very long time since Rhys heard someone call him like that¡ªit was what they used to call people like him in the past. The dregs of society, ves.


    It wasn''t until the end of the 19th century that they were freed as ves, but they never truly escaped the prejudice people had for them. That wasn''t even the worse part of their history¡ªnot even a hundred years ago, Lowborns were almost wiped out by a mad Noble with a weird mustache.


    "Don''t mind them, Rhys. Recruits are always like that. They see others aspetition, not realizing that we really only have each other to rely on."


    "I remember you being one of those people, baldy."


    "Shut up, you perverted monkey. I am not ssist."


    "It''s... just white noise to me at this point," Rhys let out a small sigh, before taking off his shirt; squeezing it, and letting his sweat shower the des of grass beneath his feet.


    And perhaps even more so than the others'' words, Rhys was more ufortable with the fact that James and Erik have never left his side ever since he met the two of them.


    "Anyway," James crossed his arms as he looked at Rhys from head to toe; his bald head, almost acting like a spotlight that lit up Rhys''s perfectly chiseled body, "Are you really a Lowborn? Erik and I are used to this kind of training, but you...


    ...you don''t even seem to be tired at all."


    "I... train my body more than most," Rhys let out a small sigh as he hung his shirt over his shoulder.


    "Yeah, I could see that," Erik squinted his eyes as he too, started looking at Rhys from head to toe, "Wait a minute... are you like the Commander''s boy toy!?"


    "...No."


    "...How did you apply? Do I need to be as jacked as you?"


    "His muscles are clearly made from pain and hardship. You will never be able to achieve the meaning of his muscles."


    "Wait... does the Commander have a thing for Lowborns!? Inject me with your blood, Rhys! Right now!"


    "Erik, you''re slowly bing a true degenerate! Stop this!"


    "..." Rhys could really only back away as he watched as James started holding Erik back from rushing toward him. These two...


    ...they were weird.


    And while the three were making most of the noise, the other recruits just sprawled on the ground almost lifeless, some even leaning on the trees that were far from the trail for shade.


    "James, Erik."


    "Sir!"


    And soon, Staff Sergeant Millis approached the three, causing James and Erik to quickly stand in attention. And of course, Rhys followed suit as he saluted.


    "At ease," Millis raised his hand, "So, what did the two of you do again for you to be sent back here? Aren''t you guys supposed to be spending your R&R on the Surface?"


    "It''s James''s fault. He was eyeing the Commander."


    "...We all know you''re the one most likely to do that," Millis only scoff and shook his head, before turning his head to Rhys and also looking at him from head to toe, "I''ve never seen you before, private. Were you transferred here from another camp?"


    "No, sir," Rhys quickly answered, "I''m a recruit, sir."


    "..." Millis blinked a couple of times, before turning his head to James and Erik.


    "It''s true, he''s the Commander''s boy toy or something."


    "He''s a Lowborn. Amazing, isn''t it? It is as if the social ss is truly just a barbaric concept that needs to¡ª"


    "You''re... the Lowborn?"


    And all of a sudden, Staff Sergeant Millis''s friendly tone quickly faded away as he looked at Rhys''s ck hair. He then turned toward the other recruits that were sprawled everywhere; his eyes, starting to squint.


    "Are you not ashamed of yourselves as Commoners!?" Millis let out a roar loud enough to thunder through everyone''s ears,


    "You let a Lowborn get ahead of you!? Enough rest! Those who can''t pass the Lowborn will be sent to a deeper camp. Understood!?"


    "W...what!?"


    "But we just¡ª"


    And before anyone could startining, Millis just started running again¡ªthis time, almost a sprint.


    "..." Rhys turned to look at the others for a few seconds, before just shaking his head. These people already have a bad impression of him¡ªthere was no point in trying to be friendly with them. And so, despite everyone''s eyes being on him...


    ...Rhys started to run as hard as he could.


    If they can''t keep up, then that is their fault. This...


    ...This is justice.


    "What the¡ªthis fucking bastard!"


    "After him! Push him, trip him!"


    "You just made everyone your enemy, Rhys Wilder," James and Erik once again ran beside Rhys.


    "...Changes nothing," Rhys whispered.


    "Careful with the edge there, brother," Erik forced a chuckle, "You might end up cutting yourself."


    "He''s a Lowborn, Erik. Chances are he probably already has."


    "Can you just stop being dark for one second!?"


    "Can you stop being perverted for one second?"


    Most of the recruits tried to catch up to Rhys¡ªand most were actually sessful, with some even trying to truly trip or push him from behind. Well, for the first few hundred meters, that is.


    After more than 2 hours of running full sprint, most of the recruits were either just running through sheer will, or not running at all; their breaths, now louder than their steps.


    "W... what the fuck."


    "When... when is this going to stop?"


    "Why did I even join the Underworld Corps!?"


    "I just wanted to die, why am I being tortured like this?"


    "..." And while the recruits were begging basically begging for their lives, Millis just continued to run; only ncing at Rhys from time to time to try and see if he was giving up.


    But s, aside from his entire body drowning in sweat, Rhys didn''t seem tired at all. Rhys was just thinking how harsh that training was¡ªif he didn''t have his [Arise] skill, then he would definitely be one of the people crawling on the trail right now.


    The training seemed effective, however, as the results could clearly be seen from how Erik and James were still just casually chatting with each other.


    "So, if you meet the Commander outside in casual clothes, don''t tell me you won''t stare at her?"


    "She''s not my type. I like my women on the lighter side."


    "...I am starting to think you''re¡ª"


    "Argh!"


    "H...help!"


    And before Erik and James could continue their conversation, a loud scream echoed from behind them.


    "No one is going to help you! If you''re this weak, then it is better for you to die!" Millis nced back at the recruits, "You¡ª!!!"


    And as soon as Millis turned around, he saw once tired and exhausted recruits rushing past him; their faces, filled with desperation. And he didn''t even have to ask why, as there at the very end of the line...


    ...was a pack of two-headed wolves.


    "Red Orthros...here?" Millis blinked a couple of times; squinting his eyes to check if he truly was seeing what he was seeing. And after several blinks, he stretched out his hand to the side¡ªsummoning a bow asrge as him.


    "James, with me!" Millis then roared as he tapped his bow on the ground, and as he did so, the dirt and grass started to crawl up onto his bow. And as he drew the strings, the dirt and grass quicklypressed and shaped themselves into an arrow.


    "Erik, make sure the recruits don''t panic and go far!"


    "What recruits!?" Erik screamed as he looked at all the recruits running away into the distance.


    "Lowborn, what are you doing!?"


    Only Rhys remained; his eyes, just staring at the pack of orthros that were mowing down the recruits that were unfortunately too tired and slow to run.


    "Lowborn, get the fuck out of my line of fire!"


    "...Hm," Rhys only grunted as he backed away and joined James and Millis; his eyes, however, were stillpletely focused on one of the orthros.


    Apparently, one of them is a female...


    ...as it had 5 Hearts floating above its head.

 Chapter 38: First Order

    <h4>Chapter 38: First Order</h4>


    "Recruits, calm the fuck down! Panic will kill you!"


    "Don''t go there! Gods damn it!"


    "Rhys!"


    "...Rhys!"


    Rhys knew he was being called by his superior, but the growling and howling of the orthros were loud, visceral. Drowning even the screams of the recruits who were sadly at the back of the line and being eaten alive. There was all sorts of noise, and yet that wasn''t the reason why Rhys could not really hear any of it, no.


    It was the red orthros that had 5 Gray Hearts floating above its head.


    A dog.


    He could understand the arachnes as half of their body is human, but the beasts in front of them right now were literal dogs, 2-headed dogs. He hadn''t really thought about it since he was busy training his Active Abilities and trying to find a way to be an Explorer...


    ...but his abilities also work on literal beasts. But to what extent, exactly?


    Would it work on a literal spider?


    ...Would he want it to?


    And while Rhys was stuck in his thoughts, Staff Sergeant Millis sprung into action as he fired an arrow at one of the orthros¡ªhitting one of its two heads dead in the eye.


    A Red Orthros.


    It wasn''t particrly a strong monster, listed as a Threat Level 1, the same as the arachnes that Rhys had killed in Old York High. But like the arachnes, their threats usually jump a certain level because of their numbers.


    A single red orthros was something even a Commoner untrained inbat could defeat if that person had a weapon. But a pack of red orthros? The chances of surviving bes 0.


    They weren''t particrly strong, but they were intelligent enough to work together almost like a hive¡ªbut still have the capacity to adapt individually.


    Millis, as a trained Commoner soldier, could probably dispatch an entire pack on his own if given enough distance with his bow. But a pack of two dozen wolves? Then he has a problem. But that problem, however, was easily solved by James being there.


    He and James could deal with this pack with no problem¡ªbut they won''t be able to fight them head-on. It was too dangerous, not for them, but for the exhausted and scared recruits who were too petrified in fear to even run for their lives.


    And so, Millis devised a... n.


    "Rhys Wilder!"


    "Sir...!?" Rhys snapped out from his mild stupor as he stood up straight and looked at Millis.


    "Lure the hounds away from the retarded recruits!"


    "Millis...?" James, who was still assessing the situation, could not help but knit his eyebrows as he heard Millis''s words, "He''s just a recruit."


    "If he''s only going to stand there, then he might as well make himself useful!" Millis let loose another arrow, causing the two-headed wolves to finally be wary of him., "They all signed up for the Underworld Corps knowing we are basically one big suicide squad! He should¡ª"


    "Yes, sir."


    "What?" And before Millis could finish his short speech, he could not help but almost lose focus on the dogs as Rhys just marched forward.


    "Rhys, stop!" James, on the other hand, quickly blocked Rhys''s path and stood in front of him while still keeping his sight on the dogs, "You''re not even legally part of the Squad yet! You have no obligation to¡ª"


    "But I will be," Rhys only nced at James before walking past him, "I''m... following orders."


    A lie, of course. Rhys could care less about the recruits that immediately ran away in the face of danger, leaving them behind to scour and clean for the mess they were creating. Rhys joined the Underworld Corps fully knowing the dangers that came with it.


    The Underworld Corps truly is just what everyone was saying it was ¡ª a suicide squad.


    They were the first to delve into danger, into the unknown. Panicking means death in a ce like this.


    Rhys has another motive entirely ¡ª to try and tame the beast growling at them.


    "Following orders... You are going to fit just right in this ce, Rhys Wilder," James could really only let out a breath as he repeated Rhys''s words. And with a smile of approval growing on his face, he suddenly handed Rhys something.


    "What..." Rhys blinked a couple of times as he saw the object in James''s hand, "...A pistol?"


    "We''re not barbarians, Rhys," James forcefully ced the gun in Rhys''s hand, "Guns like these are still effective to monsters of that level."


    "...What about you, then?"


    "Me?" James suddenly kneeled and ced his palms on the ground. And as he lifted them up and stood up, trickles of electricity started flickering across his arms. And there, from the ground, a pair of pistols materialized, "You do not have to worry about me, Recruit."


    Weapon Creation ¡ª An ability those with the blood of Hephaestus running through their veins.


    "..." Rhys squinted his eyes as he stared at the pistols James was carrying, "Can I have another one?"


    "I am not a Noble, Rhys Wilder," James chuckled as he started shooting at the dogs, "I can only summon so much before I get into a stroke. W¡ª"


    "Enough talking!" Staff Sergeant Millis raised his voice as he loosened another arrow, "Our recruits are getting massacred out there and I can''t aim properly because they keep soiling their pants! Rhys, do your¡ª!!!"


    And without even waiting for Millis to finish his words, Rhys suddenly ran past him.


    "W... wait!" Millis''s eyes widened as he saw Rhys''s back, "I didn''t even tell you how to lure them¡ªRecruit!"


    Both James and Millis gritted their teeth as a red orthros suddenly lunged toward Rhys. James was going to aim and fire at the dog, but Rhys, instead of running back and trying to evade... ran toward it.


    "Rhys!? W¡ª"


    Several loud bangs reverberated in the air as Rhys mmed himself at the lunging orthros. It was the first time he was using a gun, and needed to make sure to get as close as possible so as to not miss ¡ª as close as possible.


    Not only the pack of dogs but also the panicking recruits turned their attention to the loud banging, only to see Rhys standing up... pushing away the whimpering orthros that was dying on him.


    And with a long and deep sigh, he then grabbed the dismembered limb of one of the recruits near his feet and started waving it around at the orthros with 5 Gray Hearts above its head.


    "Come," Rhys looked the female orthros in the eyes, "I...


    ...know you want this."


    Unfortunately for Rhys, it wasn''t only the female orthros that stepped forward, but ten of them.


    "Hm...


    ...Shit."

 Chapter 39: Maximum Effort

    <h4>Chapter 39: Maximum Effort</h4>


    "Are these all the items the new recruits brought?"


    "Yes, Ma''am!"


    "Zeus, shit! I am right in front of you, you dumb squid. You don''t have to shout!"


    "Y-yes, Ma''am."


    "Where is Rhys Wilder''s bag?"


    And while the new recruits were fighting for their lives and being gnawed and chased by 2-headed dogs, Commander Ayesha was inside their tent, leisurely examining their bags.


    This is not against the constitution, of course, as members of Underworld Corps have already waived their rights as soon as they stepped inside the branch.


    "Why are there so many beds here? Where is Rhys Wilder''s bag?" Commander Ayesha repeated her words as she dropped a bag full of erotic magazines.


    "The Lowborn, Ma''am?"


    "Do you want to be born again?" Commander Ayesha snarled at the officer behind her.


    "No, Ma''am," the officer stood up straight, "The bed at the end of the tent, Ma''am."


    "...Why was he put¡ªNevermind," Ayesha scoffed as she started walking to the bed assigned to Rhys, "I was told he brought a knife? Why wasn''t it confiscated?"


    "It wasn''t a knife, Ma''am."


    "Let me guess, something smaller?" Ayesha crouched on the floor as she reached Rhys''s bed and started neatly removing his items. Fortunately for Ayesha, Rhys did not even bring a lot.


    "What a boring bag..." Ayesha grabbed something shining within his cloth, "...but the only one actually worth looking through. Private, do you know what this is!?"


    "I''m... I''m a captain, Ma''am."


    "Gods damn it, did I ask for your rank!?"


    "N-no, Ma''am! That seems to be a scalpel, Ma''am!"


    "Damn right, it is!"


    "Ma''am!? What are you¨C!!!" The poor officer could really only back away as Ayesha started swinging the scalpel through Rhys''s assigned bed,pletely shredding it into pieces. Suffice it to say, the officer just chose to shut his mouth from now on.


    "Hm. Sharp," Ayesha brushed the tip of her finger on the de of the scalpel, "Very sharp."


    And as blood started trickling from her finger, Ayesha just looked at it before wiping the droplet of blood on the officer''s uniform.


    "Do you know how many des can cut through my skin now, Private?"


    "N¡ª"


    "But do you know what''s more interesting?" Ayesha did not let the officer answer as she started returning Rhys''s things in his bag, "I heard a report that Rhys was the only survivor in a certain incident. A cafeteria filled with kids mutted and dismembered, more than 40 of them."


    "I heard about that, Ma''am," the officer sighed, "It was... most unfortunate. I heard more than a hundred students died when the arachn¡ª"


    "The kids in the cafeteria were not killed by those ugly spiders," Ayesha shook her head and handed Rhys''s bag to the officer, "No matter how much one tries to imitate a wound inflicted by monsters, they won''t be able to do it with a knife ¡ª especially with something so sharp it could even cut my skin."


    "Wait..." The officer''s eyes widened as he looked Ayesha in the eyes, "...Are you saying he¡ª"


    "Am I saying something, Private?" Ayesha red at the officer.


    "No, Ma''am," the officer''s voice turned deep as he stood straight.


    "Good, bring Rhys''s things to a private tent next to mine."


    "On the Surface...?"


    "No, are you stupid? New recruits are not allowed in the surface."


    "...But you live in the Command building here, Ma''am."


    "Right. Then just set him up with the Bald and Pervert duo," Ayesha waved her hand as she started walking away, "And clean this up, will you?"


    "..." And as Ayesha stepped out of the tent, the officer could really only look around at the mess she made, clothes and other... dubious objects,


    "...But I''m a captain already."


    ***


    A few kilometers outside the base of the Underworld corps, a loud bang thundered across the thick forest; rustling the leaves that were just peacefully resting on their branches.


    The perpetrator of their disturbance; Rhys shooting at a dozen dogs and missing each one of them. To his credit, he was running for his life.


    "!!!"


    And as an orthros suddenly leaped out of the tree in front of him, Rhys could really only slide across the moist ground; his gun, however, was pointed straight at the lunging dog''s throat ¡ª he fired twice on each throat, finally killing another one of them, once again at point nk.


    "Phoo..." Rhys let out a long and deep breath as he quickly pushed the dog away, before ncing at the pack that suddenly halted their steps upon seeing Rhys kill another one of them. Rhys looked at the orthros that had hearts floating above its head, before pointing the gun at the dog next to it...


    ...only for his gun to click and not fire anything.


    "..." Rhys batted his eyes a couple of times as he stared back and forth between his gun and the pack of growling two-headed dogs... before just once again suddenly running away again.


    He was ordered to lure the dogs back to the base, and that is what he is going to do ¡ª but not before trying to figure out how to at least fill one of the hearts of the female orthros.


    [...Arise,] Rhys whispered as his exhaustion waspletely washed away. Once again, [Arise] proved to be his most useful skill.


    But it wasn''t his only useful ability. Rhys continued to run for a few more minutes ¡ª only to pass by and leap over the 2-headed he just killed. And then, with a breath that almost filled his lungs in an instant, he suddenly crouched down while pulling his hands closer together. He let out a loud roar as the veins on his muscr arms showed themselves.


    Rhys seemed to struggle, unable to sp his hands together as his fingers were slightly bent back.


    "Graah!" But soon, with another forceful roar, Rhys was finally able to put his hands together ¡ª creating a whistling noise that whispered throughout the sea of trees around him.


    "Ho..." Rhys breathed heavily for a couple of seconds before calming downpletely and wiping the sweat away from his forehead. He then very slowly turned around...


    ...only to be weed by the view of the red orthroses floating in the air, all of them. All of them were whining and whimpering with their high-pitched voices. And they were not really floating, no.


    As Rhys started approaching them, light began reflecting the threads that weretched around their bodies,pletely entangling them tight to the point blood started to travel across the threads, the spider''s web. Or in this case, Rhys''s web.


    "I am truly sorry for this," Rhys let out a small sigh as he approached one of the whimpering orthros, "I am just trying to survive."


    Rhys then raised his palm, and as he did so, the dust that dirtied his palm rose up as a sharp hint of wind started to form on top of it.


    Wind control, the ability he received from Lina.


    "Eros deemed my life more worthy than yours," and with a quiet whisper, Rhys formed his hand into a gun, shooting a sharp st of wind right through one of the two-headed dog''s eyes ¡ª and then another for its other head.


    Several more whistles flew in the air as Rhys started killing the other orthros, leaving the only female in the pack.


    "Now..." Rhys stared at the female orthros, not knowing which eye to look at, "...How do I even begin to tame you? Perhaps I should let you go fi¡ª!!!"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, he saw both the heads of the orthros explode right in front of him, instantly disappearing as they were reced by a single fist, a familiar fist and an arm filled with scars.


    "..." Rhys blinked a couple of times, before very slowly turning his head toward the owner of the fist, only to see Commander Ayesha shaking her head at him.


    "Stop torturing the dogs, Recruit," Commander Ayesha let out a sigh of disapproval.


    "I... wasn''t," Rhys once again blinked as all of his hard work just... faded away, "I wasn''t torturing the dogs, Ma''am."


    "Well, can''t me me for suspecting... You have a track record, after all," a smile very slowly crawled on Commander Ayesha''s face as she looked at Rhys from head to toe, before looking at the corpses of the other orthroses, "But interesting...


    ...Wind control, now where did thate from?"

 Chapter 40: Not This Time

    <h4>Chapter 40: Not This Time</h4>


    "How many died, Millis?"


    "13 confirmed, 5 MIA, Commander Ayesha."


    "Zeus, shit...That''s the number of thetest batch of recruits with Rhys Wilder. Anyone actually from his batch?"


    "Two of them, Ma''am."


    "They just got here."


    Staff Sergeant Millis was now back in the walled base, along with the new recruits who were currently sprawled down on the ground like lifeless puppets, with only their chests moving heavily as their breaths created an orchestra of gasps.


    Rhys was also there, seated on the ground with his hair fully covering his face. He was also breathing heavily, but not because he was exhausted, no ¡ª he was still thinking of how Ayesha just killed the red orthros he painstakingly tried to keep alive, while killing almost a dozen dogs.


    But the more he thought about it, the more he thought it didn''t really matter. How was he going to be able to take care of the dog in the first ce while he was in service? But still, even then, he couldn''t help butment.


    "I am sorry, Ma''am," Millis stood in front of Ayesha; his mustache that was previously turned up, nowpletely down as he didn''t even dare to speak loudly in front of themander, "I will talk to their family so¡ª"


    "No. I need you to check how those mutts got so near to our base in the first ce, take Pervert and Baldie with you," Ayesha gestured to Erik and James, who already assisting the new recruits to get help with their medic,


    "I''ll do it, I''ll talk to the families."


    "Thank you, Ma''am," Staff Sergeant Millis saluted, before ncing at Erik and James and gesturing to them to follow him.


    "..." Rhys could not help but watch Ayesha''s back as she walked away. His first impression of her was that she did not really care whether or not the recruits die, considering that is part of what everyone in the Underworld Corps signed up for and how brash and harsh she treats everyone, but no.


    It might have been hard for everyone else to hear, but not for Rhys. There was a certain tremble in Ayeshas''s breaths; subtle, minute, quiet. But Rhys could hear it, because he had heard it many times before... from him.


    A breath of guilt, the breath of someone who thinks they shouldn''t have survived.


    "You did good, recruit."


    "..." Rhys suddenly found his head covered with a towel. He looked up, only to see James and Erik both nodding at him.


    "Man, you''re the toughest fucker I''ve seen in a long time," Erik let out a deep breath, "No wonder you''re the Commander''s boy toy."


    "...I''m not."


    "Agree to disagree, Rhys Wilder," James smiled, "I honestly thought you would not return to us."


    "Because he was a Lowborn?" Erik raised an eyebrow as he almost snarled at James.


    "How did you even manage to bring ss here?" James took a step back as the two stared at each other, "Are you sure you''re not the one that''s ssist? You perverted mongr¡ª"


    "James, Erik! What are you doing!?"


    Fortunately for Rhys, before the two could start arguing near him again, Staff Sergeant Millis called for them.


    "Smell youter, Rhys."


    "...Sure."


    "Literally," Erik pointed at Rhys with both hands as he and James left, "They''re setting up your bed on our mancave as we speak."


    "Please do not call it mancave. It''s just a small roo¡ª''


    "James, Erik!"


    "..." And as the two finally left, Rhys finally found time to once again think about what happened ¡ª or so he thought.


    "You!"


    As soon as there were no more superiors within the area, the recruits who were sprawled on the floor started getting up, some of them approaching Rhys with an energy they didn''t really show just moments ago.


    And very slowly, Rhys suddenly found himself surrounded by his fellow recruits; their eyes, literally looking down on him as he sat there with a towel on his head.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you!?" One of the muscr recruits stepped closer to Rhys, grabbing him by the shoulders as he tried lifting him up. He could not lift his feet off the ground, however. But not because he wasn''t capable of lifting Rhys, but because Rhys just towered over him.


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything as he looked at the recruit lifting him up. He then turned to look at the others, only to see all of them with their eyebrows raised and their teeth showing.


    "If you didn''t decide to be a fucking show off and continue to run like a motherfucker, we wouldn''t be in this situation!"


    "That''s right! We wouldn''t have entered the orthros'' territory if you just fucking stopped and rested! You fucking dregger!"


    "You killed them! You''re the reason they are dead!"


    "No," Rhys immediately replied as this time, he was the one looking down on the recruit that was trying to lift him up, "Not... this time."


    "W¡ª!!!"


    And before the rowdy recruit could finish his words, a brush of wind lightly sted his hair as Rhys casually ced his hand on the side of the recruit''s neck. And with a light touch, blood started showering profusely from his neck.


    "!!!" All the other recruits backed away as they suddenly found themselves covered in almost a liter of blood in just the span of a couple of seconds. And as the bleeding recruit started to panic, Rhys grabbed him by the neck and ced pressure on the sudden wound to stop it from bleeding.


    "Medic!" Rhys then let out a roar, quickly catching the attention of the medics who were treating the other recruits who were injured. And as soon as they saw all the blood, they quickly rushed toward Rhys and took the bleeding recruit from his hands.


    "What happened!?" One of the medics hurriedly asked as they started healing his wound.


    "He... just started bleeding when he lifted me up," Rhys calmly said as he took a step back. A lie, of course, as he used Lina''s wind control to cut the recruit''s carotid artery.


    "Fuck, must have opened up a regenerating wound!" The medic waved his hand, "This ismon with people with high regenerative abilities. Move, move! Bring him to the tent!"


    "...It is?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he watched as the medics carried and took the recruit away, "That''s... interesting."


    "What did you do to him!?" One of the other recruits once again rushed toward him and grabbed him by the cor, "I saw that! You put your hands on his¡ª"


    "What in the fuckery is going on here!?"


    Fortunately for Rhys, or perhaps the other recruit, Staff Sergeant Millis suddenly came to the rescue. To whose rescue, exactly, will never be determined.


    "I just came back here because I forgot to bring a map, and I see you fighting!? And what is with all this blood!?" Millis started looking at the recruits one by one, his mustache fully erect and almost tingling with each furious word that escaped his mouth.


    "It''s the Lowborn! He''s the reason why our brothers are dead!" The other recruits did not stop wasting time and immediately pointed at Rhys.


    "T¡ª"


    Before theirints could reach anyone''s ears again, however, Millis rushed toward the recruit who was grabbing Rhys and smacked him right on the face... strong enough to the point that he bounced from the ground.


    "The reason why your brothers are dead!?" Millis roared, "The reason why your brothers are dead is because the rest of you panicked and deserted them! All of you, except for Rhys Wilder and the handful of recruits who bravely fought to save theirrades, will be sent to a deeper camp!"


    "Wh¡ª"


    "You signed up for the Underworld Corps to sacrifice your life!" Millis stood up straight and ced his hand behind his back, "Dying for nothing... is the greatest dishonor and shame you couldmit."


    And as the breaths of sorrow started to echo in the air, Rhys could not help but just stare at Millis ¡ª not because he suddenly came to his aid, when he was previously obviously against him, no.


    It was because there were now 5 Gray Hearts floating above Millis''s head.


    "..." Surely, this is just some sort of brotherhood scale? But if so, then why did James and Erik not have one?


    ''I want you to ther me with your sweat, you brave muscr Lowborn boy.''


    No. No, it was not a brotherhood scale. It would seem his abilities also worked on the male spectrum.


    Rhys found himself very slowly taking a step back as Millis continued to scold and scowl at the other recruits. There was a line that Rhys was not willing to cross even in his for revenge, no matter what, and this was one of them.


    It... was best to stay away from Millis as much as possible from now on.

 Chapter 41: The Weirdos

    <h4>Chapter 41: The Weirdos</h4>


    "You called for me, Ma''am?"


    "How are you finding your new roommates?"


    "They... are very interesting."


    "They are freakishly weird is what they are, you don''t need to be nice. Come on in."


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "Are you not going to ask why I threw you to them instead of with the other recruits?"


    "No, Ma''am. It is not my ce to ask questions."


    "Wow, would you look at that? Just one day with Pervert and Baldie and you''re already learning. Let''s hope being an obedient soldier is all that you learn from them. Well, take a seat."


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "What about Millis? That fairy still giving you a hard time?"


    "...No, Ma''am."


    The Underworld Corps has two main bases. The secondary base was in the Surface, while the primary one was here in the Underworld, where there were tall walls and several buildings where the members were living.


    How they built the walls and buildings, exactly, was something Rhys deliberated randomly from time to time. Right now, Rhys was in the Command building, once again inside Commander Ayesha''s office-sh-chambers. Her office in the Underworld was much more... decorated; once again with tribal stuff. But most notably, the very same teddy bear he saw in Ayesha''s tent on the Surface was now sitting on her desk.


    "Zeus, Rhys. Sit your ass down already and stop thinking about everything!"


    "Yes, Ma''am!" Rhys perked up before finally taking a seat.


    "Good," Ayesha walked around her desk before sitting on it directly in front of Rhys, cing one of her feet on the armrest of Rhys''s chair,


    "Look, Rhys. The reason I called for you actually has something to do with why I didn''t put you in with the rest of the sorry lot."


    "..." Rhys could really only hold the other armrest tight as Ayesha slightly tilted his chair back with her foot.


    "Because I don''t think you belong with those assholes," Ayesha smirked as she leaned closer to Rhys, "The smell of blood is strong in you already. It makes sense since...


    ...you already killed a lot back in your school."


    "...Ma''am?" Rhys tried his best not to show any reaction. But it was clear with the growing smirk on Ayesha''s face that she could see right through him.


    "Why is your heart beating so fast, recruit?"


    Could it be... she knows what he did in the cafeteria?


    "You... are making me nervous, Ma''am," Rhys took a deep breath to calm himself down, "I was not expecting to be alone with you again."


    "Afraid?" Ayesha smirked, "Never seen a woman covered in scars before? Freakishly ugly, right?"


    "I believe they are beautiful, Ma''am."


    "W¡ªthe heck?" Ayesha finally removed her foot from Rhys''s chair as she stood up, "Don''t tell me the Pervert''s already also rubbing off on you?"


    "No, Ma''am," Rhys shook his head, "It was already my impression the first time I saw you."


    And that was the truth, Rhys was not lying at all. His feelings were... genuine.


    "The scars..." Rhys''s eyes started to trail across Ayesha''s arms, "... only make you more beautiful, Ma¡ªUgh!"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, he found himself and his chair violently spinning in ce as Ayesha very lightly pped him on the cheek.


    "I heard you the first time, don''t make it weird," Ayesha clicked her tongue as she looked away and returned to sit at the other side of her desk,


    "Now crap, I forgot where we were."


    "...About me killing a lot back in school, Ma''am," Rhys subtly gulped.


    "Ah, right. Pft," Ayesha waved her hand, "I was talking about those disgustingdy insects. Why...


    ...did you think I was talking about something else?"


    "...No, Ma''am." Rhys shook his head; still trying his best to calm down and remain stoic.


    "Well, doesn''t matter," Ayesha shrugged as her chair started to creak when she leaned back, "I pulled you from the other recruits because you''re wasted there. I''m putting you in a special tactical unit."


    A... special unit? But he was just a fresh recruit who had only technically been in the corps for less than a week.


    "Oh, it''s nothing special."


    "..."


    "Just harsher training, livebat, scouting, higher chance of dying, and the likes," Ayesha''s fingers started to crawl across the desk and onto her teddy bear, "Nothing too dangerous."


    "Ma''am?"


    "Don''t worry," Ayesha subtly patted her teddy bear on the head, "They are a pretty rxed bunch, all things considered...


    ...You''ll fit right in."


    ***


    "Is... this the right floor?"


    Rhys found himself staring at a dark corridor, with most of the light actuallying from the elevator he was on. If it wasn''t for the somewhat euphonious melody singing from the elevator, Rhys would have probably thought he was in Tartarus already ¡ª well, technically, he sort of is.


    And as he stepped out of the elevator and it was closed, the darkness soon became even more prevalent. The entire floor seemed to only be lit up by the candles and torches which were dancing across the walls, somewhat eerily, as there were no winds to dance on at all.


    Perhaps the most weird part of this all?


    He was not even in the basement, he was on the 13th floor.


    "..." Rhys just continued to walk deeper into the corridor, only to notice the empty rooms without doors. Judging from all the tables and the other things scattered, this floor was most likely used as some sort of storage.


    "Heehee."


    "Hello?"


    Rhys immediately turned around as he heard a voice suddenly whisper in his ear, but all he caught a glimpse of was a shadow crawling on the ceiling. But as he blinked, however, it was gone.


    "Hm..." Rhys squinted, before just letting out a small sigh. Suffice it to say, the rest of his walk was rather... interesting. But finally, after a few more seconds, he reached the part of the room that actually had a door.


    [The Faceless Crew,] was written in front of the door, encased in gold.


    Rhys knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it, but even after seconds had passed, he could not even hear a single rummageing from the other side. He knocked again, and once again, silence.


    And so, Rhys just let out a small sigh and opened the door.


    "!!!"


    And as soon as he did so, he was weed by a knife flying straight toward his face.


    "Kh!" Rhys quickly leaned his head to the side, even using his wind control to slightly change the path of the knife as it was only an inch away from literally killing him. Before Rhys could see who threw the knife back at him, however, he felt a chill at the back of his neck as this time, he moved his entire body to the side.


    "..." Rhys could really only stare as the knife flew back past him, and finally onto the person that threw it.


    "Woah! Did you guys see that!?"


    "..." A little girl then suddenly walked past Rhys, stepping into the room before him and he did not even feel it.


    "He was able to dodge it twice! Twice!" The little girl started hopping up and down, causing her frilly and obnoxiously balloon-wide dress to bounce. But there was something eerie about her that Rhys immediately noticed ¡ª she did not cast a shadow at all,


    "He even managed to notice me when I was following him! This guy''s jacked as fuck! Hey, what''s your name!?"


    "Rhys Wilder, reporting for¡ª" Rhys could not finish his words, interrupted by the fact that the little girl was actually wearing a faceless mask. Just an empty white mask with two holes in the eyes.


    And it wasn''t only her, the four people that were already lounging in the room were all wearing masks; their eyes...


    ...all staring at Rhys like he was some sort of prey.

 Chapter 42: No. 6

    <h4>Chapter 42: No. 6</h4>


    "He avoided the knife, twice! Nobody has avoided the knife twice!"


    Ominous. Even though the girl''s voice was cute and all bubbly, the fact that she was wearing a white faceless mask, and then running across the dimly lit room and circling the other people that were wearing the same mask was quite... ominous.


    But after a few seconds of thinking how weird they were, Rhys stood up straight and once again introduced himself.


    "Rhys Wilder, reporting for duty."


    "Ah! He even saluted too!" The little girl shrieked as she pointed at Rhys, "What the freak!?"


    "No. 2, stop it. You are making our new member ufortable."


    And as someone calm finally approached him, Rhys finally realized that their masks were not as empty as he thought, no. It had a number etched on the lower left chin, with the one approaching him carrying the number 1.


    "My name is No. 1," the man had blue hair, almost the color of the morning sky and his eyes were dark, but carried a certain electricity on them... literally. No. 1 was going to shake Rhys''s hand, but No. 2 suddenly leaped between them.


    "Wait, new member!?" No. 2 excitedly said with her voice even more high-pitched than before, "You mean he passed!?"


    No. 1 did not really answer her, and instead, the only bald member approached her from behind, No. 4. No. 4 also did not say anything, and instead just gestured with his hand which Rhys could really only interpret as signnguage...


    ...because he could actually understand what he was signing.


    "That.. makes sense," No. 2 started nodding her head, causing her bobcut hair to sway, "Even No. 5 was barely able to avoid your knife."


    "I believe I was able to avoid it quite adequately," No. 5 immediately came to his own defense as he also approached.


    "Yeah, adequately with yourrge ass! You buffoon!" No. 2 raised both her middle fingers at No. 5, not even bothered by the fact that No. 5 was almost as tall as Rhys, but much bigger... much bigger.


    Despite his size, however, No. 5 was wearing a tuxedo that finely fitted his incredibly weighty stature and he did not seem to have trouble even moving around. Most of the people of this size, Rhys has usually only seen sitting on wheelchairs.


    "I am No. 5 amongst us lot," No. 5 stretched his hand toward Rhys, the tone of his voice carrying almost a somewhat posh ent, "But now that you are here, I suppose I no longer need to carry that burden. Wee to the club...


    ...No. 6."


    "...Thank you," Rhys shook No. 5''s hand... which was almost double the size of his own hand. Despite the ominous atmosphere and the creepy masks they were wearing, the members of the Faceless Crew were not what Rhys expected them to be at all.


    They were quite friendly as they all shook his hand. And even though he couldn''t see their faces, the tone of their voices was enough for Rhys to know they were truly weing... except for No. 3, who still had not moved from his spot. His back rested on the wall and his arms crossed.


    "Oh," No. 2 immediately noticed Rhys ncing at No. 3, "Don''t mind him, he''s always sleeping because of his god blood, Hypnus or something. Some minor shithead."


    "...I see," Rhys nodded as he looked at all the members one by one, "I... was told there would be training?"


    "Why is your voice like that?" No. 2 tiptoed as she leaned her face as close to Rhys as she could. And with her not casting any shadows even on her own silhouette, she looked like she was almost popping out.


    "My... voice?"


    "Yeah, smooth... almost sultry," No. 2 squinted her eyes.


    "I was born with it," Rhys could really only take a step back as No. 2 got awfully close to him. He also wanted to ask why a little girl like No. 2 had such... interesting vocabry. But seeing as a little girl like her was in the Underworld Corps, perhaps it would be best for him not to hear the answer.


    "No. 2, stop asking No. 6 personal questions. He just got here," No. 1 grabbed No. 2''s shoulder and pulled her away, causing a slight trickle of electricity to snap as soon as he did so.


    "Ow! Did you just sting me!?"


    "Must have been your imagination," No. 1 just waved his hand as he approached Rhys, "Anyway, which toon did you belong to for you to end up here? The Commander must have noticed something in you."


    "I''m a new recruit, Sir," Rhys stood up straight.


    "Oh, you don''t need the formalities," No. 1 let out a small chuckle and stopped Rhys from saluting again, "We strictly address each other by our numbers here. And did I hear that right? You said... you''re a new recruit?"


    "Yes, No. 1," Rhys nodded.


    "And you were sent here?" No. 1''s breaths slightly stuttered, "So, you''re fucked in the head."


    "As... much as anyone here," a small smile crawled on Rhys''s face as he heard No. 1''s words.


    "..."


    "Now, ain''t that fucking true! Haha!" No. 2 burst out in a fit ofughter, pping No. 5''srge and plump butt several times and causing his whole body to jiggle.


    "Wee to the Faceless Crew, No. 6," No. 1 also chuckled as he gestured to No. 4. And as he did so, No. 4 waved his hand before swiftly stretching it toward Rhys... and suddenly on it was a mask carrying the number 6.


    "Although your face is currently covered with all that hair, you still need to wear a mask," No. 1 gestured to Rhys to wear his mask, "You wear it when all of us are together, when we are in this room, and when we are on a mission. That is the only rule you need to follow."


    "Yes, No. 1," Riley nodded before wearing the mask, which just finely and smoothlytched onto his face even without a strap.


    "Right then," No. 1 pped his hands as he looked at Rhys and the others, "Now that we''re all pretty much buddies, time for the mission."


    "Finally, I was getting bored as shit," No. 2 started patting her dress as she just immediately ran out the room, "Meet you guys in the 4x4, I''ll drive!"


    "...Mission?" Rhys could not help but look back and forth as his new crew started leaving one by one, with No. 5 carrying the unconscious No. 3 and barely fitting the door.


    "Yes, we were just waiting for you before we headed out," No. 1 nodded as he gestured to Rhys to go first.


    "What... about training?"


    "Oh, right. You''re a new recruit," No. 1 ced his hand on his chin, "Well...


    ...consider this training, then."

 Chapter 43: UCDS

    <h4>Chapter 43: UCDS</h4>


    "Hey! Your butt is touching my butt, No. 5! Move!"


    "I am afraid that is not possible, No. 2. As you are already aware of, we have no space anymore."


    "We will have more space if you just go on a diet! And why are you even sitting beside me!? Go to the back and just let the new guy ride shotgun!"


    "I am afraid that is also not possible. I''ll lose too much energy if I even miss a single meal."


    "Bitch, you have like 10 years worth of food in you!"


    "..."


    Rhys was wondering what type of vehicle the Faceless crew had, seeing as they were called a Special Tactical unit by Commander Hera herself. He was expecting some sort of armored vehicle by how much excitement No. 2 had...


    ...but this was just an old repurposed steel jeep, without even a roof, giving Rhys a clear view of the vast field of copper. With canyons, cliffs, and hills on the close horizon.


    Once they passed the forest that covered their base, the sudden shift of ecosystem caused Rhys to slightly feel nauseous. But with his training of diving up and down the Surface and the Underworld, it wasn''t really something toin about. One could get a full view of the entirety of the Underworld just by slightly looking up, and even with the fog covering most of it due to the distance, Rhys could still make out the different regions. It is... fascinating.


    Fortunately, even with how bright the Helios is, it did not really give off that much heat at all. It was still hot, but not one would expect from a world without night.


    It was barren too, they barely even passed by monsters and when they did, the beasts quickly hid away. And so, Rhys could really only check out the vehicle to spend his time.


    "We... don''t get that much of a budgetpared to the other branches. Politics."


    No. 1 seemed to have noticed Rhys checking out their dpidated vehicle, as he caught his attention by shaking his leg, which was already sticking to Rhys''s leg as they truly could not fitfortably in their so-called 4x4.


    "Oh," Rhys quickly strayed his eyes away from the rusted parts of the jeep as he looked at No. 1, "If it gets us to and back from our destination, that''s all that matters."


    "A practical man, I like it," No. 1 chuckled, "You must have truly done something to pique the Commander''s interest, for her to personally put you in her old team."


    "...The Commander was part of the Faceless crew?"


    "Yes," No. 1 nodded, "I think it was 20 years ago, the only girl in the Faceless crew."


    "I see..." Rhys could really only let out a breath of amazement. Soon, however, he nced at No. 2.


    "Bwahahaha!" No. 2 looked at Rhys through the rearview mirror.


    "You thought I was a girl!?" No. 2 said as his bubbly bobcat hair bounced while sheughed. His frilly dress, shifting each time he steps on the brakes; his voice, still euphonious andpletely feminine, "Ha... this is funny."


    No one wasughing, however. Even No. 1 was just sighing as he gestured to Riley to just let No. 2 be.


    "Oh, and I''m not fucking homo, No. 6. Not that I have anything against them," No. 2 turned around to look at Rhys, causing No. 5 to hastily take over the wheel as their small jeep swayed to the side, "So, don''t get any ideas."


    "I''m... not," Rhys nodded.


    "By the gods, that was a joke, No. 6. Even with the mask on, I know you haven''t even smiled even once."


    "..." Rhys once again nodded, not really knowing how to respond to that. Smiling... is something he still was not used to doing. And as silence and peace finally nketed them, Rhys felt a tap on his arm.


    It was No. 4, signing something to him.


    "He''s saying¡ª"


    ''No. 2 is the oldest...?''


    And to No. 4''s surprise, before No. 1 could trante his sign... Rhys signed back to him ¡ª and not slow too, perhaps even more expertly than No. 4.


    ''You know signnguage?'' No. 4 excitedly sign.


    ''I guess so, No. 4,'' Rhys nodded, ''Is No. 2 really the oldest among you 5?''


    ''By a decade,'' No. 4 also nodded several times.


    "Alright, alright! Before you ninja boys jack each other off with all that hand waving," No. 2 stuck out his tongue as he stepped on the brakes, causing everyone in the car to almost lose bnce, with No. 1 making sure No. 3 does not fall off the jeep. No. 2 then stood on top of his seat,


    "Our destination''s a mile ahead."


    Rhys quickly turned to where No. 2 was pointing, only to see a trail of smoke right behind a hill.


    "You boys ready?" No. 2 leaped out of the jeep,


    "Because we need to walk the rest of the way or they''ll spot us."


    ***


    "What... are those?"


    "You haven''t seen a Hissyr before?"


    The mile ahead waspletely uneventful, but as soon as they reached their destination and hid atop a nearby boulder, Rhys''s eyes slightly widened as he saw a camp of people... and not exactly human. More than a dozen of them.


    "They''re not humans?" Rhys asked as he looked at the nearest hissyr who was carrying a wooden box and loading it onto what seemed to be a military truck. The hissyr had scales on the side of its face¡ªno.


    Perhaps it was better to say that the only part of the hissyr that was not covered in scales was the front of its face. But aside from its scales and the long rat-like tail protruding from its behind, it lookedpletely human.


    "They''re one of the races that live in the Underworld," No. 1 exined.


    "...I thought the other races were a myth?" Rhys breathed out as he once again focused at the camp, and they truly did not look like monsters at all. Rhys even noticed 2 children.


    "The World Government and the people of the Underworld kind of have an understanding. As I said, a lot of politics involved," No. 1 sighed,


    "But that doesn''t involve us. We''re just here to do our mission."


    And as soon as he said that, No. 2, who was just hiding behind Rhys, suddenly disappeared into the ground ¡ª only to appear near the camp where his shadow was already waiting.


    No. 2 did not really hide, however, as he just casually hopped her way into the camp with his frilly bubble dress and revealed himself to everyone there. And of course, the hissyrs quickly collected themselves and carefully started to approach No. 2.


    "...You still have not briefed me about the mission, No. 1," Rhys curiously watched as No. 2 started waving his hand at the hissyrs, "Are we here to escort them?"


    "Well, we kill them all."


    And as soon as he said that, No. 2 suddenly stabbed the person closest to her.


    "What...?" Rhys could really only blink as he stared at the camp, "But...


    ...there are children."


    "It doesn''t matter, No. 6," No. 1 stood up and no longer hid himself, "We have orders. The Faceless crew...


    ...we are the Underworld Corps'' death squad."

 Chapter 44: Massacre

    <h4>Chapter 44: Massacre</h4>


    "Remember, kill them all, and do not let anyone escape. That is the order."


    "..."


    "We wait for a chance to strike."


    The hissyrs were not weak at all, perhaps one could even say expertly coordinated, as after No. 2 stabbed one of them, they all quickly ran to specific spots around their small camp, while those that were far from No. 2 started shooting him with their spit. A spit strong enough to crack and slightly cave in solid stone.


    No. 2 was easily able to avoid every spit bullet they shot at him, however, as he disappeared into the ground; his shadow that was left behind, just started crawling across to the other side of the camp. And as soon as all the hissyrs were busy and had all their backs turned, No. 1 raised his hand and ordered them to proceed with the attack.


    As far as their n goes, that was it.


    Let No. 2pletely distract the camp, and when all their backs were turned, they attacked.


    And surprisingly, out of all of them, therge and obese No. 5 was the first to reach the camp; his sprint, almost as fast as their dpidated jeep. And with his body as heavy as it is, he rammed it toward the closest hissyr, causing it to violently roll on the floor several times.


    "!!!"


    The hissyrs quickly became alert of No. 5 ¡ª a mistake. Because as soon as they did so, No. 2 emerged from the shadows and once again stabbed one of them in the legs. And as the others started arriving, it soon turned into a scuffle.


    No. 1 could emit and shoot out electricity from his hands. It wasn''t that strong, but strong enough to temporarily paralyze the enemy for a moment, making it easy for No. 4 to control his flying knife and slice the enemy''s weak points.


    The Faceless crew might seem like they were overwhelming the hissyrs at first, but that isn''t the case at all. The hissyrs were strong, strong enough that the first hissyr that No. 2 stabbed was still alive and was shooting at Rhys.


    Rhys, however, even while observing the others fight, was able to dodge the spit bullet with minimal movements. Rhys tried releasing a de of wind, but all it really did was scratch the scales of his enemy.


    "These guys are tough, aren''t they, No. 6!?"


    "..." Rhys could not help but slightly raise his foot as No. 2''s head suddenly emerged from his shadow.


    "These naked fucks are weak below their chin and on their joints." And with those words, No. 2 disappeared as quickly as he emerged.


    Rhys dodged another spit bullet that was going his way. This time, however, he did so while running toward the hissyr. And before the hissyr in front of him could fire another spit bullet, Rhys stretched his hand and threw a... secretion of his own right at the hissyr''s face.


    He covered the hissyr''s mouth with his web, before forcefully tugging on it and pulling the hissyr closer to him. And as soon as the hissyr''s neck exposed itself, Rhys quickly shaped his hand into a gun and pointed it below its chin, firing a wind bullet of his own.


    The hissyr did not even get the chance to bnce itself before blood started squirting out from the orifices of its face. Its entire body, going limp as it just dropped to the ground.


    "Impressive," No. 1 could not help but let out a whistle as he saw what Rhys did, but failing as he was wearing a mask. And as soon as Rhys finally truly joined the fight, the battle soon turned one-sided.


    ***


    <i>"Please, just stop this!"</i>


    <i>"Save me!"</i>


    <i>"What did we even do!?"</i>


    It was a differentnguage altogether, but Rhys could still understand them all the same as the hissyrs started screaming when only half of them were left. Their thin rat-like tails which were not really useful in battle, now wrapping across in front of their groin as they all kneel and cower in submission.


    "..." Rhys turned to look at his newrades, wondering if any of them could understand what the hissyrs were saying. But seeing none of them were really reacting and just staring at them, perhaps not.


    Or perhaps some of them could, they could just not be bothered to listen.


    "Ah, fuck. I really hate when these fuckers do this," No. 2 pinched the bridge of his nose as he and the rest of the Faceless crew surrounded the remaining hissyrs, "I mean, what are these lizards even saying?"


    "Let''s just get this over with," No. 1 let out a small sigh as he kneeled and ced his palm on the ground, "We''re not here to terrorize or torture them, they don''t have to suffer."


    And with those words, streaks of electricity started to crawl from his hand and toward the trapped hissyrs. But as soon as No. 1''s eyesnded on the 2 young hissyrs screaming and crying, the electricity crawling through the floor abruptly died down before it could reach them.


    "No. 1!?"


    And a second of distraction was all it needed for the hissyrs to once again rushed toward them. Fortunately, No. 1 was able to quickly snap out of it as he once again charged his electricity through the ground ¡ª immobilizing the hissyrs again.


    But unfortunately, not all of them.


    "Those little ones are running!"


    "I''m on it," Rhys, who was the closest to the two small hissyrs, quickly chased after them as they ran toward the closed truck, agilely leaping on the back of it.


    "Shit! No. 6, wait! There might be more hostiles inside!" No. 1 and the others wanted to follow Rhys, but they were busy trying to restrain and kill the rest of the hissyrs left outside the camp.


    Rhys did not really hear No. 1''s order as he just leaped and stepped inside the back of the truck. Rhys was expecting the truck to be dark and immediately readied himself to dodge whatever wasing toward him... but what came at him was something he would have never expected.


    There indeed were more hissyrs there, women by the looks of them. They were all ring at Rhys, hissing at him but not attacking him as they all just crouched on the floor crying.


    "It''s okay. I''m not going to hurt you," Rhys raised both his hands as he heard all the pleading thoughts of the female hissyrs, "If you don''t attack us, then maybe they will let all of you¡ª"


    There was something weird about them, however... they had fewer scales than the male ones and almost lookedpletely human. But not because it was a racial trait, no.


    Rhys could see the skin of one of the woman''s arms peeling off... like a glove.


    "...Huh?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he very slowly lowered his hands, truly not knowing what he was seeing right now. Soon, however, his eyes strayed toward a rusty cage, and inside it was another group of women ¡ª human, this time. All of them had jet-ck hair, one of the major traits of Lowborns like him.


    It did not really register to Rhys that they were human at first nce, as they were barely alive with... parts of their skinpletely shaved off. Rhys''s eyes then fall onto a small silhouette that is being cradled by another woman. It was a little girl, perhaps barely even 5; her head, only a skull.


    "..." Rhys''s eyes continued to travel across the truck. And finally, he noticed the two children who had run away earlier. One of them, hastily being helped by a crying hyssir as she forcefully tried to fit a mask on his head, a mask... obviously made from the little girl''s face.


    "I see," Rhys momentarily closed his eyes as he took in a deep breath. He then very slowly reached for his waist, grabbing something from it ¡ª Katarina''s scalpel, hidden away in his utility belt,


    <strong>"...I see what is going on here now."</strong>


    ***


    "No. 6! Fuck! Why aren''t you responding, are you dea¡ªOh, fuck."


    As soon as the Faceless crew wiped out the hissyrs outside, they all came to Rhys''s aid. No. 2 was the first to get in the truck, emerging from the shadows carefully. No matter how careful he was, however, his frilly dress was immediately soaked with blood.


    "No. 6..." No. 2 almost stuttered as he saw Rhys just standing in the middle of the truck; not moving at all as blood trailed down all over him, dripping down the dismembered body parts and mangled flesh that was surrounding him. And in his hand, was the decapitated head of one of the young hissyrs who ran away,


    "...What the fuck did you do?"

 Chapter 45: Euphemism

    <h4>Chapter 45: Euphemism</h4>


    "Talk to him."


    "You talk to him! You literally have the fucking No. 1 on your name."


    "It''s just a number, you''re the one driving. So, you''re the leader. And besides, I need to talk to the civilians we rescued."


    "W¡ª"


    "Perhaps if I may offer some advice? I think it would be best for No. 2 to talk to him, he is our mascot, after all."


    "W¨Cthe fuck? You''re our mascot, you obese fuck. Have you seen yourself? No. 4, you talk to him."


    "But he''s literally deaf and mute. No. 2, you talk to him. Unless you want to be the one cleaning this mess?"


    "Damn it!"


    The Faceless crew''s mission was pretty much a wrap, with No. 1 assuring the women that they are now safe, and No. 4 and 5 cleaning all the bodies and putting them in one ce. Rhys was actually also collecting the bodies, but he was removing the ones that were in the back of the truck... the ones that he killed.


    "Ehem, No. 6," No. 2 carefully approached Rhys, clearing his throat with his hands behind his back as he practically slid toward him, "Are you okay? Must have been a tartarus of a first mission, no?"


    Everyone was worried about Rhys. How could they not, when they just found him covered in blood just moments ago and surrounded by mangled and dismembered corpses, and even carrying a decapitated head of a young hissyr?


    "Oh... Yes. I don''t really have that muchbat experience yet." Rhys, on the other hand, seemedpletely fine as he just casually wiped the blood on his face with the back of his hand, "I hope I wasn''t that much of a burden."


    "What...? No," No. 2 once again stuttered as he heard Rhys''s words, "I''m talking about how you had to kill women and children in your first mission. Of course, they weren''t exactly human, but they could easily pass as one. And as you have already seen... they are trying to pass as one."


    "Oh," Rhys blinked a couple of times as he nced back at the remaining mangled corpses behind him,


    "Well, we''re on the side of justice, right?"


    "Jus...tice?" No. 2 tiptoed so he could nce at the sorry state of the bodies Rhys left behind, "I am sure they don''t see it as that."


    "I guess so..." Rhys''s voice turned quiet as he sighed, "...I do feel sorry for the children, but they were a part of it too."


    "...Right," No. 2 squinted his eyes as he patted his frilly dress, very subtly walking away as he did so, "I''ll leave you to it, then. Good... good job."


    "Thank you, No. 2."


    "Hm," No. 2 nodded as he quickly went back to the others, "Dudes, there is something seriously wrong with that guy."


    "I believe all of us are wed in more ways than one, that is exactly why we are here. You''re literally clothed like a little miss, No. 2." No. 5 breathed out as he threw another body on top of the mound of corpses, and No. 4 nodded in agreement.


    "Fuck that euphemism, I am serious. I do not want to deal with that guy anymore," No. 2 whispered loudly before kicking No. 5 on the leg, "That No. 6, I am telling you...


    ...something is very, very wrong with him."


    ***


    "..."


    "..."


    "So... how''s life, No. 6?"


    "Oh. Getting better? I don''t really know how to answer that."


    "...Right."


    After the Faceless crew were done disposing and burning the bodies of the hissyr, they took the truck they were using to bring the survivors along. And as they were stillpletely shaken up with everything, they needed someone to guard them just in case.


    And so, No. 2 was left with Rhys in the jeep, while the rest were on the truck following behind them.


    "You... said you didn''t havebat experience before." No. 2 did not really want to talk to Rhys, but he would choose that as he did not like silence even more, "But you seem to know how to handle yourself out there, like... for real real."


    "I have a lot of experience being beaten up."


    "Pft, fuck you. You? You''re like what, 6''6"?" No. 2 almost burst out inughter.


    "6''3"," Rhys also tried to force out a chuckle as he scratched his chin.


    "Well, you''ll be 6''6" by the time you stop growing," No. 2 snorted as she waved her hand, "Beaten up, pft. ssic."


    "I am a Lowborn, No. 2," Rhys then let out a small sigh as he looked up at the Helios, "It''s not until recently when I awakened that I was actually able to fight back."


    "Lowborn..." No. 2 nced at Rhys''s hair, "...Figures. I guess you lost it when you saw your people being caged like animals. I mean, not your people... I mean¡ªAh, fuck. Why is it so hard to talk to you, No. 6?"


    "I... don''t know," Rhys closed his eyes.


    "I know why. It''s because of that soft, sultry voice. Stop it."


    "But this... is my voice."


    "Stop it, giving me goosebumps, ack," No. 2 stuck out his tongue as he stepped harder on the gas, causing the convoy behind them to press their horn.


    "...This isn''t the way back to the base, is it?" And as Rhys nced back at the truck, he finally noticed that the forest region the Underworld Corps was on was behind them.


    "No. Why would we go back to the base?" No. 2 raised an eyebrow, "We''re bringing the women back to their home."


    "...Home?" Rhys blinked, "In the Underworld?"


    "You don''t know?" No. 2 nced at Rhys, "They have several settlements here, an entire vige, even. I guess you still lucked out, huh? You have rich parents or something?"


    "..."


    "They can''t survive up there on the Surface since no one''s giving them any jobs and no one gives a fuck," No. 2 sighed, "And so they try their luck down here."


    "But there are monsters down here."


    "And there are monsters up there, you said so yourself, Rhys ¡ª you were beaten up," No. 2 looked Rhys in the eyes, "At least here, they are free to do whatever they want. They could farm, there are resources... and the monsters don''t discriminate. But of course, sometimes, ssist Commoners still find their way and make trouble."


    "...I didn''t know that," Rhys looked at the moving ground.


    "Well, you do now. And you''re going to learn more from now on, No. 6...


    ...that''s their vige right there, if you could call it that."


    Rhys looked ahead, and there it was, the so-called vige of the Lowborns...


    ...their only defense, walls made with scrap metal and barbed wire.

 Chapter 46: Back Down To Reality

    <h4>Chapter 46: Back Down To Reality</h4>


    "Can I roam around for a while, No. 1?"


    "Feel free to do whatever you want, No. 6. Just be back here by 16:30."


    "Ah, No. 6. Hold your long fucking legs, I''ming with you!"


    The Lowborns. No one really talks about them.


    Perhaps no one cares, or perhaps they are disgusted by the mere presence of their name included in their conversation. And whenever they do get to the news, it is news of themmitting a crime. Stealing, trespassing, squatting.


    In truth, Rhys also did not have that good of an opinion about other Lowborns too. It is also true that they do steal and they trespass ¡ª and most of what Rhys has seen on the inte was them being rude to everyone.


    And now that Rhys was walking through this so-called vige of theirs in the Underworld, seeing the rusted metal sheets that served as their walls, the steel wires that held them together, the rotten wood. None of them truly had a choice, did they?


    "You were right, No. 2." And as Rhys passed by a little boy who was sitting on the ground, just wearing an oversized white shirt that seemed to have not been washed for years, he stopped walking and nced at No. 2 who was walking beside him,


    "I guess I lucked out."


    "W¡ªdon''t fucking mind what I said, I don''t know anything," No. 2 once again stuttered as he slightly looked away, "I am sure you had it rougher than most too."


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "I had food, a house, an education...


    ...My tragedy lives in my memory, these people are still living in it."


    "No, one look at you and I could see you''re also still living yours," No. 2 approached the little boy that was sitting on the ground, gently brushing his hand on the boy''s hair and wiping the dirt on his face,


    "I have seen the worst of people. Do not be one of them, Rhys."


    "..."


    No. 2 then grabbed a pouch of jerky from his pockets, giving thest piece to the boy, whose eyes immediately lit up as soon as he caught scent of the dried meat.


    "Ah! Tavi, don''t bother the littledy!"


    "Oh, it''s fine, Ma''am," No. 2 immediately raised both his palms up as the boy was suddenly pulled away by who he could only assume to be his mother, "He wasn''t bothering us at all."


    "Mama... mama!" The boy did not seem to know how to speak yet, the only thing he did was smile and show the beef jerky to his mother. As soon as he did so, however, his mother snatched it from his hand.


    "G...give that to me!" The mother nced at No. 2 and Rhys, before just looking away and leaving abruptly.


    "Hey, that''s for your fucking son!"


    "..." Rhys could really only watch as the mother ate the piece herself, leaving only a small crumb for her son.


    "Fuck," No. 2 clicked his tongue before just letting out a small but very deep sigh, "I told you, No. 6. Bad people are everywhere, the only difference is the number of options they have."


    "Hm," Rhys grunted.


    "Want to help these people, No. 6? Don''t be one of them," No. 2 started waving his hand as he walked away, "Let''s go before we get mobbed, they''re already starting to gather."


    "..." Rhys looked around, only to notice that there were people hiding behind the metal walls; their eyes, almost glowing as they looked at him and No. 2 as if they were prey,


    "The dregs of society, that is us. Thank you for showing this to me, No. 2."


    "Huh? The fuck are you talking about?" No. 2 snorted, "I just walked with you because I didn''t want to deal with having to face the families of those women. Those poor things... they would probably die soon from their wounds too."


    "Is the government really not providing them aid?"


    "The government is blind with what they don''t want to see, No. 2," No. 2 almost spat out there and then.


    "Those hissyrs, what were they doing to the women in the first ce?" Rhys somewhat already had an answer in his mind, but he wanted to confirm it.


    "The Surface," No. 2 stopped walking as he pointed to the ground, "Most other races living in the Underworld could shapeshift into one of us. But there are others like the hissyr that are not capable of that sorcery...


    ...and so they just learned how to wear our skin. The Faceless Crew''s mission is to stop them from going to the Surface, by all means necessary."


    "..."


    "Grim, right?" No. 2 giggled as he started walking again, "Anyway, let''s go. Still have lots of destinations to go to."


    "Wait," Rhys blinked as he walked beside No. 2, "We''re not going back to the base?"


    "The fuck are you smoking, No. 6?" No. 2 burst out in a fit ofughter as he started pping Rhys''s leg, "You''re in the military, you''re deployed...


    ...You''ll be traveling with us for 2 months."


    ***


    "Ah, I miss this floor! Shower, I need the bath!"


    "Wait, No. 2! I thought I was going to go first?"


    "Fuck you, No. 6! Seniority matters here! Take a shower in the public shower like everybody else, you tall fuck!"


    "But we had a deal!"


    "You snooze, you lose!"


    "Hey!"


    Two months had gone by, with Rhys barely even noticing time passing. How could he, when almost every other day, he found himself covered in blood? There were not really that many that attempted to steal faces and go up to the Surface, mostly just the hissyrs. But it did not matter as the Faceless crew also had to face every monster they came in contact with.


    He was looking forward to meeting the other races, but he was told they like to keep themselves hidden andpletely separate.


    And now, almost 2 months of no rest for everyone except No. 3, whom Rhys had never really seen awake yet, they were back on the base.


    Rhys was currently holding the knob of a door, but No. 2 was also holding it from the other side and preventing him from opening it.


    "You fucking pervert! Do you really want to see my naked body that much, huh!? You pedophile!" No. 2 wasughing maniacally; his voice, loudly heard even though he was inside the Faceless Crew''s private bathroom.


    "Do you want me to ram the door open for you, No. 6?"


    "Stay out of this, you obese fuck! Haha!"


    "You''re never going to win, No. 6." And as the noise in their office grew louder and louder, No. 6 let out a long and deep sigh and patted Rhys''s shoulder, "Also, you don''t have time to clean up, the Commander''s calling for you."


    "Oooh."


    Everyone let out a small hum, even No. 4 was signing with his hands and making weird noises with his mouth.


    "You seem to truly curry much favor with the Commander. I know we have talked about this before, but are you truly not in a rtionship with her?" No. 5 squinted his eyes, causing his fat cheeks to rise up.


    "No," Rhys let out a sigh as he finally let go of the doorknob and walked away, "I''ll just take a showerter. Call me when we have a mission again."


    "No. 6."


    "Hm?"


    "She''s not in the building," No. 1 tapped Rhys on the back, before pointing down,


    "She''s back on the Surface."


    ***


    "Rhys Wilder, Ma''am. You called for me?"


    "Recruit, you¡ªWell, by the gods. Is that really you, Rhys Wilder? Did you just get taller in two months?"


    "I haven''t measured yet, Ma''am."


    "Come, sit."


    Rhys lowered his salute as he entered Ayesha''s tent. And like before, there was a scent of smoke of a certain sweetness lingering in the air. And as he sat down in front of Ayesha''s desk, he once again noticed the small teddy bear... this time in Ayesha''s hands.


    "Damn, I barely even recognize you, Recruit. Your hair is still eating your face, but I could see you smiling from a mile away."


    "...Am I?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he touched his face, which he hadn''t done in a very long time since he was always wearing a mask.


    "You are, you seem happy," Ayesha looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "I... guess I am?" The sides of Rhys''s lip very slightly moved up as he returned Ayesha''s gaze, "No. 2 and the others, I don''t know what they look like, I have barely even spoken their names...


    ...but they have be very good friends."


    "Good, that''s very good," Ayesha nodded several times before cing her teddy bear on the desk and standing up, "I did not actually summon you here to ask about you. You have a call from the outside."


    "A call...?" Rhys then watched as Ayesha dialed something on the phone from his desk and handed it to Rhys, "Is it from Dr. Lopez?"


    Or perhaps Lina?


    "..." Ayesha once again looked Rhys in the eyes,


    "...Your sister."


    And with those words, Ayesha watched as the glimpse of a smile on Rhys''s face just faded away instantly.


    "...Oh."

 Chapter 47: In Too Deep

    <h4>Chapter 47: In Too Deep</h4>


    "...It''s your sister."


    Rhys no longer knew how long Ayesha said those words to him, but he had been staring at the phone in her hand since then and hadn''t looked away or even moved a single inch.


    He was expecting either Katarina or Lina to be on the other side of the phone, as they told him they would be trying to call him after a few months of him being in the service.


    But Emilia?


    "Tell her I''m not here, Ma''am," Rhys blurted out as he finally strayed his eyes away from the phone.


    "This woman has been calling almost every day a week after you went on a mission with the weirdos," Ayesha''s eyes slightly closed as she gestured to Rhys to grab the phone, "She is just going to keep calling and calling until you answer. Do you know how much it costs to call us?"


    "Then, can you please tell her I died, Ma''am?"


    "We have a registry."


    "..." Rhys once again looked at the phone, his lips slightly trembling; in anger, anxiousness, or perhaps even both.


    "Talk to her."


    "..." Rhys could really only close his eyes and take a long deep breath, forcing himself to grab the phone from Ayesha. Ayesha, however, did not let go of the phone and instead looked Rhys in the eyes, or whatever was visible from his hair.


    "If you want me to stay and hold your hand, just say so," Ayesha smirked and whispered breathily into Rhys''s ear, "If not, then stop being a little bitch and tough it out, Recruit."


    Ayesha then quietly chuckled as she finally let go, "I''ll give you two some priva¡ª"


    "Hold my hand then."


    "Th¡ª" Before Ayesha could step away, however, Rhys suddenly grabbed her by the hand. Not her wrist, but her hand; gripping it as hard as he could,


    "L-let go, Recruit," Ayesha slightly stuttered as she pulled her hand away, but Rhys once again grabbed it."


    "Please stay and hold my hand, Ma''am," Rhys turned to look up at Ayesha; this time, his silver eyes and parts of his face were in full view. Ayesha wasn''t looking at him at all, however, as she was staring at his hand... her eyes slightly trembling.


    "..." Rhys immediately noticed this as he very gently softened his grip, "Please, I...


    ...need someone right now."


    And as Rhys''s hand and voice became even more gentle, the trembling in Ayesha''s hand stopped.


    "Pft, what a pussy," the smirk on Ayesha''s face quickly returned as she sat on the desk while finally gripping Rhys''s hand back... softly, of course, "Fine. But you owe me for this, Recruit. I don''t usually babysit toddlers."


    "Thank you, Ayesha," Rhys softly said. If he wasn''t already used to being in excruciating pain, then he would have probably instinctively pulled his hand away from how hard Ayesha was holding it.


    And so, with a very long and deep breath, Rhys finally ced the phone on his ear.


    And as soon as he did so, Ayesha pressed something on the dial.


    [...Rhys?]


    "..."


    [Rhys?]


    "..." Rhys did not really answer and wanted to pull his head away from the phone as soon as he heard his sister''s voice. He could also hear her breathing heavily; slightly stuttering as she seemingly tried her best to stay calm.


    [Brother...?]


    "Emilia."


    [!!!] A small, soft gasp whistled into Rhys''s ear. Soon, however, it was reced by a voice trembling in anger,


    [Why?]


    "..."


    [Why, Rhys? Why would you even join the military? And the Underworld Corps?] Emilia tried her best to sound calm, but failing altogether as even the entire room could hear her breaths, [Why...


    ...just why did you leave again?]


    "..."


    [Did you want to die so badly? Is that it? You could have just stayed holed up in your room and died there if that''s what you wanted. You had a free pass all the way to college, Rhys. Why would you waste that?]


    "That is none of your concern."


    [Are you mad at me, is that it?]


    "No."


    [Then what is it!?] Rhys could hear some sort of clutter being violently thrown by Emilia, [Is it money!? If you want money there are other ways to earn it! And if that''s not enough then you could just ask me, Rhys! You don''t need to risk your life ying soldier!]


    "Emilia, stop. If that''s the only reason you called me, then I''m hanging up the phone."


    [No! Don''t you dare! Rhys, think. Please, just once in your life, think! You want to be an Explorer? For what...? Revenge!? You were too weak to do anything then, and you''re too weak to do anything now! You are weak, brother. You''re weak.]


    "I''m hanging up the phone."


    [Brother! Wait, just fucking wait! You''re not going to change anything! Just stay in the city and live like the Lowborn you are! Get out of that ce so I can at least kill you myself! Brother, you... I fucking hate you! I hate you!]


    "...I know. Don''t call again. Goodbye... Chloe."


    [Wh¡ª]


    And before the extremely livid Emilia could scream and screech again, Rhys calmly dropped the call.


    "..."


    "..."


    "Well, damn," Ayesha''s eyes were as wide as they could be as she looked as far away from Rhys as possible, "That went well."


    "Hm," Rhys closed his eyes and breathed out.


    "You let your little sister walk all over you like that? Sheesh," Ayesha grimaced, "Shit, Rhys. I''ve misjudged you, you really are a pussy. If that was one of my sibling talking to me like that, they would''ve been gutted... and then I feed them their guts."


    "I... don''t me her for talking to me like that," Rhys, however, just shook his head and sighed, "She''s... been through worse than¡ª"


    "She was raped."


    "..." Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he looked at Ayesha.


    "I''ve read your file, Rhys. I know more about you than yourself other than the things I don''t know," Ayesha let out a small groan, "Sure, it''s tragic what happened to her. But guess what? That doesn''t excuse how she''s treating you like a load of retarded feces dipped in even more shit, like the bad kind."


    "That''s¡ª"


    "Well, whoop dee doo. Big deal. I was also raped when I was a child, Recruit," Ayesha stood up from the desk.


    "What...?" Rhys could really only stare at Ayesha as she calmly said that.


    "Oh yeah, several times. And they tortured me too," Ayesha let out a small chuckle, "My family lived in the Danger Zone, some mercenaries thought I was a Lowborn with how dark my hair was, and they did things you can''t even imagine. I murked those sons of bitches when I awakened. The point I am making is, Recruit, is look at me...


    ...I don''t treat people like shit."


    "..." And with those words, Rhys could really only stare nkly at Ayesha. Fully knowing he shouldn''t say what he wanted to say.


    "...Right?"


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "Good, nice talk," Ayesha nodded to herself, "Man, I should work as a shrink after I retire. I''m good at this pep talk shit. Anyway, get up."


    "..." Rhys was about to stand up as Ayesha gestured to him to do so, but noticed that she was actually still holding his hand,


    "Ma''am...? My... hand."


    "Oh, this?" Ayesha raised Rhys''s hand... before moving her fingers in between hers, "Wait, did you really think you could just hold your superior''s hand without any repercussions?"


    "...Ma''am?" Rhys took in a small gulp as he saw the smirk on Ayesha''s face growing sinister.


    "Oh no, Recruit...


    ...I am taking you with me to my mission."


    A mission of the Commander of the Underworld Corps herself? The 14th strongest Explorer in the world?


    He''s... dead.

 Chapter 48: Road Trip to Hell

    <h4>Chapter 48: Road Trip to Hell</h4>


    "..."


    "...But we just fucking finished a 2-month mission."


    "Did I hear someoneining?"


    "No, Ma''am!"


    "Good."


    "...But another person, I''m afraid our baby can''t take it anymore."


    "Did I hear someoneining again?"


    "No, Ma''am!"


    "..."


    Rhys had initially thought he would finally get the chance to at least try and conquer one of Ayesha''s hearts, but no. The mission that he thought he and Ayesha would tackle alone did not happen... as the entire Faceless crew was actually ordered to tag along.


    And now, they were all trying to cram themselves in the Faceless Crew''s old jeep, with No. 2 barely even fitting in the driver''s seat now that the morbidly obese No. 5 and sleeping No. 3 were both sitting shotgun.


    Normally, No. 2 would have already gone off and started going livid and saying all sorts of beautiful words. But s, with Commander Ayesha at the back, No. 2 could really only swallow everything she wanted to say.


    And it did not help that Ayesha''s hearing was probably a hundred times better than most people''s. And so, No. 2 had no choice but to just caress their jeep, hoping it would survive this ordeal. Thankfully, the region they were in was nothing but a sea of grass for miles and miles; barely even any humps.


    All the members of the Faceless crew were wearing their masks, except for Rhys, as he wasn''t here as a member of the crew, but as Commander Ayesha''s plus one, and even though they were already crammed at the back, Ayesha had one side of the jeep all to herself. And they just sat there,pletely in silence until that is, they neared their destination.


    "Are those... dead monsters?"


    It was hard to ignore the corpses sprawled and scattered everywhere. Barely even recognizable as they were just lumps of flesh and limbs. No. 2 did not even make an effort to avoid them, as he just ran over them causing the jeep to bounce several times.


    "Gathering like flies for an opportunity toe up to the Surface," Ayesha just slightly tilted her head to look at the corpses, "I guess this is the first time you''ll be seeing a Dig?"


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "Ma''am...? Well hot damn, Rhys. What happened to just calling me Ayesha?" Ayesha''s eyebrow rose up as he looked at Rhys, making sure everyone heard what she was saying, "You were just calling me by my name earlier when we were alone in my office and even holding my hand with your big, hot hands."


    And with those words, everyone except No. 3 and No. 4 immediately looked at Rhys; the smiles on their faces, almost sinister as they very subtly nodded to him.


    As for Rhys, he could really only close his eyes andment the fact that the others would surely tease and egg on him after this¡ªand that''s most likely what Ayesha wanted. But perhaps the most frustrating thing about all of this...


    ...is that he could still not hear Ayesha''s desire, not even once.


    "Anyway, this your first time seeing a Dig, Recruit?" Ayesha repeated her question, "And call me Ayesha from now on, that''s an order.


    "Yes, Ayesha."


    "Pft," Ayesha seemed to truly enjoy teasing Rhys. And it wasn''t only her, No. 2 also tried her best not tough, "These monsters we''re running over right now? They''re hoping to slip by while some other beast is digging through the Surface ¡ª sadly for them, Explorers usually hunt them down before they can even dive through the Dig. My mission is literally to stop the Dig from bing a full-pledged Hole... sounds dirty, right?"


    "May I ask a question, Ma''am?" No. 1 raised his hand; his voice, extremely timid and filled with respect.


    "Hm, I''ll allow it," Ayesha waved her hand.


    "What... level is the monster responsible for the Dig for the government to request your aid?"


    "Level 8."


    "!!!" No. 2 almost stepped on the brakes when Ayesha''s whisper reached his ear. The level of the monsters is decided, dered, and ordained by the World Government. Level 1 being the weakest, and Level 10 being a Continent-level threat.


    The gigantic Hole in which the Underworld Corps made their base around was dug by a Level 9 beast, the Colossal Hydra, and was considered a threat to multiple countries. That is why the area surrounding the Hole back in Surface was nothing but a wastnd.


    A Level 8 is a threat to an entire country.


    ...And Commander Ayesha just dragged them to that?


    "It''s a Cyclops Barbarian," Commander Ayesha just let out a small yawn, "Should be fun."


    "What''s our role in this mission, Ma''am?" Everyone could hear No. 1 taking in a gulp, "Do we help the Explorers in clearing stragglers?"


    "The Faceless Crew will."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Including No. 6, Ma''am?"


    "What? No, psh," Ayesha snorted, "Do you see him wearing a mask? His role...


    ...is with me."


    ***


    "Commander Ayesha!"


    "Stop with the saluting, you''re not even military."


    "O... okay."


    "And this tall punk is Rhys, my bodyguard. Greet him."


    "H... hello."


    "Hm."


    Rhys was expecting an even more chaotic scenery when they arrived at their destination¡ªbut no. A lot of people were there, with steel trusses and several tents already set up. There was also some sort of metal dding, leading to therge hole that was in the very center of the temporary camp.


    "It''s...rger than the one we have at the base."


    "That''s what she said," Ayesha quickly pped Rhys''s back, almost causing him to tumble to the ground, "Anyway, Recruit. I have something to talk about with this old guy, feel free to roam around but don''t go too far or join the freaks, they have a different mission."


    "Yes, M¡ªAyesha."


    "Hm, now shoo. Go y or something," Ayesha gestured to Rhys to leave as she walked inside a tent; going inside first like it was hers.


    "..." Rhys stared at the tent for a few seconds before deciding to just look around the camp. There were many people there looking at him, but Rhys did not really mind as he walked toward the so-called Dig. Sadly for him, however, he was not even able to get near the Dig before someone finally approached him.


    "Is... that a Lowborn? It''s my first time seeing one."


    "Who cares, the real question is what it''s doing here."


    "No, the real question here is why is it so tall?"


    "..." Rhys would havepletely ignored them, but it was hard to do that when the group decided to block his path. Rhys could really only sigh as he nced at them, only to almost be blinded by the color of their faintly glowing hair¡ª


    ¡ªa sign of nobility.


    "Ew! Did... did it just look at me!?"

 Chapter 49: A Pleasant Day

    <h4>Chapter 49: A Pleasant Day</h4>


    The weather in the Underworld doesn''t change, a warm region will always be a warm region. And it only rains in a region where it always rains ¡ª how it underground, well, the scientists said it had something to do with the condensation and the thin mysterious fog that veiled atop regions, but the majority of people just treat it as magic.


    So, in retrospect, a pleasant region will always be a pleasant region. Unfortunately for Rhys, his rtively pleasant day was about to be ruined.


    "Ew, did it just look at me!?"


    The sound of disgust, it has been a few months since hest heard of thating from someone''s mouth and reaching into his ears. No, this was different. The others usually just do it out of jeer or wanting to taunt him.


    But thisdy in front of her, Rhys could feel the utter disgust in her words.


    "Remove your eyes from Lady Cynthia!"


    Rhys, however, did in fact not remove her eye from the so-called Lady Cynthia, even looking at her from head to toe. How could he not, when this was probably the very first time he was seeing a Noble? Except for Ss West, of course.


    Cynthia had purple hair, it was curled at the ends as it reached her shoulders; almost incandescent as light reflected from it, but not really glowing ¡ª a sure tell sign that one is a Noble. Her purple glowing hair offered a sort of weird contrast with her skin which was even paler than Lina''s.


    She was wearing cargo pants and a tight white shirt. And judging from how clean they were, she probably specifically just bought them for this moment.


    "I said, remove your eyes from Lady Cynthia!"


    One of Cynthia''s entourage could no longer help himself as he saw Rhys refusing to look away from her. He rushed toward Rhys, seemingly wanting to grab him by his cor. Rhys''s reflexes, however, after 2 months of fighting beasts and hissyrs, became even more... abnormal.


    "W¡ª!!!"


    He learned to not stop his body from moving on its own, letting it dodge by itself so he could focus on something else or what to do next ¡ª and what he did next was grab the man rushing toward him by the wrist, tripping him to the ground before grabbing his other hand and putting it behind the man''s back;pletely restraining him.


    The man tried to resist, but he could not seem to free his hands.


    "Stay down, sir," Rhys calmly said to the man before looking at the other people in Cynthia''s group who seemed to want to rush him, "Rx...


    ...don''t escte the situation any further."


    Rhys was slightly nudging and losing his bnce as the man he had pinned on the ground tried to stand up. In truth, the man was much stronger than him, and the only reason he couldn''t free his hands from Rhys''s grip was that Rhys subtly tied his wrists with his web; he also did the same with the man''s waist, attaching it to the ground.


    "L... let go of me! Don''t you know who we are!? I am going to kill you, you fucking Lowb¡ª"


    And before the man could finish his words, he felt something cold touching his cheek. Although he couldn''t see it that much, he could still see enough from his peripheral vision that... it was a gun.


    "Stay down, sir," Rhys repeated his words. This time, however, his voice was a whisper, "I am afraid I am going to have to detain you for grave threats and assaulting a military personnel."


    "..." The man couldn''t really say anything anymore as he just turned to look at Cynthia.


    "Lowborn," Cynthia, on the other hand, just let out a small sigh as she stepped closer to Rhys, "Let him go."


    "Ma''am, please don''t step any closer," Rhys carefully observed Cynthia, "This area is restricted for civilians."


    "Look, I am sure you''re excited doing all this," Cynthia scoffed, "But I assure you if anyone is not supposed to be here ¡ª it is you and your kind. It was an experience finally seeing one of you. A disgusting experience, but an experience altogether...


    ...but let go of my friend if you don''t want to be sent back where you belong."


    "Why don''t we all calm down?" Another one of Cynthia''s entourage stepped forward, moving in front of Cynthia and blocking her path as he looked down at Rhys, "Look, we didn''t know this was a restricted area. Can... you just let us slide for now?"


    "Nick, stop talking to it. It clearly doesn''t understand us," Cynthia grabbed the man by the shoulder.


    "Oh, he understands us loud and clear," Nick let out a small chuckle as he raised both his palms, "That logo on his uniform says he''s from the Underworld Corps, Lady Cynthia. They... can be intense."


    "Underworld... Corps?" Cynthia squinted his eyes at Rhys before covering her nose, "It makes sense now. Someone as dirty as you would be in the Underworld Corps, nothing but a walking corpse ¡ª you smell like one too. Now, let go of my friend and¡ª"


    "What is going on here!?"


    Before Cynthia could finish her words, an old man approached them from the distance; his steps as hasty as possible and his voice also as loud. And as soon as he saw someone pinning down one of Cynthia''s people, he quickly rushed toward Rhys and pushed him to the side.


    "What is going on here!?" The old man looked around to assess the situation.


    "These civilians are trespassing in a restricted area, sir," Rhys, however, did not do anything and just stood up straight as he recognized who the old man was ¡ª it was the old man talking to Ayesha earlier.


    "Hector!" Cynthia immediately looked at the old man before pointing at Rhys, "Have this man arrested for looking at me and hurting n!"


    "Are... are you okay, Lady Cynthia!?" The old man practically circled around Cynthia to check if there was even a speck of dirt on her. And after checking she was fine, he quickly turned to look at Rhys with his eyebrows lowered.


    "You, what do you think you''re doing!? What division do you belong¡ª" The man looked at Rhys''s uniform first as his eyes were only at the level of Rhys''s chest. As soon as he realized this, however, he quickly looked at Rhys''s face that was covered with his hair... finally realizing who he was, "You..."


    Hector then walked closer to Rhys and lowered his voice, "...You''re the one with Commander Ayesha."


    "Yes, sir," Rhys nodded.


    "Right..."


    Hector then cleared his throat several times as he walked back to Cynthia and smiled nervously, "...This is all just a misunderstanding, Lady Cynthia. Perhaps we can all just forget this happened...


    ...please?"


    "Huh...?"


    "...Please?" Hector pleaded with his weak voice; sweat, starting to form on his wrinkled face even in a pleasant day.

 Chapter 50: A Mistake

    <h4>Chapter 50: A Mistake</h4>


    "...Please?"


    "Hector... Do you want to lose your job?"


    Hector has a choice to make. Either lose his high-paying job working for the government and possibly not get hired anywhere else, or get folded in half by Commander Ayesha for not taking care of his bodyguard who she seemed somewhat fond of.


    Even when they were discussing the details of the Dig back in the tent earlier, Commander Ayesha was actually still talking about Rhys ¡ª about how the government should actually hire more people like Rhys instead of people like... him, Hector.


    Suffice it to say, it wasn''t really a choice at all.


    "Lady Cynthia, please..." Hector once again pleaded, this time even looking at Cynthia''s entourage and subtly gesturing to them to go, "...This truly is a restricted area, I can''t really bend the rules."


    "I was told I would get first-hand experience and learn more about a Dig here!" Cynthia''s voice once again became high-pitched as she pointed at Hector, "I''m not just acting like an entitled bitch here, Hector. My family literally paid for me to be here! Everything here, we provided."


    "I know, I know. And we are very thankful to you for providing all of this and making the government''s job easier," Hector finally started to calm down as he assessed the situation, "But if you want to learn the process, then you should abide by the process. So please, please just... return to your tent."


    "..." Cynthia looked Hector in the eyes for a few seconds, before just letting out a sigh and nodding her head, "Fine...


    ...But I want the Lowborn fired for staring at me."


    "..." Rhys, who was just watching the scene unfold in front of him, did not really say anything as Cynthia once again violently pointed at him. They have always been told that the Nobles live in apletely different worldview than them. He didn''t know what that meant, but now he does.


    Authority.


    The Nobles live in apletely different level of authority than the rest of the world. Rhys was trying to understand how someone could just tantly act like they own the ce, but in this case, Cynthia sort of really does.


    "I''m... afraid he is not from my jurisdiction, Lady Cynthia."


    "Then why did we choose you to lead this Exploration?" Cynthia seemed visibly confused with Hector''s words, "Bring me someone that has the power to remove him, then!"


    "That¡ª"


    "I heard someone calling for me."


    "!!!"


    And before anyone could even say another word, breathe, blink, or even react even a micro fraction of an emotion, a shadow suddenly loomed behind Cynthia. Her entourage wanted to say something, but all of them just shut their mouths and stayed still as they stared at this... shadow. Even the one that Rhys restrained on the ground, just remained on the ground even though he was actually no longer restrained.


    "Recruit, I knew I''d find you in trouble. What did you do this time, eh?"


    Cynthia could really only nce to the side as the Commander of the Underworld Corps walked past her; her eyebrows which were extremely lowered when staring at Rhys, now very slowly rising as her eyes also glittered.


    "I was checking the Dig before these civilians showed up and tried to assault me, Ma''am." Rhys, of course, was already trained to report to Ayesha.


    Well, hot damn. And it was just yesterday that you were a recruit, Recruit," Ayesha let out a small giggle as she ced her hand on Rhys''s shoulder, "Now, let''s see here."


    Ayesha then started looking at everyone one by one, before settling her eyes on Cynthia.


    "Wow, who''s this cute little one?"


    "C...Cynthia Myers, Ma''am!" A small smile crawled on Cynthia''s face as she quickly saluted to Ayesha; her cheeks, almost trembling in excitement.


    "Oh, you''re the one who paid for all of this?" Ayesha pointed at her and looked at Hector, "Now, why is the little miss here, gramps? She should be in her tent."


    "That¡ª"


    "It... it''s not his fault, Ma''am!" Cynthia stood up even straighter as she addressed Ayesha.


    "Then is it my bodyguard''s fault?" Ayesha smiled.


    "Body...guard?" Cynthia subtly nced at Rhys, "N...no, Ma''am! It was my friend''s fault!"


    "Well, alright then. How about we just start preparing the Exploration and forget all about this?"


    "Of course, Ma''am!" Cynthia quickly gestured to her people to leave, while Hector quickly followed behind them. This time, however, Cynthia seemed to beplimenting Hector for actually getting Ayesha to be part of their Exploration.


    "They are some very weird folks, these Nobles," Ayesha once again pped Rhys''s back, "They''re not actually bad people, they just think other people are beneath them and don''t have rights... okay, maybe that''s actually really bad. You know what, they''re a fucked up people."


    "..." Rhys did not really know what to say to that.


    "Well, anyway..." Ayesha started stretching her arms as she walked closer to the Dig, "...I guess that one-eyed mongoloid already dug deep. Come here."


    "Yes, Ma''am," Rhys nodded as he stood beside Ayesha, just several steps away from the hole. Rhys then looked down, and true enough, one could no longer see the bottom, "They are continuing to dig even now?"


    "Yup, see that?" Ayesha was pointing at some sort of machine that was attached to the edge of the hole; a rope hanging from it that led into the darkness of the hole, "That measures how near it is to the Surface. We''ve already wasted time doing politics with these people, I should just push you."


    "What do you mea¡ª!!!"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, he found his vision suddenly shift as Ayesha did push him. This time, however, Rhys was extremely calm as he just prepped himself to fall for several minutes... only to just trip on the ground.


    "...Huh?" Rhys quickly looked in front of him, only to see the deep abyss that led to the end of the hole. He then turned to look behind him, only to see Helios and Ayesha''s silhouette looking down on him, or perhaps up. Rhys was now standing on the walls of the inside of the hole.


    "Weird, right? As long as it''s not a Hole yet, you won''t just be sucked down. Pft, that''s what she said," Ayesha then stepped forward. And as she did so, Rhys instinctively covered his face as he thought Ayesha''s foot would fall straight on his face. Instead, however, her body just pivoted up, or down from the edge. From his perspective, it almost looked as if she floated up diagonally until she also stood on the walls of the inside of the hole.


    "It''s just magic. Don''t think too much about it," Ayesha just shrugged as she walked forward... rtively. It was an entirely different perspective. What was once a veryrge hole in the ground suddenly became a vast and very deep cave, with a ceiling as high as a tall building.


    "So..." Ayesha then nced back, "...It will be too slow if we follow your pace, so I''ll be dragging you."


    "What do you mea¡ª!!!"


    Ayesha suddenly lifted Rhys and threw him over her shoulders, locking his knees with her arm and then locking his wrist with her fingers. And without even waiting for Rhys to say anything else... she ran.


    Rhys''s lungs immediately locked up as he felt himself almost losing consciousness. The G-Force from the gravity shift was nothingpared to this.


    ***


    "That''s it, Recruit. That''s our target."


    "Kh...rgh."


    "If you even dare to vomit in front of me, boy. I''ll force you to eat it."


    "..." This is definitely an abuse of authority too, but Rhys could really only swallow his vomit; literally. He needed to find a way to increase Ayesha''s Affection, and this was the only way he was going to be able to do that.


    Rhys then started to calm himself down as he looked ahead, only for him to very slowly look up as he finally saw the back of the so-called Cyclops Barbarian. And the very first thing that came to Rhys''s mind was that he was looking at nothing but a tower of muscle... and that was just its leg. The rest of it, its entire body was probably as tall as a skyscraper.


    Even from afar, he could hear the fibers of the Cyclops'' muscle tightening as it dug through the ground with its bare hands.


    Ayesha... was going to fight that?


    "Go ahead, Recruit."


    "Huh...?" Rhys then very slowly turned to Ayesha as for the very first time, she actually pushed him in a gentle manner.


    "Fight it," Ayesha nodded as she shooed Rhys, "Go ahead. Don''t be shy, Recruit."


    And then, also for the very first time, Rhys finally heard Ayesha''s desire.


    ''Go ahead, Rhys Wilder. Try fighting it. Show me what you can do.''


    "...Oh."


    Okay. Perhaps this entire thing was a mistake.

 Chapter 51: The Insanity of One That Does Not Fear Death

    <h4>Chapter 51: The Insanity of One That Does Not Fear Death</h4>


    ''Go ahead. Try fighting it.''


    ''Fight. Fight. Fight.''


    Rhys has been waiting to hear Ayesha''s desires ever since he joined the Underworld Corps. And now that he was actually hearing it, he wanted nothing to do with it.


    "You... want me to fight a Level 8 monster, Ma''am?"


    "What did I say about calling me Ma''am and asking questions?"


    "...Ayesha."


    "Yes, go fight it."


    Rhys looked Ayesha in the eyes for a few seconds before he very slowly turned to look at the 5 Gray Hearts floating above her head. If her desires for the first heart were already this extreme, what about the other 4?


    "So...? If you don''t want to, then¡ª"


    And before Ayesha could finish uttering her words, Rhys suddenly stepped forward and started walking toward the cyclops. He did not really need to hide or be sneaky, as the colossal cyclops was too busy digging its hands through the dirt; causing a continuous rumbling noise which drowned everything else.


    As Rhys got nearer and nearer, however, he found his neck almost stretching to its limit as he finally realized howrge this creature truly was. He already knew it had to be taller than the average building, but the thing that was in front of him right now is just... monstrosity.


    "Kh..." And it smells pungent too. But Rhys did not cover his nose, instead just allowing his sense of smell to very slowly adjust to the cyclops. And soon... he was right behind the heel of its right foot.


    "Oh...?" And to Ayesha''s surprise, Rhys grabbed the cyclops'' toe as soon as it stepped forward; not hesitating for a single moment even as his entire body swayed in the air, "Well, damn, Recruit. I knew you said you don''t fear death... but this is just extra."


    Rhys started crawling and climbing on the cyclops'' leg, and from Ayesha''s view, he just looked like arge ant... and arge ant you can feel.


    "Hrmgh...?" The cyclops let out a small hum as it suddenly stopped digging through the dirt. And without even any warning... it raised its leg and pped it right where Rhys was.


    "!!!" Ayesha raised both her hands and winced as she watched this. She did not really interfere, however, as when the cyclops checked its palm, there was nothing there; not even a tinge of blood. What was there, however, was a clump of web.


    The cyclops started looking around, before just shrugging its shoulders and continuing to dig. As for Rhys, well... he was now on the cyclops'' elbow and very slowly climbing up its arm like a spider.


    "..." Rhys was trying his best not to breathe out loud; releasing webs through his fingers and letting it stick on the cyclops'' skin so he could climb up. Fortunately for him, his [Arise] skill once again proved to be the most useful ability he had ¡ª it was downright cheating at this point.


    And in no time at all, Rhys found himself crouched on the cyclops'' shoulder.


    Rhys very gently crouched, trying not to make a single sound as he stealthily approached the cyclops'' neck; meters away, but it might as well be the longest walk he would ever do. He tried to look down, and if he were to fall from this height, each of his bones would probably disintegrate.


    Rhys''s eyes then strayed toward Ayesha, who was now just a small dot in the distance, like an ant... a dancing ant.


    Rhys squinted his eyes to try and see what Ayesha was actually doing, but soon, she realized she was not dancing at all when he felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up. No, Ayesha was not dancing, but pointing at the cyclops.


    "Oh..." Rhys breathed out. He did not feel the cyclops'' head move at all, but as he looked ahead, he saw a gigantic eye looking back at him. The cyclops'' head did not move at all, and instead, it was the position of its eye that seemed to... magically move across its face,


    "...Shit."


    And as soon as the cyclops stopped digging; Rhys, instead of just trying to climb down as fast as he could, rushed forward toward the eye. He pointed all of his fingers toward the eye and released strings of web, using it to practically pull himself as fast as he could closer to the eye. And with a short and deep breath, he grabbed Katarina''s silver scalpel from his utility bag and stabbed it straight through the cyclops'' iris.


    "!!!"


    The scalpel... was not able to pierce through the cyclops eye. Rhys wasn''t expecting this, causing the scalpel to slide from his hand and slice a good chunk of his palm.


    "Sh..." Rhys just gritted his teeth as he grabbed the scalpel with his other hand; this time, he tried to slice the cyclops'' eye ¡ª but once again, the only damage it did was make the cyclops'' eye a little watery.


    Of course¡ªRhys thought. This is a Level 8 monster, capable of destroying several countries on its own. Initially, Rhys was nning to climb into its ear and just tear it from the inside, but seeing how hard its eye was, there was probably a high chance that its insides were imprable too.


    ...But it was still worth a try.


    Rhys looked at the cyclops'' ear. Before he could even n a way toward it, a shadow loomed over him as the cyclops'' hand made its way toward him first.


    Rhys did not really think anymore and just ran to the back of the giant''s shoulder, sliding on it as he attached several webs on its shoulder and back, allowing him to run across its back while using the webs like a rope.


    "!!!"


    Sadly for Rhys, however, as soon as the cyclops'' hand reached its shoulder, a loud boom thundered in the air; snapping his rope of webs... as well as his eardrum,pletely disorienting him as he was sted away just by the sheer shockwave of the p.


    Rhys found his vision turning dark, but he gritted through the extreme nausea as he shot another web toward the cyclops'' other shoulder. And perhaps through sheer will, or just his body moving on its own, he started to climb up again even when all he could really hear was the whistle of silence... or perhaps it was just the sound of his brain and organs beingpletely turned to mush by the st.


    And perhaps because of his temporary deafness, he did not notice that another palm was heading his way.


    "You are insane, Recruit..." Before the palm could reach Rhys, however, Ayesha suddenly came out of nowhere; her feet and palm, touching the cyclops'' back near Rhys. And with a smile on her face, she leaped away and spun in the air several times... before creating a thunder that shook the entire cavern as she kicked the cyclops'' hand away,


    "...Can''t say I don''t like it."

 Chapter 52: Deadly Heart

    <h4>Chapter 52: Deadly Heart</h4>


    "...Arise."


    There was nothing but a whisper escaping Rhys''s mouth, but he did not even need to whisper as the fatigue chaining down his entire body shattered. But fatigue was not the reason why he could not even move a single finger, no ¡ª his body was truly... fucked.


    His ear drums were busted, most of his bones were shattered just from the sheer shockwave of the cyclops'' p. He did not even need to imagine what would have happened to him if he was actually hit by that, all he needed to remember were the times he had to kill some mosquitoes.


    The pain crawling throughout his entire body as his fractured bones scraped across the insides of his flesh was almost unbearable, but Rhys just gritted his teeth as he tried his best to sit up or at least move his neck to see what was happening.


    How could he not bite through this pain, when he had the chance to finally watch how one of the world''s strongest people fight?


    When Ayesha kicked the cyclops'' hand away a few moments ago, she immediately grabbed Rhys and started running down across the colossus'' back. She could have probably just let herself fall andnded on the ground, but Rhys knew that the only reason she didn''t choose to do that was because she was carrying him.


    Ayesha''s speed was truly terrifying, enough to cause Rhys, who had already trained himself to resist high pressures of G-force, to faint from time to time each time she changed direction. In just the blink of an eye, she was able to ce Rhys far away from the giant ¡ª before returning to fight it in even less time.


    And right now, she was going toe-to-toe with the cyclops.


    "..." Rhys could feel the ground he was lying on as the cyclops stomped its foot on the ground, causing the dirt to burst and ripple like a tidal wave. Through this tidal wave, however, Ayesha pierced through and started running up the cyclops'' leg; ripping its skin with each step.


    The cyclops'' skin, however, fully regenerated like nothing happened. But as soon as Ayesha got to its knee, she mmed her fingers through the gap between its kneecap, piercing through its flesh. And then, with a loud cackle which was even louder than the thunder that exploded each time the cyclops moved, she pulled the kneecap the size of an entire mansion with her bare hand.


    "Gr...!?" The cyclops immediately lost its bnce. And with it going down to its knees, Ayesha leaped straight up ¡ª destroying the rest of its knees in the process as she practically catapulted straight toward its face and right through its eye.


    And the eye, which Rhys could not even pierce with Katarina''s scalpel, her scalpel that just sliced through anything like they were tofu, was easily pierced through by Ayesha''s fist. Perhaps Rhys just wasn''t strong enough to use it?


    And there and then, Rhys knew the fight was over.


    Ayesha started doing what Rhys wanted to do when he put all of his effort into climbing the colossus ¡ª she started destroying it from within.


    This is a creature that was capable of destroying several countries if it was allowed to get to the Surface, and yet in less than a minute... Ayesha was able to pulverize it.


    They said that Ayesha was capable of destroying an entire mountain with her fist, and Rhys thought that was an exaggeration at first, but after seeing this, it might even be an understatement.


    True to its Threat Level, however, the cyclops was still alive even though Rhys knew Ayesha was practically shredding it from the inside. It was still struggling, causing the entire hole to literally quake.


    The cyclops started struggling and running as its knee recovered. And with the way gravity works in the dig, it was almost as if Rhys was watching a hamster running on its treadwheel, but Rhys was the one spinning ¡ª running across the walls of the dig.


    A second.


    A minute.


    Half an hour. It took half an hour, when the cyclops was now just a literal mountain of flesh, before Ayesha finally returned to Rhyspletely covered in blood... with little bits of flesh here and there stuck between her hair.


    "Man, my ancestor''s tits are already sagging with how long this took," Ayesha cracked her neck as she just fell and sat beside Rhys, "You see that? You could still have a conversation with it."


    "..." Rhys could really only lift his head again to look at the mountain of flesh, only to see some parts of it still moving.


    "So, how was it, Recruit? Did you have fun watching what it''s like on the top?" Ayesha patted Rhys''s chest, causing him to cough vehemently as his ribs were actually already broken, "Oops, sorry about that. But hot damn, Recruit. I was actually only joking when I said you would fight it."


    That was clearly a lie, as Rhys heard her desires loud and clear like a broken vinyl.


    "Did you really actually think you could fight that thing?" Ayesha then ced a finger on Rhys''s forehead, pinning his head down, "Are you all muscles? Huh? Is it all spaghetti and no meatballs there?"


    "..."


    "But damn, damn, damn, damn..." Ayesha then clicked her tongue several times, "...You got balls, Recruit. In this generation, we need that more than brains. Are you listening to me, Rhys?"


    "..."


    "Recruit!" Ayesha practically screamed in Rhys''s ear, "I am saying I like your balls."


    "...Thank you, Ma''am," Rhys did not know whether tough. But if he could, he probably would as he saw one of the 5 Hearts floating above Ayesha''s head...


    ...was now as red as the blood dripping from her brown skin.


    He had now filled 1 Heart, and all he needed to do was almost die.


    "Kh..." No. Actually, he was still dying.


    "Rhys...?" Ayesha quickly stood up as a fountain of blood suddenly forced its way through Rhys''s mouth,


    "...Rhys! Don''t Rhys in peace on me now!"


    "..." Rhys mustered thest of his strength to look at Ayesh as soon as he heard that.


    "..." Ayesha also returned Rhys''s stare with a nk expression on her face. And after a few seconds, Rhys''s head just went limp,


    "...Rhys!"

 Chapter 53: Ayesha’s Hurdle

    <h4>Chapter 53: Ayesha''s Hurdle</h4>


    "Whew. That was even closer than a downer''s eyes together. You almost died...


    ...good thing I acted fast and carried you back immediately without making light of the situation. Right?"


    "..."


    "Right...?"


    "Yes, Ayesha."


    Rhys was now inside a tent, surrounded by the Faceless Crew with Ayesha by his side, grabbing his hand tight... perhaps as a warning not to say anything. The Faceless Crew, however, knew exactly what was happening ¡ª all of them knew how crazy Ayesha was, after all.


    There was also another person there, a medic who clearly did not want to be there.


    "Are... you not going to join the conference, Ma''am?" No. 1 asked as the noise outside the tent grew louder and louder.


    "Psh, let them handle the unimportant stuff. I stopped the Dig, that''s all that matters," Ayesha rolled her eyes and waved her hand, "Just start heating up the jeep, we''re leaving as soon as this guy finishes healing our boy."


    "Ayesha!"


    And as Ayesha''s name started being called, she quickly turned to look at No. 2.


    "Start the jeep, now."


    "...On it," No. 2 could really only nod as he disappeared into the ground.


    "That''s enough, I''ll just carry him."


    "He... he''s still not fully recovered yet, Ma''am!"


    "He will beter," Ayesha then pushed the medic away and gently carried Rhys before throwing him over her shoulder again, "Faceless Crew, it is time to lea¡ª"


    "Commander Ayesha!" Before Ayesha and the rest of the Faceless Crew could even take their exit, however, an old man whose pale face was barely visible from his thick graying beard forced his way into the tent,


    "You broke protocol again!"


    "Pft," Ayesha, however, just very slowly returned Rhys to the bed like she wasn''t just trying to escape, "That''s not the only thing I broke today."


    And while Ayesha just remained casual, the rest of the Faceless Crew, and even the medic all stood up straight, saluted, and greeted the old man at the same time.


    "General Banner!"


    Donald Banner, General of the Surface Army of Amerka and former Top 15 Strongest Explorer in the world.


    "Pft," Ayesha scoffed, "Stop it, he''s just an old man on the verge of retirement. The guy''s going to think he''s still important. You''re gonna retire soon, right...


    ...Dad?"


    "...Dad?"


    ...And apparently Ayesha''s father.


    Everyone, including the medic, all turned their heads toward Ayesha as soon as her words reached their ears. Ayesha, on the other hand, just shrugged her shoulders.


    "You guys didn''t know? He adopted me when I was like 18. Dude''s so cheap he skipped out on all the student loans."


    "You did not even go to school, you damn brat!" General Banner stomped his foot on the ground, causing a crack to crawl across the tent, "And I am not retiring! Even if my balls are already hanging on my ankles, I won''t ever retire if you are going to be the one who''s taking my ce!"


    "Bitch, please," Ayesha scoffed, "You think I want your position? You do nothing. All the action''s down here and everything up there is just our scraps."


    "The fact that we have scarps in the first ce means you are not doing your job properly! If I were in your position, I could do your job better even with my ball sack tied to my tongue!"


    ''...Oh''¡ªeveryone thought. So, that is where Ayesha got her colorful vocabry from.


    "Your face might as well be your ballsack with how wrinkled it is!" Ayesha stepped forward, causing the crack on the ground to scatter even further, "Come on, shave your beard! Shave it!"


    "You were supposed to bring Fuller''s daughter with you! They paid for everything here!" General Banner did not even care that his saliva was showering everywhere as he pointed at Rhys, "Why did you bring that boy, huh!? I heard you were holding his hand too! What''s his name!? Which family does he belong to!?"


    "I don''t care about a Noble''s daughter, Dad. Come on," Ayesha once again scoffed, "This isn''t a yground. And this boy is Rhys, and I will have you know he is freaking insane."


    "...Really?" General Banner''s voice quickly lowered as he looked at the barely conscious Rhys, "...You think he wants to join the real Army?"


    "W¡ªJust get out! Tell those Noble shits to just eat my shit!"


    "Get out? You get out! Everyone, out!" General Banner then pointed at the Faceless Crew and ordered them to leave the tent. Of course, the Faceless Crew had no choice but to obey¡ªthey didn''t want to be stuck in this orchestra of slurs in the first ce.


    But before they could take a step, Ayesha raised her fist.


    "Wait," Ayesha breathed out as she stepped closer to General Banner. And while everyone was wondering what Ayesha wanted, she suddenly swung her fist straight at the General''s chin... knocking him dead.


    "!!!"


    "W... what did you do, Ma''am!?" No. 1 did not know what to do as he rushed to check on General Banner.


    "Go, go!" Ayesha, however, once again just carried Rhys; literally kicking the members of the Faceless Crew out of the tent, "That old man''s not going to die anytime soon, go!"


    And with Ayesha forcing them out, the crew had no choice but to just rush straight toward their jeep.


    "Hm, what''s going on?" No. 2, who was just waiting for them there, could not help but blink a couple of times as herrades practically leaped onto the jeep, with Ayesha throwing Rhys on the back, "Wh¡ª"


    And before No. 2 could ask any more of his questions...


    ...Ayesha lifted the entire truck and just started running.


    "...Do I even want to know what happened?"


    "No."


    ***


    "The Commander is General Banner''s daughter... and she knocked him out?"


    "Hm..."


    "You''re right, I did not need to know that. Are we going to get disbanded now?"


    A few hours after Ayesha and the Faceless crew escaped the dig site, their breaths were finally calmed down as all of them just rxed in their tight seats. Rhys was still slightly out there, but he had enough space to somewhat lie down as Ayesha let his head rest on herp.


    "You guys should just rx," Ayesha waved her palm, "The old man''s all talk. And hopefully, he forgets everything if he wakes up."


    "...If?" No. 1 gulped.


    "Well, yeah. He''s old," Ayesha shrugged, "Psh. So, Rhys... how''s myp?"


    "It''s hard, Ayesha," Rhys let out a sigh.


    "Damn right it is," Ayesha nodded and giggled, "That''s a premium cu¡ªDamn!"


    Ayesha could not finish her words before a screeching noise screamed in the air as No. 2 suddenly stepped on the brakes.


    "What the heck are you doing!?" Ayesha quickly turned to look to the front. She did not need to be answered by No. 2, however, as she instantly saw the reason why they had to stop, "Please do not tell me those are spiders."


    "Arachnes, Ma''am," No. 2 stood up to get a better view of the things blocking their path,


    "...More than hundreds of them."


    "No...


    ...I hate spiders."

 Chapter 54: BBC

    <h4>Chapter 54: BBC</h4>


    "...They are all dead."


    "Well, that''s anticlimactic."


    No. 2 was currently poking a wrinkled bag of skin, lifting it up using a stick. And although he was wearing a mask, everyone just knows that there was a disgusted expression on his face ¡ª how could he not when he was actually poking the wrinkled breast of a dead arache?


    "Psst. Rhys, ever sucked on one of these bad boys? I bet you''re a virgin."


    "I have, actually. Not that one, but an arachne''s nipples."


    "Pft! Look at this guy making jokes!"


    "Aren''t you the virgin one, No. 2?"


    "Who the fuck said that!?"


    "Me."


    "M...Ma''am!"


    "And by the gods, these creatures are almost as ugly as you, No. 5."


    Ayesha was trying her best not to step on the arachne''s legs, carefully kicking them and making sure not even a strand of their hair would touch any part of her skin.


    They were preparing to fight a horde of ugly spidedies, but as they stepped off the jeep and approached, they quickly noticed none of the arachnes were actually moving. And as they got even closer, they realized that all of them were actually dead.


    "This one''s turned to stone too."


    Dead, or eitherpletely turned to stone. It was one problem to the next, as they needed to push the carcass off of their path if they wished to continue their journey home. Ayesha ordered No. 2 to just ram them with their jeep, but there were probably more than a hundred corpses there, each almost as big as their jeep; not to mention most of them were practically marbled statues. If No. 2 actually rammed them, their jeep woulde outpletely wrecked by the end of it ¡ª and that was something No. 2 would never obey, even at the cost of her life.


    Most of the corpses were already on the side of the road and scattered on the trees, but there was still a lot to push to the side.


    "What do you all think could have made them like this? Perhaps it is one of those gorgons?" No. 5 was perhaps the most effective in pushing away corpses; just mming his body toward them and throwing them to the side.


    "Euck, probably not. Look at this," No. 2 once again poked something with his stick; this time, it was slightly gooey and falling off from the branch, "This is bird shit, probably a cockatrice."


    "A turf war?" No. 1 was just dragging the arachnes by the leg, but only really managed to push away a couple with how heavy they actually were, "All the way here out of nowhere?"


    "Who the fuck cares, we just need to get these bitches out of the road," No. 2 stuck out his tongue in disgust.


    "Maybe if you helped," No. 1 sighed, "Look at Rhys, he''s still not fully recovered but he''s helping!"


    Rhys was also helping push away the corpses; rolling those he could roll to the side with No. 4.


    "Can you freaks just stop talking and do your damn job!?" The hairs on Ayesha''s skin stood up as she once again kicked a corpse away. This time, however, the gap between her boots and pants caught the hair from one of the arachne''s legs, "Shit! Damn it! This feels like wet hair on a dirty¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And before Ayesha could finish her words, a loud screeching whistle whispered from afar. The cockadoodle of a chicken, but seemingly more ominous; like a horn that signals one''s death.


    "Where... did thate from?" All the members of the Faceless crew except No. 4 quickly put up their guard as soon as they heard that, "That... didn''t sound like a normal cockatrice."


    "It''s... a big ck cockatrice," No. 2 gulped as he listened more carefully, "That''s a Level 5 monster, why would it be here?"


    "Well, that''ll be a problem for us," Ayesha quickly looked to where the sound wasing from, "I''ll handle it, you guys better be done here when Ie back or I''ll let you suck on one of their sagging titties."


    "W¡ª"


    Before anyone could say anything, however, Ayesha quickly disappeared; causing the ground to burst as she rushed toward the screeching cockatrice,


    "We are going to have some fried chicken, boys!" And with those words, everyone watched as Ayesha disappeared deep into the sea of trees.


    "Welp, there she fucking goes to leave us clean this shit."


    "You''re not even cleaning anything," No. 1 could really only groan as No. 2 just yed with her stick and continued to poke the dead arachnes.


    "Meh, who cares? I''m only here to fight," No. 2 shrugged as he tapped on one of the arachnes which was turned into stone, "The cockatrice did all the work for us, I was itching for some action too."


    And as soon as he said that, the statue he was tapping started to crack; soon revealing a pale skin... but still very much throbbing and alive.


    "I do not believe in superstition much," No. 5 halted his steps; his fats jiggling as he looked at the statue in front of him crumbling, but only on the surface, "But this is what they called a jinx, right? No. 2 jinxed us."


    "D... damn it!"


    "Kill them before they could hatch!" No. 1 immediately ced his palm on the ground, creating a field of electricity that only branched toward the arachne statues that were slowly shedding the marble covering them.


    No. 4 quickly threw his knife into the air, letting it fly through the gaps that were forming on the arachne and killing them before they could even fully free themselves from their stone prison.


    No. 5 just shredded them; almost turning into a blur as his speed increased. Suffice it to say, the arachnes with a Threat Level of 1 were truly no match for veterans like the Faceless Crew, especially when there were so few of them out and scattered.


    Rhys did not even need to do anything, the fight was already over before he could even take a single step.


    "Well..." No. 2 emerged from the shadows of thest arachne, leaping on top of it and stabbing it straight in the eye several times before it could fully free itself, "...That was boring. I was expecting a full-on fi¡ª"


    "Fuck."


    "I believe you have jinxed us again, No. 2."


    The Faceless crew did not even have time to wipe the little sweat forming from their faces as the leaves and bushes on the side of the road started to rustle wildly, and with it... hundreds more spidedies emerged from the forest. Some, evening from the ground.


    "Shit... there''s too many! No. 1, do something!"


    "What!? I can''t stun these many! We need to retreat and¡ª"


    "So... noisy."


    "...No. 3!?"


    And as Rhys and the others were about to be surrounded by an onught of arachnes, No. 3 finally woke up;zily stepping off the jeep as he joined the others. And with a yawn, he very softly pped his hands ¡ª causing a ripple of air to st through the arachnes.


    And just like that, Rhys and the Faceless crew watched as the arachnes dropped one by one.


    "Oh... No. 6," No. 3 turned to look at Rhys,


    "...You grew taller again?"


    "...Long time no see, No. 3," Rhys could really only return No. 3''s gaze as No. 3 started looking at him from head to toe, "Good... morning."


    "Has it been that long...?" No. 3zily replied before very slowly walking back to the jeep, "Anyway... I''ll sleep again."


    "Wait, No. 3! Aren''t you going to greet the rest of us!?" No. 2 let out a loud chuckle. No. 3, however, only raised his middle finger, "Whatever, I am going back to¡ª"


    "No. 3!"


    Rhys''s eyes turned wide as an arachne suddenly descended from above andnded right in front of No. 3. Rhys didn''t know why, but all the hairs on his body stood up.


    "That''s... big. No. 3, run!" No. 2 immediately sent his shadow toward No. 2, "I think it''s the queen of the horde!"


    "..." No. 3, however, justzily snapped his finger and whispered, "...Sleep."


    And without even getting to do anything, therger arachne also dropped to the ground.


    "..." No. 2 and the rest of the Faceless crew who were about to rush in No. 3''s aid could really only halt their steps, letting out loud sighs as they shook their heads.


    "...Of course. You better do at least that much if you''re only awake once in a week, you shit!" No. 2 also raised his middle finger at No. 3.


    No. 3 justzily waved his hand as he turned to look at No. 2 and the others. And while No. 2 and No. 3 were throwing middle fingers everywhere, Rhys waspletely focused on the so-called queen of the horde.


    Its face... it was awfully familiar to Rhys. And as he squinted his eyes, he saw the growing smile on the arachne''s face.


    "No..." Rhys let out a small gasp as he quickly looked at No. 3 and started waving his hands, "Nate, run! Run!"


    "Hm...?" And as Rhys suddenly rushed toward him, No. 3 could not help but tilt his head to the side. He then heard a quiet giggle whispering into his ear. And as he very slowly turned around, a shadow loomed over him as the arachne he thought he had put to sleep stood up...


    ...and smiled at him.


    "Slee¡ª"


    And before No. 3 could even utter another word...


    ...the arachne twisted his neck.


    "No!" Rhys let out a loud scream as he saw this; his voice, almost cracking.


    "...No," Rhys should have known. He should have known who it was as soon as she appeared, but he didn''t.


    But he didn''t. He was toofortable and... happy.


    "Well..." The arachne then looked Rhys in the eyes and spoke, casually dropping No. 3,


    "...He attacked me first, Descendant of Eros. But... I am d you have friends now."


    "...Arachnea."

 Chapter 55: At Least You

    55 Chapter 55: At Least You n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "...Arachnea? Did you just say Arachnea...?"


    "...No."


    No. That was really the only word that was escaping out of most of the Faceless Crew''s mouths. Even Rhys, who was currently exchanging stares with Arachnea, had his mindpletely filled with a sort of whistle that caused everything to just be silent.


    Rhys has only been with the Faceless crew for a little more than a month. But throughout that short span of time, he had spent the 24 hours of a day with them without fail. They ate together, they told stories, they all slept close together¡­ and they allughed together.


    There wasn''t even a minute when they weren''t close.


    ¡­They were family.


    Even the always sleeping No. 3, Nate. The number of times Rhys had a conversation with No. 3 could probably be counted on one hand, but the times they did already made Rhys know what kind of person he is.


    He once requested No. 3 to make him fall asleep when he couldn''t, but No. 3 refused to use his abilities on Rhys¡­ and instead just gave him his mostfortable pillow. Rhys hasn''t even had a chance to return it.


    But now¡­ he was looking at No. 3, who was probably never going to wake up again.


    "No. 3!"


    And as Rhys and Arachnea were staring at each other, No. 2 and the others started rushing toward Arachnea.


    "Wait, wait!" Rhys tried to grab No. 2, but he sunk deep into his shadow and disappeared, "No. 1, don''t attack it!"


    "No. 6, retreat back to the jeep!"


    "Why...!?"


    "Just return to the jeep and drive away!"


    No. 1 clearly heard Rhys, but he did not listen to him as he ran close to Arachnea; cing his palm on the ground as he released a shock strong enough that itpletely burned the dried leaves that were scattered on the ground.


    These burning leaves did not get the chance to be embers in the air, however, as No. 5 ran over them as he rushed toward therge arachne. No. 4 was using his knife as a distraction as it violently flew around Arachnea.


    Even when enraged, the Faceless Crew still had enough synergy to do a coordinated attack;pletely surrounding Arachnea at all sides as No. 2 emerged from the ground beneath it.


    "Shit, no¡­ no!" Rhys was about to join the attack, but his steps quickly halted as soon as he realized something ¡ª even whenpletely surrounded, Arachnea''s eyes were still justpletely settled on him.


    And then, with a smirk growing on her beautiful pale face, she casually caught No. 4''s flying knife between her fingers. And there and then, Rhys also realized¡­


    ¡­that they werepletely outmatched.


    "No. 1! Retreat! Just run!" Rhys let out a roar, but it waspletely drowned by the screeching wail that wasing out of No. 1''s mouth.


    "Rah!" No. 1''s nose began bleeding as the lightning that was trailing from his hands like a snake became even more violent; almost as livid as his raging scream.


    "No. 5! Stop it!" Rhys rushed toward No. 5, who was running back and forth trying to knock Arachnea off bnce, but he could not even grab No. 5''s arm before he just once again rushed toward therge arachne, "We can''t win!"


    "No. 6."


    "...No. 2," Rhys''s breaths stuttered as finally, someone listened to him as No. 2 suddenly emerged from his shadow, "Tell everyone to retreat! We can''t win against¡ª"


    "We know."


    "Huh...?"


    "We know we can''t win," No. 2 looked Rhys in his covered eyes; his voice, unusually calm, "We can''t even outrun it. I don''t know how you could quickly identify it...


    ...but you called it Arachnea?"


    "You... know what it is?"


    "Who, Rhys. Who," No. 2 stared at Arachnea, "Arachnea is closer to a god than a monster. She''s just ying with us. She''s... Threat Level 10."


    "...10?"


    "I told you... we were already. But... at least you. At least let us pretend we''re trying to save you."


    "Wh¡ª" And before Rhys could say another word, No. 2 just suddenly pushed him down to the ground; causing him to remember how the students of Old York High pushed him into the monsters.


    This time, however, No. 2 pushed him away from the monster.


    "Why would you¡­" Rhys did not even need to ask why No. 2 did that. Because soon, No. 2 started floating in the air¡ªno. He wasn''t exactly floating, Rhys could see a hint of glimmer wrapping across his entire body¡­ a thread,


    "Why¡­? Rob¡­ you¡­"


    And as a whisper escaped Rhys, he realized that only his words traveled in the air; everything else just became silent, even the rustle of the leaves became somber. Rhys turn to look at the rest of the Faceless Crew¡­


    ¡­only to see all of them also trapped in Arachnea''s web,pletely still.


    "...Run, Rhys," No. 5''s mask was sliced open as the thread wrapped around his head became tighter, allowing Rhys to see the most gentle face he had ever seen in his life, "Run, we have already talked about this before... the youngest should live. At least... you."


    "No¡­ Wait, Derek¡­ wait, wait¡­" And as blood began oozing from the thread, Rhys could really only look at Arachnea, "Wait, wait¡­ Arachnea, stop¡­ please stop."


    And once again, for the 2nd time in his life, Rhys found himself kneeling.


    "Rhys!" No. 1 let out a scream. And although his mask was stillpletely intact, he could see how clear and resolute his eyes were, "We were already dead as soon as we stepped off the jeep!"


    "Brad. No... It''s¡­ it''s after me," Rhys forced a smile, "You guys can get away, I promise. Just¡­ just stop struggling."


    "Nhh!" No. 4 let out a gnarling scream, causing Rhys to quickly look at him. And although he couldn''t speak and couldn''t move, what little movement he could do with his hand¡­ he was using it to tell Rhys to just run and leave them.


    "No, no¡­" Rhys wanted to grab the thread with his hands to rip it in half, but he couldn''t even take a single step as a shadow wrapped his entire foot.


    "You fucking brat." And as No. 2 spoke, the shadow very slowly pulled Rhys away from the prison of threads, "What happened to always listening to orders¡­?"


    "Rob¡­" Rhys turned to look at No. 2¡­ only to see tears escaping from his mask and trailing down on it.


    "Go, just fucking go¡­" No. 2''s voice slowly cracked as the thread wrapped around his neck tightened; blood, now falling on the sides of his neck like a waterfall.


    "No¡­ no!" Rhys tried pulling his foot, but the shadow tugging him away was stronger as he found himself getting farther and farther away from his friends; his voice, almost turning into a whimper as he tried to reach for No. 2, "Please, Rob¡­ please don''t do this! I can''t¡­ ¡­I can''t lose anyone anymore."

 Chapter 56: Just Like That

    56 Chapter 56: Just Like That


    "I can''t¡­ I can''t lose anyone anymore."


    "But you will¡­" No. 2''s mask very slowly loosened and fell to the ground. And even with blood dripping from his lips, the smile on his face was even more evident, "...You will lose more people. You signed up for the suicide squad, Rhys. We¡­ are just unlucky to meet a fucking god here. Ha... fuck."


    "No¡­ no. Arachnea!" Rhys turned to look at Arachnea, but Arachnea was just staring at him; her hand that held all the threads which were literally holding everyone''s lives, slightly moving as if it was teasing all of their existence.


    "Please, you want me¡­ right? You want to eat me? Just let them go, please¡­ please!" Rhys pleaded as he readArachnea''s desire, which was really only one thing - She wants to eat him.


    "Brat!" No. 2 slightly moved, causing the blood oozing from her wounds to burst even stronger, "There''s no use talking to a monster. I told you, we were already dead the moment we got off the jeep! Just fucking go!"


    "I can talk to it¡­" Rhys opened his palm, "I can talk to it! I promise¡­ I promise all of you will live."


    "Damn it, fuck. Rhys!" No. 2 moved again, seemingly wanting to rush at Rhys, "Go, run! Don''t waste our fucking effort on pretending we could actually hold a god back! At least let us die first, you moron!"


    "No¡­ no, this¡­ this is my fault," Rhys''s vision started to turn dark as memories of his mother downed his thoughts. Before he could see his mother''s crying face, however, it was drowned by No. 2 wailing voice.


    "Just run! None of this is your fault, Rhys!" No. 2 cried out, "This¡­ this is our choice! Just go!"


    No, they did not have a choice at all - No. 2 knew that from the start. He and the Faceless Crew were right, they were already dead the moment Arachnea showed herself ¡ª what they were doing was not even buying time, no; their time was up in the first ce. They were merely just¡­ hoping that somehow, even in the deepest impossibility, Rhys survives.


    Rhys, however, only shook his head¡­ tears, finally flowing down his face as he very slowly stepped forward.


    "If you take another step, I am going to fucking kill myself first, you hear me!?" No. 2 once again struggled; his blood, now dripping down the ground like an open faucet, "Rhys, please¡­ listen and go."


    "..." Rhys could really only just stare at No. 2''s eyes.


    "I know¡­ I know this is unfair to tell you now," a small giggle escaped No. 2''s lips, "I never¡­ I never had a child but¡­ if I did¡­


    Rhys did not fear death, not at all. But he will beg, he would beg¡­ he would beg again for his family.


    "Arachnea, please¡­" Rhys tried his best to set himself free of No. 2''s shadow; even digging his fingers through the ground just so he could move closer to Arachnea, "I am the only one you need, right? Just eat me and¡ª"


    And suddenly, a thunder broke through the air as a shadow moved past Rhys, causing him to almost be blown away. And without even any sign or warning, Ayesha''s fist made contact with Arachnea''s face; a ripple, sting everything as well as the threads imprisoning everyone.


    "Rob!" And as soon as the shadow chaining him down faded away, Rhys immediately rushed to catch No. 2 before he could drop to the ground, "Rob, please¡­ live, please live."


    "B¡­ brat," No. 2 practically gurgled as blood escaped from his lips, "You¡­ you look like shit."


    "Heh¡­" A small smile started crawling on Rhys''s face, pushing away the tears falling from his face as he looked at No. 2.


    "There it is¡­" No. 2 slowly raised his hand and brushed the tears away from Rhys''s face, "...A child like you should be smiling. You¡ª"


    "...No. 2?"


    And as No. 2 wanted to move his hand down, he found he couldn''t move it at all.


    "...Rob?" Rhys then quickly turned to look at Ayesha and Arachnea, only to see Ayesha''s fist still embedded in Arachnea''s face, "What''s¡­ what''s happening?"


    "...Shit." And even from afar, Rhys could hear Ayesha cursing. But how could she not, when she punched Arachnea with all her might¡­ and even with her headpletely turned the wrong way, Arachnea was still looking at her directly in the eyes.


    And very slowly, her fist was being pushed back by Arachnea''s face.


    "You¡­" Ayesha''s eyes widened as soon as she realized who Arachnea was "...What the fuck are you doing here? Why¡­ is someone like you here?"


    "...You know me?"


    "!!!" And as words escaped Arachnea''s pink lips, Ayesha''s already widened eyes opened even wider.


    "I am ttered, O'' great warrior of the gods," Ayesha then slowly raised her hand, causing all the threads attached to it glimmer.


    "..." Ayesha''s eyes squinted as she looked at Arachnea''s hand, before she quickly turned to look back¡­ only to see the members of the Faceless Crew once again floating in the air, "...Don''t."


    "They attacked me first," and with a smile creeping on her face, Arachnea''s fingers started to move.


    "You!" Ayesha quickly reached for Arachnea''s hand; trying to keep it open, but Arachnea just raised her hand in the air¡­ and forcefully closed it into a fist, "No!"


    "Rob, I''ll get you out of here¡­" Rhys was still carrying No. 2 even as his body rose in the air¡ªno. Rhys was embracing No. 2, carefully trying to loosen up the threads wrapping around his body even though his hands were also being cut by the thread¡­ not willing to let him go.


    "...Just wait, okay? You''ll be¡ª"


    Rhys suddenly felt the weight in his arms lighten as he felt an ominous warmth suddenly wrap around his body.


    "Rob¡­?" Rhys''s eyes started to tremble as he tried tightening his embrace. As he did so, however, No. 2 slipped from his arms; his body, separating into pieces until all that was left clinging onto Rhys was No. 2''s left arm and neck. Rhys looked at his now empty arms, and then onto the ground where he saw No. 2''s dismembered head. And even lifeless¡­


    ¡­there was still a hint of a smile on his face.


    Rhys then very slowly looked at the others, only to see their limbs and parts of their body fall to the ground one by one. "...Why?"


    And just like that, people he learned to cherish were once again gone.


    "No¡­ no," Rhys''s teeth started to show themselves as even the growls of his breath werepletely drowned by the whistle of silence covering his ears. And without even thinking, he let out a loud roar and started rushing to where Arachnea was.


    "Stop," Before he could even take 3 steps, however, Ayesha suddenly appeared in front of him. And without even any hesitation, she grabbed Rhys by the head, before throwing him away deep into the forest; only stopping as his back hit a tree¡­ ¡­and as his consciousness very slowly slipped away from him, he heard a set of words that would once again forever stay in his mind, "I like your courage, Recruit¡­


    ...But not this time, you are only going to get in the way."


    I think chapters are premium after this? For those that could no longer follow the story beyond this point, thank you for reading. Truly appreciate it! I edited thest chapter by the way, to make it more obvious that the Faceless crew already knew they were dead, since I only put one line before to make it subtle.


    And for those that will still continue to read, if any...


    ...thank you and let''s do this! I actually already have the entire story plotted out, so... yeah. Anyway, vote! n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Romeru

 Chapter 57: Threat Level: 10

    57 Chapter 57: Threat Level: 10


    "Psst, No. 6."


    "Hm?"


    Somewhere in the Underworld filled with rocks and steam, No. 1 and No. 5 were gesturing to Rhys toe to them. Rhys wasn''t really doing anything but just cleaning his clothes in a stream of clear water, and so he just put his clothes to the side and approached the two¡­ who were suspiciously whispering to each other beside arge piece of boulder.


    "What is¡ª" And as soon as Rhys got even an arm''s reach near them, the two quickly lifted him up ¡ª locking all of his limbs before they proceeded to carry him somewhere, "What are you guys doing!?"


    "You wanted to find out if No. 2 is really a man, right!?" No. 1 let out a menacingugh as he nodded several times, "Then find out now!"


    And without even any sort of warning, No. 1 and No. 5 suddenly threw Rhys into a deep stream. The water was cold, very much so ¡ª but what he saw deep in the water perhaps was the reason he almost drowned.


    "!!!" Rhys immediately stood up, coughing vehemently as he truly did not expect to see someone else''s manhood dangling in the water.


    "Bwahahaha!" No. 2 quickly burst out inughter as he pointed at Rhys, "What!? You liked what you see!? Gay! You gay, No. 6!"


    "..." Rhys could really only cover his mouth as he continued to cough, just waving his hand at No. 2 to shoo him away. n/?/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "What? Never seen anything that big before!?" No. 2 also nced at No. 1 and No. 5, who were also almost falling to the ground as theyughed at Rhys.


    "Big¡­?" As soon as he recovered, however, Rhys shook his head and let out a small chuckle, "Isn''t that just¡­ below average?"


    "W¡ªWhat the fuck do you mean below average!?" No. 2 instantly stoppedughing as he looked at Rhys, "Wait... Are you fucking telling me yours is bigger? What? You''re insanely fucked up handsome, and now you''re telling me you''re fucking gifted too, you little bitch!?"


    "..." And as soon as he heard the change of tone in No. 2''s voice, Rhys immediately felt the hair on his neck stand up¡­ and soon, No. 1 and No. 5 also very slowly started to approach him.


    "Wait¡­" Rhys quickly raised both his palms in surrender, "Stop¡­ No!"


    "No¡­"


    Rhys could feel himselfing in and out of unconsciousness as his memories started to surface; his eyes, trying their best to stay open¡­ but they won''t. His body itself was not allowing Rhys to move, not because he couldn''t, but perhaps because he shouldn''t.


    He could hear the sounds of thunder violently sting through the air. And with each rumble, Rhys could feel the leaves on top of the trees falling onto him as the very ground itself seemed to want to turn upside down.


    "...Arise," and as the whisper escaped his lips, Rhys pushed himself up; resting his back on the tree that knocked him out as he looked to where the roars of thunder wereing from. And there, he saw nothing but streaks blurring across the distance.


    The only time he actually saw silhouettes was a second before the thunder ¡ª and there, he could see Arachnea slightly being pushed back as she blocked Ayesha''s attack; her arm, breaking and splitting in half¡­ but recovering before they could disappear from his sight again.


    Most of the trees that were near their battle were already gone, but none of them were actually directly hit by them, no. The trees were just uprooted and sted away just by the sheer shockwave of each of their strikes; the ground they were standing on, very slowly turning into a crater.


    Rhys had already seen how strong Ayesha was when she fought the cyclops barbarian ¡ª she was able to fling its hand the size of an entire mansion away with a single kick. And yet now, her strikes seemed even stronger than before. Rhys could feel the st from their strikes, causing his lungs to lock up each time.


    Something was weird, however. Arachnea was the one clearly being pushed back whenever the two collided, and yet¡­ the only one covered in blood was Ayesha. Arachnea seemed to still bepletely unscathed.


    And soon, Rhys could finally see the two clearly as they stopped moving at a speed invisible to him. Ayesha was on top of Arachnea''s spider body, her thick arms wrapping around Arachnea''s neck. And even from afar, Rhys could hear Ayesha''s muscles contracting¡ªlike billions of tungsten threads being twisted.


    "Khiee!" Arachnea let out a screeching howl as her skin started to stretch and her neck bent. She tried to move around; each of her legs destroying everything in its path as she did so.


    "Why¡­ why is someone like you here!?"


    Rhys could hear Ayesha screaming, but Arachnea''s screech drowned most of it.


    "Why my crew!? You¡ª"


    Arachnea suddenly stopped moving around as her arms started to bend in a weird way. She then quickly grabbed Ayesha by the head, before leaning her body forward and mming Ayesha straight to the ground.


    "!!!"


    Rhys felt himself being thrown away as a tidal wave of dirt headed its way toward him. He mustered all the strength to stand up; leaping and barely avoiding all the trees and branches that were sting toward him.


    The quake probablysted for an entire minute before Rhys finally got a chance to rest; his body itself, already forcing him to just sit down. And with everything calming down, Rhys saw the aftermath of Arachnea''s single attack.


    The sea of trees that once surrounded them¡­pletely gone.


    No. 2 told Rhys that Arachnea was a Threat Level 10, more god than monster, and he was starting to see what he meant.


    How exactly did he survive their first encounter?


    "We weren''t bothering your kind!" But perhaps even more surprising, was that Ayesha did not seem to be bothered by the attack as she once again leaped toward Arachnea and started going on the offensive, "Why y with my family!?"


    Rhys could not even see Ayesha''s arms as she released a barrage of attacks onto Arachnea. Arachnea, however, was able to avoid all of them. Those that she couldn''t avoid, however, caused her bones to crack.


    Arachnea was able to hit and scratch Ayesha with her legs more, but most of the wounds were superficial; there was blood, but it did not really seem to affect Ayesha.


    The two continued to exchange attacks. Soon, however, Ayesha was finally able to avoid one of Arachnea''s legs ¡ª she quickly stepped forward and stomped her foot on the ground; the back of her fist, almost touching the dirt as she violently smashed her fist straight up onto Arachnea''s spider body.


    Several skirts of wind surrounded Arachnea as Rhys could see her body visibly contort andpress. And then, in the blink of an eye, another thunder roared in the air as Arachnea''s body was thrown straight onto the sun of the Underworld; causing a ripple to quietly flow onto Helios.


    "S¡­ shit," Ayesha released a stuttering gasp as she looked up; her body almost falling down as she did so, "And stay there, piece of shit¡­ Recruit¡­ ¡­Rhys!"


    "Ayesha¡­" Rhys let out a whisper as he mustered up all the strength to walk toward her; almost rolling down the crater the two made.


    "Where are you¡­!?"


    "Here¡­ Here!" Rhys started running even through all the pain crawling through his flesh.


    "There you are, Recruit¡­" And as soon as Rhys stood close to Ayesha, Ayesha quickly ced her palm on Rhys''s chest. Rhys was about to say something when he felt something dangling in Ayesha''s hand.


    He quickly looked down, only for Ayesha to hang several dog tags around his neck; the sound of them hitting each other, causing Rhys to slightly shudder.


    "Honor themter," Ayesha then whispered as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "But now, we should go before that thing decides to return."


    "It''s¡­ still alive?" Rhys looked at the Helios.


    "Alive? It lives there. You really think I had it beat...? It''s a god, it was ying with me... Only reason it''s a Level 10 is because we don''t have a category after that," Ayesha let out a small chuckle, causing a shower of blood to escape her mouth, "Anyway¡­ take me back to the base."


    "Ayesha!?" Ayesha quickly wrapped her arms over Rhys''s shoulder, falling onto him as her breaths started to weaken.


    "The base¡­" Rhys quickly looked around him, only to see nothing but a wastnd, "...Where?"

 Chapter 58: Carrying The Strongest Woman in The World

    Chapter 58: Carrying The Strongest Woman in The World


    A second. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    A minute.


    An hour.


    Perhaps even an entire day.


    Rhys had spent an entire day walking without pause carrying several weights on him. Ayesha, aside from waking up from time to time to cuss at Rhys, have remainedpletely unconscious and unresponsive on his back. She wasn''t the heaviest weight Rhys was carrying, however, it was the metal chains hanging on his neck ¡ª the lives of the Faceless Crew,pressed into simple dog tags.


    Ayesha told him he had no time to mourn, but all he really seemed to have was time as he walked in the direction he assumed to be where the base of the Underworld Corps was. He really had no idea how far they''ve actually traveled.


    How could he? When he spent all that time just talking to his friends on their rusted and almost broken down jeep¡­ but even that was gone.


    No. 2 and Ayesha called Arachnea a god. But gods, to his limited knowledge, never mingle with them at all. So why¡­ why did Rhys even encounter Arachnea in the first ce? She was after him ¡ª Rhys read her desires before everything went to shit, and she wanted him.


    She wanted to eat him.


    If Rhys had not meet Arachnea under the Hole of his school, then the Faceless Crew would still be alive.


    Again.


    It''s him again ¡ª he had someone killed, and he was the only one to survive again.


    He could have saved all of them if he just allowed Arachnea to eat him there and then.


    "..." But then again¡­ would the others just have let him be eaten?


    No. They would have done the same thing no matter what. That¡­ was just how they are.


    "...No matter what," Rhys whispered to himself as he nudged his shoulder, slightly adjusting Ayesha as he continued to walk another mile carrying her. And soon, Rhys reached a field of grass; vast and almostpletely empty if not for the long river surrounded by stones flowing across its horizon. And still, he continued to walk.


    It wasn''t until he found arge boulder near the river did he finally rest; carefully and gently cing Ayesha on a bedrock, making sure they were hidden as much as possible from sight. And as soon as the weight was literally taken off his shoulders, he immediately noticed that the warmth stayed. Ayesha''s blood,pletely soaking his jacket all the way to his white shirt.


    He then turned to look at Ayesha, only to see that her wounds had barely healed, if at all.


    "Ayesha¡­ Commander Ayesha."


    "!!!"


    Rhys tried waking Ayesha up, tugging on her as hard as he could. But s, Ayesha only pushed Rhys away.


    "Ayesha¡­" Rhys, however, did not even move an inch as there seemed to be no strength left in Ayesha''s arm. Her face was alsopletely flushed and pale at the same time; her breaths, fettered. Rhys stared at her for a few seconds, before removing his blood-stained clothes and washing them.


    And as soon as most of the blood was washed away from his shirt, he returned to Ayesha and sat beside her.


    "Asking permission to take off your clothes and touch your body, Ayesha," Rhys whispered.


    "..." Ayesha, however, only slightly opened her eyes and nced at Rhys, before letting out another gasp and closing her eyes.


    "...I''ll take that as a yes," and with a small sigh, Rhys very gently sat Ayesha up, taking off her torn-ridden clothes and throwing them in the shallow part of the river where it would stay and soak. And as Rhys returned his gaze to Ayesha¡­ he saw that even her sports bra was soaked in blood,


    "...I will apologizeter."


    Rhys carefully removed Ayesha''s bar; her ample-sized breasts, almost bouncing as they were released. Rhys did not stare, however, as he just carefully ced Ayesha back on the ground and started wiping her clean; his shirt, slowly being filled by Ayesha''s blood and sweat again.


    And as he reached his arm, Rhys could not help but stop and hold her hand tight; cing it close to his forehead as he whispered,


    "Please, Ayesha. Not you¡­ not you too," Rhys breathed out, "I''ll carry you back to the Surface if I have to¡­ just live."


    "..." And as Rhys focused on cleaning Ayesha, he did not notice one of the Hearts floating above her head fluctuating and blinking. It took a while until Rhys was able topletely clean Ayesha; the wounds covering her entire body, now more evident than earlier.


    All of her cuts were squirming like worms; throbbing as they seemed to be desperate to heal themselves.


    "...You''ll be fine, Ayesha," Rhys muttered as he covered her with his jacket; still slightly wet, but enough to cover her from the heat of the helios. Rhys then very slowly stood up¡­ and soon, an orchestra of howls started to surround him.


    The howls did note from the horizon, however. Instead, shadows began to veil Rhys from above.


    "..." He looked up, only to see several winged creatures hovering and circling above them. Their transparent wings were more akin to that of a fly, if a fly was asrge as a motorcycle¡­ and looked like a flying dog without arms and an oversized set of legs.


    "Don''t worry, Ayesha¡­" A gust of wind started to surround Rhys as threads started to protrude from his fingers,


    "...I''ll protect you this time."


    ***


    "Kh¡­" Ayesha was woken up by her own gasp; almost choking as she swallowed the little bit of blood oozing from her lungs. Her eyes started to open, only to see helios and the foggy world of the Underworld.


    And without even a secondter, she remembered Rhys taking off her clothes and cleaning her body ¡ª not her almost dying fighting Arachne, not her losing herrades ¡ª but Rhys washing her body without her permission¡­ even touching between her thighs.


    "Recruit!"


    And so Ayesha quickly sat up and screamed, her eyes quickly trying to scan for Rhys.


    "Wh¡­"


    What she found, however, was a field filled with blood, guts, and mangled flesh.


    "...Recruit?" Ayesha stood up as she called for Rhys''s name. She did not even mind that she was almostpletely naked and started walking around; the sound of flesh squelching as she tried to find Rhys,


    "...Recruit!?"


    And as the endless body parts of all sorts of beasts and monsters served as a carpet for her to step on, she finally found a trace of Rhys.


    His right arm¡­ and only his right arm.


    "Rhys!? Rhys!" Ayesha started running across all the blood and guts, following its trail until he reached the sea of grass with fewer monsters. And there, at the very end of it, he saw Rhys sitting on the ground.


    "Oh¡­" Rhys very slowly turned around, revealing his body that was missing a limb¡ªno. Limbs. Ayesha watched as Rhys tried to stand up, only to struggle as half of his right leg was missing too,


    "...You''re finally awake."


    And with those words barely escaping his mouth; his eyes which were barely open fully closed.


    "!!!" And before he couldpletely fall to the ground, Ayesha disappeared from her spot and caught him.


    "Rhys¡­?" Ayesha quickly tried to hear Rhys''s heartbeat, only to hear nothing but a minute thud, barely even drumming.


    "I did it¡­ Ayesha," Rhys whispered right into her ear, "I¡­ protected you."


    "Rhys, you¡­ you didn''t need to," Ayesha stuttered, as this time, it was Rhys''s blood dripping onto her; his remaining hand, seemingly trying to hand her his own dog tag, "...These insects wouldn''t¡­"


    These monsters wouldn''t have even put as much as a scratch on Ayesha''s skin. But she did not say that, and instead, she just very gently wrapped her arms around Rhys and shook her head.


    Protecting her?


    Has anyone in her life actually ever done that before? No ¡ª because she didn''t need to be protected, everyone was just using her to protect themselves. Everyone¡­


    ¡­except Rhys.


    "Thank you, Recruit¡­ thank you," Ayesha whispered back. And with a small sniffle, another one of the 5 hearts above her head started to fluctuate¡­ with 3 of them nowpletely red, "But¡­


    ¡­hold on to your tag for now. Don''t fucking think you''re done serving under me."

 Chapter 59: 3.2 Billion

    Chapter 59: 3.2 Billion


    "What¡­ mean¡­ can''t attach¡­!?"


    "Nerves are¡­"


    "Then¡­ mine!"


    "...Not work like that."


    How many times has it been now in a short span of time that Rhys found himself falling in and out of unconsciousness? He could faintly hear Ayesha''s loud and obnoxious voice, but he could barely make out any words. There seemed to also be another person with her, but he couldn''t recognize who it was.


    "Just heal it!"


    "Can''t¡­ could attach mech¡­"


    "Do it! Get¡­ expensive¡­ one."


    "But¡­ cost is¡­"


    "Budget is¡­ just¡­"


    "...Escort¡­mander¡­ out."


    "D¡­ touch¡­ me! He¡­"


    And soon, Rhys could no longer hear anything as he sumbed to the weight pulling him down. He did not even dream, there was only a darkness that was violently trying to make him stay in its embrace.


    This embrace did notst long, however, as this dark embrace was suddenly reced by pain that seemed to be eating through his flesh.


    Rhys had been burned, his flesh yed, his throat torched, his bones ground ¡ª by all means, he had already learned how to ignore excruciating pain that would leave any other normal manpletely brain-dead.


    ¡­But the pain he was feeling right now was something¡­ else. It felt like there were billions of ants eating him from the inside, and they weren''t even mowing him down, no. They were taking their leisurely time.


    "W¡­ what''s happening!?"


    "I don''t¡­ tech armor¡­patible¡­ body! Remove it, remove it!"


    Rhys could hear several people screaming, or perhaps it was just his own consciousness screaming for him because he could not do it himself.


    "...Can''t! Something¡­ something is pulling it!"


    "What¡­ that¡­ webs¡­!?"


    "Can''t¡­ cut!"


    00:51


    "W¡­ eating¡­ me!"


    "F¡­force¡­"


    "Can''t¡­ cut!"


    "W¡­ eating¡­ me!"


    "Help¡­ help!"


    Rhys could hear several people screaming, but the only thing he could really do was feel as if his body was seemingly being dragged in the air. But soon, his body was once again surrounded by a pain impossibly unbearable that he could not even faint if he wanted to.


    A second.


    A minute.


    An hour.


    A day.


    The painsted an entire day and he was awake through all of it. It wasn''t until everything seemed to calm down that he was allowed to copse and reside in theforts of darkness.


    And once again, there were no dreams, only a reminder of all the things he had lost.


    "Rhys."


    And with his name being called, his eyes opened up to a bright ceiling; the familiar heat of helios, beaming down on his face as it passed through a window that told him he was still in the Underworld, alive and dead at the same time.


    Rhys then weakly turned his eyes toward the voice that woke up him, only to see Ayesha standing beside his bed with her arms crossed; her eyebrows, as low as they could be.


    "You¡­ stupid shit," Ayesha whispered out as her teeth almost showed, "You should have just run away."


    "...That would be grounds for desertion, Ayesha. Kh¡­" Rhys groaned as he tried to get up. And even with him activating his [Arise] skill, he felt something incredibly wrong as he couldn''t lift himself up.


    As for Ayesha, she only watched Rhys struggle; clicking her tongue at him and shaking her head. But after a few seconds, the snarl forming on her face subtly faded away as she helped Rhys up.


    "You know where you are, Recruit?" Ayesha quickly backed away and once again crossed her arms.


    "Back in the base¡­ Underworld," Rhys nced at the window.


    "I had to haul your crippled ass all the way here," Ayesha''s voice slightly trembled; a mix of rage and somberness flowing with them.


    "Crippled¡­" Rhys nced at Ayesha for a few seconds, before finally looking at his right hand¡­ only to see nothing there all the way to his shoulder, "I¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡­I guess that''s that, huh?"


    Rhys then also looked at his legs which were still covered by nkets; his voice turning quiet, "Am I going to be discharged now?"


    "Fuck your balls you''re discharged, Recruit," Ayesha scoffed, "You are only discharged when you''re dead."


    "But¡­ I''m useless now."


    "Like you weren''t before?" Ayesha let out a small chuckle as she very gently sat on Rhys''s bed.


    "But my arm¡­ and my leg is¡ª"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, Ayesha suddenly pulled Rhys''s nket away and threw it to the side ¡ª revealing Rhys with both legs still intact¡­ maybe.


    "That¡­"


    "Tech armor," Ayesha lightly tapped on Rhys'' right leg, causing a small but hard clink to ring in the air. Half of his thigh, and then all the way down his toes were nowpletely encased in a sort of ck chainmail¡ªno. It wasn''t encased, it was now his entire leg,


    "Cool, right? That was made of the same material as the one they are using with Hole Proofing,pressed several times over. You know what that means?"


    "..."


    "You owe me exactly 3.2 billion dors plus tax, Recruit."


    "...What?" Rhys''s eyes widened as he looked Ayesha in the eyes, only to see herpletely serious.


    "I didn''t even include the price for your arm, Recruit," Ayesha pointed at Rhys''s shoulder, "It got fucked, but I still paid for it."


    "I thought¡­ the Underworld corps did not have a budget, Ayesha?"


    "We don''t," Ayesha just shrugged, "That''s why you''re going to pay me, and I am going to pay the government. Don''t worry about it too much."


    "That''s 3.2 billion dors, Ayesha," Rhys blinked.


    "Trust me, the government folded when I told them about Arachnea," Ayesha suddenly burst out in a fit ofughter, "I had those old men by their balls."


    "..."


    "..."


    And with those words, the silence that came after made the awkwardness even stronger. But after a few seconds, Ayesha once again gently tapped Rhys''s now mechanical leg, before fully cing her palm on it and letting out a very long and deep breath.


    "Can I ask you why, Rhys?"


    "Hm¡­?"


    "Why didn''t you just leave me? The truth, this time¡­ please." Ayesha looked Rhys in his covered eyes, "I am more than fully capable of surviving everything. Arachnea was just¡­ an unexpected variable."


    "Because I didn''t want to abandon you, Ayesha," Rhys carefully held Ayesha''s hand as he returned her gaze, "When you held my hand while I was talking to my sister, you epted my silly request¡­ and you didn''t abandon me then."


    "I''m strong, Rhys," Ayesha did not pull her hand away and just looked at Rhys''s hand, "I don''t need anyone protecting me. I''m the one that''s doing the protecting."


    "I did it because I want to, Ayesha. Because believe it or not, the Faceless crew are precious to me¡­" Rhys looked Ayesha in the eyes, before he very slowly nced at the 5 Hearts floating above her head¡­


    ¡­4 of them, nowpletely red.


    "I want to protect you too, Ayesha¡­


    ¡­because you are important to me."


    "..."


    "..."


    "Tch¡­ you think I don''t know about the big-tittied doctor and the tiny explorer you have?" Ayesha quickly pulled her hand away, "You''re a fuckboy."


    "...That''s not true at all," Rhys shook his head, "I''ve only been with one woman in my life."


    "Psh, what are you gonna say next? That I can be the second one?"


    "...Maybe."


    "I''d rather eat minotaur balls, Recruit," Ayesha scoffed as she quickly made her way out of the room, "Rest, you need to introduce yourself to your new crew¡­ No. 1."


    "Wh¡ª" Ayesha did not let Rhys say anything as she quickly stepped out of the room, mming the door on Rhys.


    "Sh¡­shit," Ayesha took in a small gulp as her legs almost gave out on her; her brown face, now almost as red as her ancestors as she covered her mouth, "I¡­


    ¡­I thought I was gay."


    ***


    "Is¡­ that him? The crippled Lowborn?"


    "Why the fuck is he so tall?"


    "Shh! Don''t let anyone hear you."


    3 monthster, a new set of recruits were once again trying their luck in the Underworld Corps. And in front of them was an officer; the right sleeve of his uniform, iling with the wind.


    "Recruits¡­" Rhys stood in front of a dozen recruits; his eyes which were still covered by his hair, scanning all of them one by one,


    "All of you need to know one thing. You just do not realize it yet¡­" Rhys''s voice was extremely cold,


    "...But all of you are dead already."

 Chapter 60: The Lowborn Cripple

    Chapter 60: The Lowborn Cripple


    "Recruits! Those who can''t keep up will be sent to the deeper base of the Underworld Corps!"


    "Wh¡­ how long have we been running¡­?"


    In the forest region that was serving as the perimeter of the Underworld Corps, the fresh recruits were currently gasping for breath; their vision, already blurring as they followed the officer in front of them; his right sleeve, being left behind in the wind as he ran.


    "I¡­ I don''t know."


    "Marcus, I thought you were going to do something!?"


    The recruits who were at the front of the line started lightly hitting and pushing each other.


    "I¡­ I will, I''m just trying to find a chance!"


    "You''ve been saying that for half a day now!"


    "F¡­ fuck! This crippled Lowborn is dead once we stop!"


    Sadly for them, it was impossible for Rhys to actually get tired. The recruits probably spent another 3 hours of literally running for their lives before Rhys finally gave them a chance to rest. Their butts all fall to the ground at the same time; their breaths, barely even breaths at all.


    Rhys nced at them for a few seconds before nodding to himself.


    "You have 15 minutes to catch your breath. We will return to the base in¡ª"


    "The fuck we will!"


    And as Rhys was about to scout the nearby areas, the recruits that were in the front of the band stood up and started approaching Rhys; their faces almost contorted as they raised their voices,


    "We have been running nonstop for more than half a day! This is abuse!"


    "Abuse¡­?" Rhys looked at the one that stepped forward, Marcus. Marcus could really only take a step back as Rhys very slowly walked toward him.


    But after remembering that Rhys was only a Lowborn, Marcus once again stepped forward; Subconsciously standing on his toes to try and be at the same eye level as Rhys.


    "Yes!" Marcus raised his voice, causing the other recruits behind him to all nod their heads.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys looked at the other recruits as he let out a breath, "And do the others agree that what I am doing is abuse?"


    The other recruits did not really say anything, but their subtly nodding heads and expressions of annoyance told Rhys everything he needed to know.


    "Very well," Rhys nodded, "All of you drop and give me 60."


    "Wh¡ªI just told you this is abuse of authority! But of course, you are probably excited. This is the first time a Lowborn like you gets to experience something like this," Marcus scoffed. And even as he started berating Rhys in front of the other recruits, Rhys just remainedpletely silent.


    "What!? You can''t say anything because it''s true!? You seem to be forgetting that once we leave this ce, you will return to being the Lowborn you are, you overgrown fuck!" Marcus raised his hand at Rhys. And as soon as he did so, however, Rhys suddenly pointed a finger at his leg. And before Marcus could wonder what he was doing, he felt a sting suddenly snap on his leg. He quickly turned to look, only to find himself losing his bnce.


    "!!!" All the other recruits could really only gasp as they saw Marcus falling to the ground; blood, now oozing from his leg.


    "Did you just¡ª"


    And before Marcus could say anything, Rhys suddenly stepped on the back of his head and mmed his face on the dried ground.


    "Abuse?" Rhys looked at the other recruits as he did not give Marcus even a chance to lift himself up, "All of you seem to be forgetting that you waived your rights as soon as signed up for the Underworld Corps. This isn''t a yground."


    "You¡­ you shot him!" One of Marcus''s friends pointed at Rhys''s hand, which was still formed simr to a gun.


    "I did. Want to see me do it again?" Rhys did not even blink as he shot Marcus''s other leg, causing him to scream in anguish, "I am doing all of you a favor. This man, I know his kind ¡ª do you know how many people I have watched die because of men like this?"


    "..."


    "Do you know how many of our brothers and sisters I have watched die because of one single man thinking he is more important than everyone else?" Rhys put more weight onto his leg; causing a small crack to whisper in the air,


    "More than a thousand, dead. Because of men that refuse to follow orders¡­


    ¡­now form a line and follow me, we are all going back to the base."


    And with those words, Rhys released Marcus and started walking away.


    "S¡­sir!? What about Marcus!?"


    "Carry him, he will receive disciplinary action. As will the rest of you," Rhys started jogging, "That''s an order, Recruits."


    "S¡­sir, yes Sir!"


    ***


    "More than a thousand dead¡­because of men who refuse to follow orders...Pft!"


    "Stop teasing the Boss."


    "I''m allowed to do that! He shot me twice when one should have been enough to scare those pansies! That wasn''t in the script!"


    In the canteen of the Command Building, Rhys was currently shaking his head while chewing his food. And beside himughing¡­ was Marcus.


    "Have you really seen a thousand people die, Boss?"


    There were other people at his table, all carrying smiles on their faces as they looked at Rhys.


    "I''m not your boss, No. 4," Rhys only waved his hand as he gestured to the others to just continue eating, "And I have watched people die¡­ perhaps too many." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Rhys subtly turned to look at the dog tags hanging from his neck ¡ª and there were probably more than a dozen tags there."


    "..." The rest of the Faceless crew bowed their heads down and sighed.


    "For the Former No. 2," one of them raised their metal mug, causing Rhys and the others to do the same. And before anyone could say anything else, a loud roar suddenly reverberated throughout the entire canteen.


    "Recruit!"


    And immediately, the Faceless crew all wore their masks and started looking away from Rhys. It wasn''t only them, everyone in the canteen all looked away; some even feigning sleep.


    "Recruit!" Ayesha stood in front of the door, causing the entire canteen to quake as she roared, "I heard you scared our fresh recruits again! How many times have I told you not to do that!?"


    "Oof, Boss is in trouble again."


    "Rhys! Come to my office, now!"


    And as Ayesha mmed the door closed, Rhys could really only shake his head and sigh; the others, still refusing to look at him even as he followed Ayesha out.


    "..." Rhys stayedpletely calm as he headed to Ayesha''s office, only sighing as he reached the door. And before he could even knock, Ayesha opened the door and leaned her head out; looking in both directions of the corridor before suddenly pulling Rhys inside ¡ª quickly mming him onto the wall and grabbing his face.


    And as she looked into Rhys''s eyes, the expression on her facepletely softened as it turned red.


    "Take¡­" Ayesha then whispered into Rhys''s ear,


    "...Go take a shower, that''s an order."


    "..." Rhys returned Ayesha''s gaze. The 5 Hearts floating above her head, now gone. Reced by arger Gray Heart with a little bit of red filling up its bottom,


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    And without even any hesitation, Rhys ced his lips on Ayesha''s.

 Chapter 61: Coming In the Office

    Chapter 61: Coming In the Office


    "Are¡­ you sure you don''t want to stay?"


    "No¡­"


    "And you''ll be¡­ nh¡­ you''ll be leaving in a month?"


    "Yes, that was the n¡­ We''ve already talked about this before."


    "...But we''ve never talked about it while¡­ while doing thi¡ªwait¡­ wait¡­"


    The sound of fabric tearing whispered in the air as Ayesha''s teeth bit on the pillow beneath her face.


    "Un¡­ uh!" And as her teeth and lips parted, a string of saliva started to trail from the pillow that was soaked with both her tears and spit.


    The pillow was not the only one that waspletely soaked, however, as the juices that were endlessly dripping onto her thighs and down her knees caused the entire bed to be wet.


    "Ha¡­ I could¡­ I could force you to stay, you know?" Ayesha''s voice was meek,pletely devoid of its usual brashness and arrogance, "I have the power to¡ªNh!"


    It wasn''t only her voice that was meek ¡ª everything was.


    Her muscles which release an audible noise as they contract, nowpletely soft and almost limp as she was on her knees; her legs spread wide open as she let Rhys just do whatever he wanted with her ¡ª even pushing her down as she tried to get up.


    But aside from keeping her facedown, Rhys was incredibly gentle with Ayesha, even holding both her hands behind her back with his remaining hand as he ravaged her from behind.


    "I have¡­ I have the power to¡­" Ayesha gasped as she tried her best not to bite on her pillow again. And soon, Ayesha removed one of her hands from Rhys''s grip; her fingers, quickly moving between her thighs as she spread herself even further.


    "Nh¡­" And with her moans growing even louder, her fingers started to trail onto her clit as she started rubbing herself,


    "Ah!"


    It seemed to be too much, however, as she quickly moved her hand away; her entire body trembling; her toes curling.


    "I think¡­ I think I''m¡­"


    Even with Ayesha almost screaming, Rhys''s pace did not change at all as he made sure to keep hitting where it mattered ¡ª something he seemed to know instinctively.


    "Wait¡­ I''m¡­" Ayesha''s entire body curled up as she almost stopped breathing,


    "...Rhys¡­


    ¡­Rhys!"


    And with her calling Rhys''s name, all the strength in her body seemingly left her ¡ª her eyes, almost closing on their own. And as she fell to her side, the feeling of Rhys leaving her body almost made her crumble as her entire body once again started shaking.


    "Ha¡­ ha," and as Ayesha faced the ceiling; her uncontroble and heavy breaths caused her breasts to jiggle.


    "!!!... S¡­ stop!"


    Rhys then started kissing her stomach. But with her entire body stillpletely sensitive, she once again almost curled.


    Rhys did not let her, however, as he grabbed both her knees and once again spread her legs open.


    "You¡­" Ayesha''s eyes turned wide as she saw the thing between Rhys''s leg stillpletely hard, and even throbbing. She stared at it for a few seconds, before a small smile started to crawl on her face. Her fingers, once again crawling between her thighs as she spread herself wide open again, "I¡­


    ¡­love you, Recruit."


    ***


    "So¡­? Still leaving after a month?"


    "...Yes. I''m¡ªKh!"


    "Go fuck yourself next time."


    "..."


    And as soon as the two were fully clothed in Ayesha''s room, the brashness of her voice once again resurrected as she pped Rhys on his back. Rhys, however, did not tumble at all and just stepped forward before turning to Ayesha.


    "Anyway, I didn''t just ask you toe to my office toe inside me," Ayesha let out a long and deep sigh as she sat on her desk, quickly getting her teddy bear as she started spinning her chair, "I am here to give you yourst mission."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys could really only let out a small sigh before also taking a seat in front of Ayesha''s desk, "...Not asking me to rile up new recruits anymore?"


    "No," Ayesha scoffed, "I only gave you that job so that we could fuck whenever I get horny."


    "Right," Rhys shook his head, stillpletely amused with how different Ayesha was in bed, "What kind of mission is it?"


    "Well, it involves killing," Ayesha grabbed a file from her desk and slid it toward Rhys, "A lot of killing."


    "Hm," Rhys nodded as he looked at the file, only for him to quickly look back at Ayesha,


    "These are humans, Ayesha."


    "A small guild, to be exact."


    "The Faceless Crew don''t kill people," Rhys shook his head as he slid the file back to Ayesha, "Give me another mission."


    "Well, the Faceless Crew isn''t going," Ayesha returned the file to Rhys, "Only you. This is a solo mission."


    "Only¡­ me?" Rhys once again started reviewing the file.


    "Yes, Rhys," Ayesh stuck out her tongue and groaned, "That''s what Solo Mission means."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as he continued to read the file. And after a few minutes, he closed the file and tucked it between his arm as he stood up,


    "...Okay. I ept the mission."


    "You''re not epting anything, you bitch," Ayesha rolled her eyes as she also stood up, "That''s an order, you''re obligated to do it. And even if you''re not, remember¡­


    ¡­3.2 billion."


    "Hm," Rhys''s metal leg flinched as he heard that.


    "That''s all, Recruit," Ayesha waved her hand.


    "Yes, Ma''am," Rhys stood up straight and saluted Ayesha.


    "Ande back fast¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡­we need to spend more time together before you leave."


    ***


    "Please, kind sir¡­ please help."


    "Here."


    "Do¡­ do you have coins? My¡­ my children need to eat."


    "Here, have a bread and jerky."


    "I¡­ I don''t need food."


    "...Leave."


    "Tch, I hope you die here!"


    "..." Rhys could really only watch as a ck-haired man raised his middle finger at him, walking away while cursing him nonstop.


    That wasn''t the first person that approached Rhys and asked him for money to buy food, only to refuse the food he was giving them ¡ª the vige he was in now was filled with them.


    A settlement a good distance away from their base. Unlike most settlements in the Underworld, however, this one had thick walls covering its perimeter ¡ª almost a city, really.


    Rhys was not wearing his uniform, and instead wearing clothes that Explorers typically wear.


    "Now¡­" Rhys then grabbed a phone that was provided to him by Ayesha, which had all the information he needed regarding his mission ¡ª specifically his targets,


    "...They should be here."

 Chapter 62: Rhys the Espionage Master

    Chapter 62: Rhys the Espionage Master


    A wall made of rocks and stones, all held by a mile of mesh wire and wood. One might think this was not enough to protect an entire settlement, but this was already one of the better ones Rhys had seen.


    He had been to many human settlements in the Underworld during his time in the suicide corps, and the settlement he was in right now was objectively thergest and perhaps the most secure of them all.


    Like most settlements in the Underworld, everything was either built by hand or by an elemental controller; the materials used, only what was avable in the region.


    And in the case of Karem City, it is both. There were even buildings, arge market, and even arge za ¡ª perhaps an advancement only made possible by the fact that a lot of Explorers used the settlement as a rest and trade area.


    And right now, in one of the small eateries stationed around the za, Rhys was currently having a meal¡­ which he had been eating for an hour now, trying his best to blend in with the other Explorers who were also dining there.


    He was even wearing something simr to what Lina was wearing; hard leather and steel tes to protect himself.


    "...That Lowborn has been here for more than an hour."


    "Tch, don''t make trouble. This is probably the first time he is eating that well, just let him enjoy his meal."


    "What do you expect, he only has one arm¡­pft."


    Unfortunately for Rhys, with his jet-ck messy hair covering half of his face, no one thought he was actually an Explorer. Fortunately for Rhys, his goal was not espionage¡­ and he already had his targets on sight, seated at the table behind him.


    The Venom Brawlers. Although they were legally registered as an Explorer guild, they were more like a party with their small number.


    "The cargo this time is going to set me for a few months," One of Rhys''s targets, Joshua, poured more alcohol into his friend''s cup as they seem to be celebrating something, "I''m surely not gonna miss any of you cocksuckers."


    "Pft. You? You''re going to spend all that in a week with Viagras," Alexis, the leader of the Venom Brawlers, raised his cup as soon as it was filled, "For our families!"


    "We was floating for a long time, but now we got this," Trae, the oldest member of the group, refused the alcohol while scratching his already graying beard, "My son''s been wanting a new car." n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    "Isn''t your son like 40? Zeus, you have to stop supporting the guy," Elize, the only woman in the group snarled at Trae, "He needs a job, bro."


    The Venom Brawlers have two other members, but Rhys has not seen them even once since they left an hour ago.


    "..."


    Another hour passed, and the Venom Brawlers had already finished their food and drinks and were heading out, and yet there was still no sign of the other two. Rhys did not really follow the group yet, only watching which direction they were walking to as they stepped out of the eatery.


    And after a few seconds of letting them gain distance, he finally decided to follow them. Before he could stand up, however, he suddenly found himself surrounded by several people; looking down on him, the hostility in their eyespletely obvious for everyone to see.


    "Get up, my friends need a table."


    "..." And as one of the thugs gestured to Rhys to stand up, he could not help but scan the entire eatery, only to see several tablespletely free and empty. Rhys nced back at the man who told him to get up, before just letting out a small but very deep sigh, "I do not want any trouble, I was getting up anyway."


    And as he was about to get up, the man stretched his hand to push him back to his seat. Rhys, however, just swiftly moved to the side.


    "..." And with the man slightly leaned forward, the only thing he could really was very slowly look up as Rhys towered over him. Rhys was 6''3" when he joined the Underworld Corps, and in just months after, he already stood at 6''6", towering over most normal men.


    "T¡­ the fuck. Why is this Lowborn so tall?" The man was about to grab Rhys by the cor, but Rhys just subtly grabbed him by his sleeve. The man tried pulling his arm away, but he couldn''t even move it a single millimeter,


    "Let go of¡ª"


    "Don''t," Rhys slightly leaned down to whisper at the man''s ear; his eyes, looking at the man''s friends, "You and your friends are going to sit at my table, and I am going to walk away, peacefully."


    "Y¡ª"


    The man was about to say something, but Rhys slightly pinched his flesh through his sleeve, pulling his arm down.


    "I am going to walk away, peacefully. Smile if you understand. I do not want any trouble."


    The man still tried to free his sleeve from Rhys''s grip. But as he felt his skin stretching and on the verge of being ripped off from his bones, the only thing he could really do was smile.


    "Hm," Rhys nodded as he let go of the man''s arm, also nodding at the man''s friends before just moving past them.


    But before Rhys could even take 3 steps, he felt a fist moving toward him. And with his reflexes, Rhys could just tilt his head to the side ¡ª but he chose not to do so, just letting the fist smack him right on the back of his head.


    "You Lowborn crip¡ªGah!" The man who punched Rhys screamed, and it was hard to discern which one was louder; his voice cracking, or his fist.


    And even as the man cried, Rhys only released a short but deep sigh. After all, based on his ample experience, it had to be done. These people, like Lex and his friends from the High School, will not stop until they experience the same violence they inflict on other people.


    And as soon as the thugs saw their friend''s twisted fist, the only thing they could really do was back away as they stared at Rhys, who was very slowly ncing back at them.


    All of them drew their weapons; one of them even releasing a ball of fire from his palm and pointing it at Rhys, but Rhys quickly pped his hand away at a speed none of the people in the eatery could see.


    And once again, another thug cried out as his hand now looked like it was crushed by a hydraulic press. The people in the eatery weren''t the only ones shocked as they saw the man''s hand almost just dangling from his arm, even Rhys''s mouth was slightly gasping.


    "...Shit," Rhys quietly cursed as he closed his eyes and sighed. He already had this ability for an entire month, and yet he still could not really get used to it.


    The ability he received from the Commander of the Underworld Corps.


    Overwhelming Herculean Strength ¡ª and not just any level¡­


    ¡­but the strength of the one considered to be the 14th Strongest Explorer in the entire world.

 Chapter 63: Stealth: Optional

    Chapter 63: Stealth: Optional


    "Shit¡­"


    Rhys wasn''t given a stealth mission and was given free reign by Ayesha himself. He could do whatever he wanted, as long as hepleted his mission ¡ª even discretion was optional.


    If he was treated as a Lowborn, it was no problem at all; he could just lower his head and go on his mission. After all, most Lowborns go about their entire lives only looking at the ground, he just garnered more attention than the others because of his height.


    What he did not expect, however, was his instinct he had learned during his time training in the Underworld Corps to fail him.


    He had been trained to eliminate all threats as soon as they showed any signs of actually being a threat ¡ª and pointing a fireball at him was a threat not only to him but also to the other people in the entire eatery; not to mention the small restaurant was made entirely by untreated dry wood, this ce will burn up in seconds.


    And so, he just instinctively eliminated the threat by pping the man''s hand away¡­


    ¡­but his instincts forgot that he already had Ayesha''s strength.


    "My¡­ my hand!"


    And as the man grabbed his mangled hand, everyone could see him desperately trying to hold it together; its flesh and bones, already just hanging by a thread, literally.


    "What''s¡­ what''s going on here!?"


    And as the owners of the eatery finally decided to intervene, all the people that were dining there all stood up from their seats.


    There were no such things as power of authority in the human settlements of the Underworld. And the closest thing they have as guards or police are the gangs that have formed in their miniature cities.


    But mostly, it is just the power of the people ¡ª of everyone there. If someone were to cause trouble, they would receive the wrath of all the Explorers who were just there to rx and trade.


    And right now, they were all looking at Rhys and the group of thugs in front of him.


    "What the¡ªKino!?" The owner of the eatery quickly pointed at the person who initially tried to grab Rhys by the cor, "Are you making trouble with the customers again!? Wait¡­ is that a Lowborn? Here¡­ in my restaurant?"


    But as soon as the owner''s gazended on Rhys, his angered tone quickly shifted toward him instead.


    "Did you not see the sign outside!?" The owner of the eatery pointed at Rhys, "No Lowborns allowed here! We should¡ª"


    And before the owner of the eatery could stomp his way toward Rhys, Kino quickly blocked his path.


    "What are you¡­"


    "It''s fine¡­ It''s fine," Kino whispered. And soon, the owner of the eatery finally noticed one of Kino''s men groveling on the ground with one of his hands mutted, "He was just leaving¡­ You''re leaving, right!?"


    Kino''s voice slightly trembled; not even daring to look at Rhys as he turned to him.


    "What do you mean he is leaving!? What is even happ¡ª"


    "Yes," Rhys did not let the owner finish his words as he started walking away, "I''m sorry for the trouble I caused here."


    And with those words, Rhys quickly made his exit; making sure not to look at anyone there as he did so.


    "Wh¡ªchase that overgrown Lowborn! Did he even pay!?" The owner quickly pushed Kino away, but Kino grabbed his hand.


    "Stop."


    "What do you mean sto¡ª" And once again, the owner was not able to finish his words as he saw the look on Kino''s face; terrified, extremely so.


    "That man¡­" Kino gulped as he looked at his friends, as well as remembered how Rhyspletely locked his arm earlier; not even allowing him to move even a single millimeter, "...he is probably a Noble."


    "Huh¡­? What nonsense are you¡­wait. You mean one of those?" The owner of the eatery also gulped as he looked Kino in the eyes.


    "Hm¡­ bored Nobles in disguise."


    "Shit¡­ here?"


    "Yes ¡ª think about it. When have you seen a Lowborn that big?"


    "...Why did you pick a fight with him, then!?"


    "He was sitting down when I approached him!"


    "Fuck¡­" The owner looked around, before gesturing to all the people dining there to just sit down and return to whatever it is they were doing. And as his eyesnded on the man groveling on the floor, the only thing he could really do was kicking him away,


    "Damn it! Why did you guys have to mess with him!?"


    "W¡­why me!?"


    "Remember," The owner once again looked at the other diners, as well as Kino, "If anyone asked what happened here¡­


    ¡­just feign ignorance."


    And while the chaos and panic in the eatery were growing stronger, the one who left them there waspletely oblivious to the fact that his disguise finally worked¡­ butpletely different from how he expected. n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    But then again, it did not matter as he was focused on following the Venom Brawlers from a distance; moving through the busy markets of Karem city. Thanks to his reflexes, he was able to just smoothly traverse the unusually heavy crowd.


    The Venom Brawlers stepped out of the city, before walking toward arge truck that was parked a few distance away from Karem.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys quickly hid behind arge rock. And as he examined the truck more carefully, he was quickly reminded of the truck he saw when he first encountered the hissyr. Was it possible¡­ they were smuggling monsters into the Surface?


    ¡­But why?


    Rhys watched as the Venom Brawlers started removing a load of boxes from the truck; opening all of them up and just leaving them beside the truck for some reason.


    And as Rhys finally decided to approach the truck to get a closer look and finally confront the guild, two people suddenly appeared from both sides of the boulder and surrounded him.


    Nick and Kevin, thest two members of the Venom Brawlers.


    "Who are you¡­ and why did you follow our friends all the way¡ª"


    And before Kevin could even finish his words, Rhys pointed a finger on his left eye and¡­


    ¡­releasing apressed st of wind.


    Well, this wasn''t a stealth mission from the start.

 Chapter 64: Killer

    Chapter 64: Killer


    "...Kevin?"


    Kevin and Nick were the unlucky ones to draw the smallest sticks and were tasked to guard the truck, while the rest of the Venom Brawlers enjoyed a meal in Karem city. But aside frommenting the fact andining a little, they couldn''t really do anything else as it was how things have worked with their guild from the start.


    Nothing really happens, anyway. Most Explorers just pass by them without even ncing at their truck. And if there were any that would ask questions, they would just quickly lose interest.


    That is why there is a saying, ''If you want to do business, do it in the Underworld'', because most people here are busy hunting monsters and doing whatever it is they are doing.


    But never did Nick think that he would be watching his friend very slowly fall back to the ground; limp andpletely lifeless as the socket of one of his friend''s eyes were nowpletely visible to him.


    There was not really a lot of blood oozing from his eye, but it was enough to damp the dry rocks beneath his head.


    "Kevin¡­?" Nick let out a small stutter. But as


    soon as he finally woke up from his mild stupor, he quickly turned to look at Rhys. Before he could scream, however, Rhys suddenly sted ayer of web on his mouth, before just tugging on it; with force strong enough that it snapped Nick''s jaw and neck at the same time.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys only looked at the two corpses suddenly in front of him, before pulling them by their ankles and slightly hiding them behind the boulder. There really was no reason to do so, however, as the next thing he did was casually approach the truck.


    "...What the?" The first to see him was the oldest member of the guild, Trae. He just opened the steel case he ced on the ground, but as soon as he saw Rhys approaching them, he immediately closed it again, "Guys, we might have trouble."


    The rest of the Venom Brawlers also quickly closed the boxes they ced on the ground, before moving close to Rhys and blocking his path.


    "W¡ªisn''t this the Lowborn who was eating with us earlier?" The only woman in the guild, Elize, quickly looked at Rhys from head to toe as she remembered him from the eatery.


    "What do you want?" Alexis, as the leader of the guild, approached Rhys; not before sneakily gesturing to his guild to return the boxes inside the truck, "If you want money, we don''t have it."


    "We do," Trae ced his wrinkled hand on Alexis''s shoulder before walking toward Rhys. He looked at Rhys''s missing arm, before handing him some change, "I know this ain''t enough to get you by, as big as you are, but I hope it helps, young man."


    "Why are you giving the dude alms?" Joshua scoffed as he grabbed Trae''s hand before he could give Rhys some cash, "Look at him, if he''s that big, then he should just work as a porter or someth¡ªWait. Is that why you approached us? You thought we needed help in carrying this box to the truck? What can you even do with one arm?"


    "Enough, Joshua," Alexis tapped Joshua and Trae''s back, "Go find Nick and Kevin. Trae, let''s return the package to the truck. As for you¡­"


    Alexis squinted his eyes as he tried to look past the hair covering Rhys''s face, "I am afraid we have no work, especially for a Lowborn missing one ha¡ª"


    "What''s in the boxes?" Rhys interrupted Alexis as he pointed at the box being carried by Elize.


    "Tch," Joshua, who was about to go and find their two missingrades, could not help but groan as he once again approached Rhys; this time, with his feet stomping on the ground, "Look here, you fucking dregger. We do not have time for you, or your attempts to beg for money. Just go, go! Don''t think we don''t know you guys are some part of the mob or something ¡ª they probably cut off your arm to make you look more pitiable."


    "Joshua, don''t treat the man like that," Trae, who was already carrying a box, quickly stood between Joshua and Rhys, "You''re lucky you weren''t born that way. He is¡ª"


    And before Trae could finish his words, Rhys suddenly opened the box he was carrying.


    "This is¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as he stared at the content of the box, only to see some sort of four-eyed infant feline sleeping in it; the tip of its whiskers, glowing a faint blue which resembled its fur,


    "...You are smuggling monsters to the Surface."


    "Fuck¡­" Joshua rolled his eyes as he closed the box Trae was carrying, "...Now you''re just messing with¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And before Joshua could finish his words, Trae could really only close his eyes as blood started squirting on his face. The side of Joshua''s neck,pletely split open as Rhys suddenly cut it open with a silver scalpel without any hint or warning.


    "Huk¡­" Joshua grabbed his neck, but all it really did was increase the pressure and strengthen the flow of blood showering on Trae''s face. And soon, he fell forward; pushing away the box Trae was holding and causing the infant monster to roll away ¡ª even with this, however, it did not wake up.


    "It''s an attack!" Alexis quickly roared as his entire body was suddenly encapsted by an armor of ice. But before he could rush toward Rhys, he had already twisted Trae''s neck, causing him to hesitate for a moment.


    That moment, however, was a mistake ¡ª as Rhys threw the scalpel on his hand straight through his forehead with a clean cut.


    As Rhys pulled his hand, however, the clean cut immediately turned into a mangled hole as he actually had the scalpel attached to a thread of web; his weapon, returning to him as quickly as he threw it.


    "W¡­ what have you done¡­!?" Elize couldn''t even move from her spot; only dropping the box she was holding as she stared at Rhys with her trembling eyes.


    "Smuggling monsters to the Surface is punishable by death," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head and started walking toward Elize, "A lot of people will die once these monsters grow up."


    "T¡­ they''re pets! They¡­ they are harmless!" Elize started to stutter, she tried shooting stone bullets at Rhys, but the only thing it did was shatter upon reaching his face.


    "For now," Rhys once again sighed, "But they will grow, and when they do ¡ª they will resent you for taking them from their homes. They will grow scared, angry. These are not pets to be yed around with. They are going to grow up as killers because they have been molded by the world to be so."


    "Oh¡­ oh my god¡­ you¡­ you killed them," Elize looked at her friends.


    "And I will have to do the same to you, Ma''am," Rhys coldly said.


    "I''m¡­ I''m pregnant!" Elize raised one of her hands in the air as she touched her belly, "Please¡­ please! I am telling the truth, I can get the ultrasound from the truck and¡ª"


    "I know, I have read all of your files."


    "Then¡ª"


    "No," Rhys very slowly raised his scalpel, "Justice¡­ n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    ¡­should be fair to everyone."

 Chapter 65 Records of Life

    "Hm¡­"


    A light shed across the air; momentarily washing out the stony ground in white, as well as the faces of the people who were lying 18 feet below ground.


    18 feet, because anything deeper than the size of the hole he dug would turn the hole into a Dig. A bit confusing, but that is just how things work in the Underworld ¡ª there was a certain volume of depth in which the gravity would start to shiftpletely.


    Another sh of light snapped in the air as Rhys took another photo of the corpses of the Venom Brawlers; proof that he hadpleted his mission.


    Elize, who was thest one to die by his hands, just had a single hole on her forehead, with the fear of expression still lingering on her lifeless face; perhaps a testament to how quickly Rhys killed her, as he promised.


    "..." Rhys then nced at Elize''s belly, which was only starting to swell. And with a small but very deep sigh, he raised his hand and closed his fist. And as soon as he did so, all the rocks and boulders that were attached to the threads that were actually protruding from the tips of his fingers all fell down to the hole,pletely covering the Venom Brawlers'' corpses.


    He stared at the Venom Brawlers'' burial site for a few seconds, before letting out another deep sigh and walking toward their truck.


    He then grabbed something from his utility belt ¡ª a red armband and a cap with the insignia of the Underworld Corps; wearing them as he entered the truck.


    He took one final nce at the burial site he made, before just tilting his cap and driving away. And as always the case, the drive back to the base was uneventful. There was no need to even worry about gas, as the truck was powered by the helios'' rays.


    Rhys had noticed this before, but there was not really an onught of monsters in the Underworld¡­ because most of them were already digging toward the Surface somewhere.


    Rhys already considered himself busy with his duty in the Underworld Corps, he couldn''t truly imagine how much more load Explorers have, as they pretty much do everything they do, plus everything else.


    Perhaps the only advantage of being an Explorer was the sense of freedom that came with it ¡ª Rhys needed that.


    And he had already done what he had set here to aplish¡­


    ¡­it was time to go back to the Surface.


    ***


    "Zeus, Recruit. Didn''t you just leave a week ago? I heard you also brought the contraband in the base."


    "Monsters, Ayesha," Rhys saluted as he entered Ayesha''s office; this time, wearing his full uniform as a Sergeant of the Underworld Corps.


    And upon seeing Rhys all dressed up, Ayesha could not help but raise an eyebrow as she looked at him from head to toe.


    "What''s with the drip?" Ayesha scoffed as she gestured to Rhys to sit in front of the desk.


    "...This is my uniform, Ayesha."


    "I mean why are you wearing it? You have somewhere you need to be, Recruit?" Ayesha sat on the desk in front of Rhys, cing both her bare feet on his chair''s armrests.


    "I am reporting the sess of myst mission, Ma''am," Rhys sighed as he leaned his back on the chair, "I wanted to look presentable."


    "Presentable my ass," Ayesha rolled her eyes out before suddenly leaning closer to Rhys and very softly grabbing his hair, "If you wanted to look presentable, you should get a haircut and show your irritatingly perfect face."


    "...I only want to show it to you, Ayesha," Rhys grabbed Ayesha''s hand as he also leaned his head closer to hers. Ayesha, however, leaned away and started shaking her head.


    "Naughty," Ayesha smirked; licking her slightly red, plump lips, "But we actually have guests."


    Ayesha then quickly lifted herself up from her desk with one hand, before swiftly leaping onto her chair as the door opened.


    Rhys nced back at the door, only to immediately stand up and give a salute.


    "General Banner, sir!" Rhys stood up as the General of the Surface Army and Ayesha''s adoptive father, General Banner, suddenly entered the room with 2 other people he didn''t recognize.


    Thest time he saw the General was¡­ when Ayesha knocked him out.


    "Sorry, Recruit¡­" Ayesha then winced as she gestured to Rhys to sit back down, "...I couldn''t really hold them back anymore. My excuses aren''t working."


    "..." Rhys was slightly confused as to what was happening, but the only thing he could really do was sit down as he watched as General Banner and his associates looked at him from head to toe.


    "Sergeant Rhys Wilder."


    "Sir!" Rhys sat straight up as General Banner addressed him directly. He was even more confused now, as he remembered the General being brash¡ªalmost an older version of Ayesha.


    "I know this may be hard for you, but I want you to recall the events that happened on the day your first toon was wiped out. Start with the date, and if you can remember the time."


    And as soon as Rhys heard the General''s words, the faces of all hisrades that have died throughout his service shed through his mind. His face, however, remainedpletely stoic as he looked the General in the eyes.


    "The date was¡­"


    And as Rhys started recounting the scenario as it happened, he was careful not to divulge information that would lead to them knowing too much about him¡­ and his other abilities.


    But as soon as he was done telling them the events, one of the General''s associates took out some sort of tape recorder, adjusting her sses as she did so. Rhys wasn''t really surprised as it would be even more weird if they weren''t recording the conversation. But instead, however, they yed something for him.


    His own voice.


    [Please¡­ Arachnea¡­ you want me, right? You want to eat me!]


    [...go. Let them go, please!]


    [I can save all of you. I¡­ I can talk to it!]


    And as Rhys heard his own voice, as well as the voices of his departed friends; the stoic expression on his face very slowly faded away. And as he closed his eyes, the General''s associates quickly removed the tape and once again adjusted her sses.


    "I apologize that you have to hear that again, Sergeant Wilder," General Banner let out a small sigh as he looked at Rhys and Ayesha,


    "We recovered it from the jeep''s internal DVR. Whatever remains of it, that is. But I know it is just not me, but¡­


    ¡­It seems like you and the God of Spiders have a connection to each other?"

 Chapter 66 The Truth...?

    "...It seems like you and the God of Spiders have a connection to each other?"


    Of course.


    Rhys now knows what Ayesha meant when she said she couldn''t hold them back anymore. He had always wondered why no one was questioning him about the death of his squad ¡ª as most would at least serve as a witness in military court to recount what happened.


    But it would seem Ayesha was trying her best to postpone the interrogation until he left the Underworld Corps.


    And so, upon looking at the General and his associates, Rhys could really only sigh and nod his head.


    "We do," Rhys said; his voicepletely clear, "At least I think so, General."


    "We are highly aware of the Old York High incident," General Banner raised his palm, "We¡ªmy people have investigated the incident thoroughly ever since we recovered the recording."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys once again nodded; thinking of his next words carefully, "I first encountered Arachnea when I fell into the Hole that formed in the campus, General."


    The General and his associates only took deep breaths as response to Rhys''s words. After all, in a way, they were already expecting this answer.


    "And yet you survived both encounters. And you also developed abilities simr to that of an arachne," General Banner''s tone once again shifted; this time, with a hint of hostility, "Tell us the truth, or you will find your balls inside your mouth¡­


    ¡­are you an Apostle of the God of Spiders?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "...No," Rhys could really only squint his eyes, as it was the first time he had ever encountered that term.


    "Perhaps because of your tragic past," General Banner once again looked Rhys in the eyes. This time, his gaze almost seemed like it was looking through the deepest parts of Rhys''s mind, "Arachnea smelled the scent of your anger, your pain.


    The rage you feel against us humans for doing what we did to your mother and sister ¡ª and she bestowed you her abilities and made you her apostle to enact revenge."


    "Dad, that''s enough!" Ayesha stood up from her seat, "He has other abilities like Wind Control. That''s not¡ª"


    "You will sit the fuck down or I swear I will drag you back to the Surface even if I have to grab you by your ovaries!" General Banner violently pointed at Ayesha; his saliva, spitting everywhere and causing his associates to slightly scooch away,


    "Now, answer me, Sergeant Wilder¡­ How did you survive the first encounter with Arachne?"


    "..." Rhys could really only nce at Ayesha, who was shaking her head and gesturing to him not to say anything. But after a few moments, he let out a long and deep sigh¡­


    ¡­before just suddenly standing up.


    The General''s associates quickly put up their guard, by the General ordered them to stand down.


    As for Rhys¡­ he started taking off his uniform with his remaining hand.


    "Wk¡­" The General''s female associates almost choke in her own breath. But she quickly feigned ignorance as she adjusted her sses; her eyes, looking at Rhys''s toned body which almost seemed like it was sculpted by the gods themselves. His missing arm, seemingly even making him more perfect - like an ancient statue worth billions.


    But as she saw the faint burnt and scar marks which were not fully healed, her expression once again turned hostile as she remembered the file that said that Rhys was being bullied in school because he was a Lowborn ¡ª perhaps giving him another reason to serve Arachne.


    But then, all of her hostility left as soon as Rhys pulled back his hair and showed his face to them.


    "What the f¡­" Even General Banner was shocked, but quickly cleared his throat as he looked at Rhys''s face. It was manly, but androgynous at the same time ¡ª and much like his body, perhaps sculpted by the goddess Aphrodite herself to make the most beautiful man of all.


    As for Ayesha, well¡­ if her eyes had the same violent strength as her muscles, then the General''s female associate would have probably already been crushed a thousand times over for ogling at Rhys.


    "I didn''t know Arachnea was that sort of existence when I first saw her." And while everyone was shocked, Rhys started exining; his voice, extremely soothing to the point it made one almost want to close their eyes,


    "It was my first time in the Underworld, and for me, all the monsters are the same¡­ but Arachnea spoke to me."


    "!!!" General Banner''s associates all put their guard up again, with the female associate slightly hesitating.


    "She saw my face and liked it," Rhys breathed in, "And she told me she would let me go if I pleasured her¡­ and that is what I did."


    "...What?"


    It wasn''t the truth, but it wasn''t actually all a lie ¡ª Rhys heard her thoughts, after all.


    "And perhaps, it is just¡­ infatuated with me."


    "..." Those words would be perceived as arrogance if it was anyone else who said it, but as they looked at Rhys in his entirety¡­ it wasn''t that hard to believe at all.


    "You have been targeted by a god," General Banner then stood up from his seat before ncing at Ayesha, "Make sure this information does not leak anywhere. I am letting you handle Sergeant Wilder''s private and public affairs from now on ¡ª do not let him off your sight, no matter what."


    "...I am already doing that," Ayesha raised her middle finger.


    "You," General Banner looked at Rhys again, "We will figure out what to do with you, Sergeant Wilder. Being targeted by a god is¡­ a death sentence. They are maniacs and perverts with no limits¡­


    ¡­they would even fuck a wooden box as long as it has a hole."


    And with those words as his parting words, General Banner just hastily left Ayesha''s office. His female associate, ncing at Rhys''s naked body onest time¡­ this time, however, Ayesha quickly blocked her eyes before just shutting the door on them.


    "It''s... over?" Rhys could really only blink as the General just suddenly left in a rush, "What''s an apost--"


    "So¡­" Ayesha then very slowly turned toward Rhys, "...You tapped ady spider''s ass, Recruit?"


    "That¡­"


    "I couldn''t care less," Ayesha then locked the door as she very slowly lifted her tank top; her ample-sized breasts, bouncing as they revealed themselves, "All I care about is you¡­ already naked."


    "..."


    "We don''t have much time. You''re leaving in 2 weeks, after all."


    And with those words, Rhys spent the entirety of hisst days in the Underworld Corps stuck in Ayesha''s office¡­ and inside her.

 Chapter 67 Which Side Are You On, Rhys?

    "So, you''re really abandoning me, Recruit?"


    "Ayesha¡­"


    "I know, I know. We''ve had this talk a hundred times; the only reason you joined the Underworld Corps is to be an Explorer. Zeus, why take the long road for revenge? I can squash that Noble bitch like a bug ¡ª I''ll do it before he bes even more of a menace to society."


    "Why don''t you join me instead?"


    "I don''t belong here, Recruit."


    Rhys could see the reflection of the sky from Ayesha''s eyes ¡ª the looping horizon that always painted them, reced by an endless blue instead,


    "My ce is down there ¡ª at least the monsters that live down there are honest with what they want and are. Here? You won''t know the monsters until they stab you in the back."


    "Hm, that is true."


    "And you''re one of those people, Recruit."


    Rhys could really only stare at Ayesha as he heard those words, waiting for her to just burst out inughter and hit him on the stomach. But even as Rhys''s eyes already wandered across their base on the Surface, the only response she gave was just ncing back with a serious expression on her face.


    "You''re not a good person, Rhys¡­" Ayesha smiled as she gently ced her hand on Rhys''s cheek, even as a lot of soldiers were there subtly watching them,


    "I hope you do not get the idea that you''re actually one of the good guys. The things you have been through made you what you are, but you can''t me them for what you are bing from this point on."


    "..." Rhys rested his cheek on Ayesha''s palm as he held her hand.


    "Thest mission I gave you was a test of where your morals truly lie," Ayesha sighed, "You passed with flying colors as a soldier. Following orders without fail and delivering efficient results. But as a human, you have some things to work on."


    "That is¡ª"


    "But the world doesn''t owe you anything, Recruit," Ayesha removed her hand from Rhys''s face, "If anything, it owes you everything. So, kill it if you have to, let it suffer as you have ¡ª but never forget which side you belong to."


    "I¡­ will remember that, Ayesha," Rhys nodded.


    "Well, on that note¡­ a lot more people are worse than you. A lot worse," Ayesha finally burst out inughter as she started hitting Rhys on the stomach, "So¡­


    ¡­stand tall, Recruit."


    And perhaps for the very first time ever, Ayesha took a step back and gave a salute; her powerful silhouette, covering the setting sun as it drowned her brown skin; almost turning it golden.


    "You are¡­ very beautiful, Ayesha," Rhys also stood up straight as he saluted to the Commander of the Underworld Corps, "Thank you."


    "Until we meet again in the Underworld, Sergeant Rhys Wilder. I¡­


    ¡­am going to miss thatrge cock of yours."


    "..." If only her beauty reflected thest words she uttered. But in a way, there was beauty in her brashness.


    But as Rhys was about to step in the truck on the way home, Ayesha suddenly grabbed her from behind; once again not caring that the other soldiers were looking at them.


    "I¡­ love you, Rhys. I do," Ayesha whispered; her words muffled as she buried her face on Rhys''s back, "That is the only reason why I don''t question how¡­ you''ve suddenly be this strong."


    "..."


    "And if you need me, if you truly need me¡­


    ¡­I will be by your side. Whether it is to help you, stop you, or to save you¡­ I will be there."


    "I¡­" Rhys removed Ayesha''s embrace as he turned toward her, "I love you too, Ayesha."


    That wasn''t a lie. Although Rhys did initially chose the Underworld Corps solely for the fact of trying to win Ayesha''s heart, he had also developed feelings for her ¡ª how could he not?


    Eros gave him the ability to win the hearts of those he wanted, but in turn, it also seemed to amplify his desire to return the love he received; almost like payment.


    But it was payment he would dly give.


    Lina, and now Ayesha. He truly feels guilty for betraying Lina''s trust by sleeping with another woman, but it is still true that the love he feels for the both of them is equal.


    And if the timees for him to choose between the two¡­


    ¡­was there really any need to choose?


    "..." And as Rhys stared at the Surface base of the Underworld Corps very slowly disappearing into the distance, he could not help but just close his eyes and rest.


    6 months.


    Rhys had only spent 6 months in the Underworld Corps, and yet it almost felt like it was already his entire life. The training, the missions, and all the departed almost made him forget about what he had set out to do¡­


    ¡­but it was time to wake up from the violent but beautiful dream, and return to the reality of nothing but just violence.


    Even more so than Ayesha, he was the one that perhaps truly did not belong in the Surface.


    But as Ayesha said, he could kill the world if he had to¡­


    ¡­mold it the way it molded him.


    If he does not belong to the world, then the world should just belong to him.


    Rhys looked at his fist, closing it tight almost as if he was trying to crush something ¡ª and perhaps he was, but it will only truly be known to him.


    The first step to his n is gathering influence. He could have already done that with Ayesha and the Underworld Corps, but it won''t be his.


    He needed the freedom to earn it by himself, and the only way to do that was to be an Explorer.


    "Justice¡­" Rhys opened his hand and looked at his slightly red palm,


    "...is on my side."


    ***


    "Oh, you still need to go to the Academy and take supplementary sses for a week."


    "...What?"


    Rhys immediately headed to the nearest Explorer Association as soon as he returned to Old York, but what greeted him inside was a big red stamp that said ''iplete'' and a receptionist chewing gum.


    "Explorer Academy¡­" the receptionist started waving her hand and gesturing to Rhys to move away,


    "...1 week. Thene back here, but not on weekends because we are closed."


    s, it would seem justice was currently resting on the side instead.

 Chapter 68 Neighbors

    ERO 68


    "Hm¡­"


    The sound of something hollow dropped to the floor. Whether the sound was Rhys dropping his bag, or him dropping to his bed, no one will really ever know.


    Once again, he found himself alone in an empty room with nothing but a bed and just four walls and a roof.


    The only upgrade of this from his room in the dormitory of his high school was that it had a kitchen of its own ¡ª a small single-room apartment given to him by the government, once again. This time, however, as payment for his services to the country.


    He could have gotten a bigger one due to his rank, but he wanted to be in Old York City¡ªno, he needed to be in this city.


    "Ugh¡­" Rhys let out a groan that filled the entire apartment, before grabbing something from the chest pocket of his military uniform. The list of requirements to register as an Explorer for a ''Special Case''. The special case being a Lowborn.


    The military service was already crossed out, but there was still one that seemed to be staring back at Rhys.


    [Official Rmendation from Any Explorer Academy.]


    As the receptionist told him, he needed to spend a week taking sses from an Explorer Academy, only then could he get an Official Rmendation ¡ª the worst part is that it wasn''t guaranteed, no¡­ the passing rate for a Lowborn is 1.6%.


    "Do I really have to go through this again¡­?" Rhys grumbled to himself as he finally got up from the bed. And with a small but very deep sigh, he retrieved hisptop from his duffle bag; another freebie from the government¡­ or perhaps it was from Ayesha, Rhys didn''t really ask.


    But as Rhys was about to open hisptop and apply for the nearest Academy, someone suddenly knocked on his door.


    "..." Rhys once again rummaged through his things in the bag and grabbed his scalpel, before quickly running to the door and looking through the peephole. And as soon as he saw who it was, he quickly hid the scalpel in his belt and opened the door.


    "Dr. Kata¡ª" And before he could even let out a word, Katarina suddenly barged inside the room and immediately gave him a hug.


    "Rhys¡­" Katarina whispered. And if it wasn''t for her breasts, the tears that were falling from her face would have surely damped Rhys''s chest, "...Why¡­ why didn''t you call when you returned?"


    "I was about to¡ª"


    "What¡­!?"


    And once again, before Rhys could finish his words, Katarina suddenly pushed him away; her eyes, staring at Rhys''s right arm¡­ or at least it was supposed to be there.


    "What¡­" Katarina''s breaths started to stutter; her trembling hand, very slowly reaching toward Rhys''s right sleeve¡­ only for it to just sway as she grabbed it, "Where¡­?"


    "T¡ª"


    Katarina quickly started unbuttoning Rhys''s uniform, swiftly removing it as her eyes focused on Rhys''s missing arm. And now, with just a white shirt, the disproportion of his body was made more obvious.


    "I¡­" Katarina''s lips shivered as her eyes looked back and forth between Rhys''s face and his missing arm, "I''m¡­


    ¡­I''m sorry."


    "Dr. Katarina, no¡­" And as Katarina began sobbing as she grabbed his shirt, Rhys could really only just embrace him with his remaining arm.


    "This¡­ it''s my fault," Katarina started crying even stronger as she felt only a single arm hugging her, "I¡­ I could have stopped you from joining¡­ I knew, I knew something like this would happen and¡­"


    "It''s fine, Dr. Katarina," Rhys ced his hand on top of Katarina''s head, before resting his face on it, "I knew what I signed up for, it''s not your fault."


    "It is¡­ it is¡­"


    It took perhaps an entire hour for Katarina to calm down. And with her crying voice and her desires almost unified to the point it was almost deafening Rhys, Rhys really only just¡­ listened and waited.


    "Did¡­ you aplish what you set out there to do?" ¡ª was Katarina''s first question as she wiped thest tear trailing from her cheek.


    "I did," Rhys nodded, "And I learned more than I could have ever expected, maybe even everything I need to move forward."


    "I¡­ could see that," Katarina looked at Rhys. His face was still covered by his hair, but it was obvious to her that any doubt he ever had on them was no longer anywhere to be seen, "And you grew taller too. You''re like a basketball yer now."


    "Hm," a small hint of a chuckle escaped Rhys''s lips, "...Can I ask how you found me?"


    "I¡­ have a friend¡ªyou don''t need to know," Katarina waved her hand as she started walking around Rhys''s small apartment, "Anyway, since you''re going to be living here from now on, you would need some things. I think the apartment next door is free, I could buy it so you can connect the two and make your house actually liveable."


    "That''s¡­ not necessary," Rhys could really only sigh as he watched as Katarina already started nning, "I have only been back for a day and you''re already taking care of me, Dr. Katarina."


    "Well, I''m¡­ kinda your guardian, no?" Katarina let out a small giggle, causing her humongous breasts to jiggle, "And I won''t stop taking care of you until you stop calling me your doctor. You baby."


    "...Will you really stop taking care of me if I don''t call you doctor anymore?" Rhys looked Katarina in the eyes. And without even any hesitation, Katarina shook her head.


    "No," Katarina smiled, "You will always be my patient, Rhys Wilder."


    "...Thank you."


    "Now, I can buy the¡ª"


    "There''s no need for that."


    And before Katarina could offer to buy the other apartment again¡­ Lina suddenly emerged from the window of the apartment.


    "The fuck¡­?" Katarina''s voice quickly lost all of its gentleness as she watched as Lina casually stepped inside.


    "I already bought the apartment next door," Lina waved her hand at Rhys, "We''ll be neighbors from now on, Rhys."


    "You¡­


    ¡­you did what!?"

 Chapter 69

    "Rhys!"


    Rhys already had a fraction of Herakles''s strength, and yet once again, he found himself almost falling down as Lina suddenly came out of nowhere and wrapped her arms around him.


    No, she didn''t just wrap her arms, she also wrapped her legs around his waist before she started kissing him on the lips. And as Lina was wearing a short skirt, the warmth of her thighs easily permeated through his thin white shirt.


    "T¡­" And the only thing Katarina could really do was watch with twitching eyes, "Stop it!"


    Of course, Katarina wasn''t much of an observer as she pulled Lina away from Rhys like she was some sort of cat; prying her from his body.


    "What the heck, Kat!?" Lina crossed her arms as soon as her feet touched the floor, "Am I not allowed to be excited that my hubby is back from the service!?"


    "You can. But what do you mean you bought the apartment next door!?" Katarina raised her voice, "And why did youe from the window? We are on the 11th¡ªno, in the first ce, how did you know where Rhys lived? It''s impossible he would contact you without calling me first."


    "...What are you saying?" Lina raised an eyebrow, "It''s in our group chat."


    "Wh¡ª" Katarina started checking her phone, only to see that the message truly was in their group chat, "I¡­ thought she sent it to me privately."


    "No, you dumb bitch. Seriously, and you''re the doctor," Lina stuck out her tongue.


    "But why did you have to buy 1107!? I was going to buy that so Rhys could have a bigger ce." Katarina pointed at the left wall of the room.


    "I bought 1105," Lina pointed at the right wall, "And just so you know, I put a downpayment on 1107 so no one else could get it. Just pay me back with interest, bitch."


    "You¡­ you did that?" Katarina could really only lower her voice as she looked at Lina. And if her face wasn''t turning more smug by the second, she would have probably hugged her.


    "Yes," Lina slightly stood on her toes to try and look down on Katarina, "Now bow down to your master."


    "...No," Katarina waved her hand before turning around before suddenly stepping out of the room, "I''ll just make sure you actually put a downpayment on it. Thanks."


    "What was that? I didn''t hear you!" And as a giggle escaped Lina''s lips, Katarina responded with her middle finger before closing the door.


    And as soon as she was gone, Lina wasted no time in taking off Rhys''s shirt.


    "How long do you think she''ll be gone?" Lina asked; her eyes, ncing at the scars on Rhys''s shoulder, but not really asking about his missing arm, "5, 15 minutes?"


    "I¡­ don''t know."


    "Even a minute is plenty."


    "..." Rhys could really only squint as he allowed Lina to push him back toward the bed. And as soon as he was sat down, Lina quickly took off her shirt and sat on Rhys''sp with her legs open.


    Her soft and pink nipples, brushing down on his face and onto his lips. Lina grabbed Rhys''s hair as she grabbed her breast and ced her right teat in Rhys''s mouth.


    "O¡­oh¡­" Lina''s head immediately leaned back as she looked at the ceiling; her fingers, very slowly moving beneath her skirt and between her thighs, "Shit¡­ shit¡­"


    "..." And as Lina started pleasuring herself on Rhys''sp, he could really only look at her face as he twirled his tongue on her teat. But after a few seconds, he gently lifted Lina even with one hand.


    "W¡­" Lina watched as very easily carried her by her butt; even turning her around as hey down the bed¡­ and ced her butt on top of his face, "Wait, I¡­ I didn''t take a bath ye¡ª!!!"


    And before she could even say anything, Rhys pushed her panties to the side and started licking on her clit; making sure the warmth of his tongue was covering her entire womanhood.


    "N¡­nh¡­.!!!" Lina''s toes quickly curled as she found herself just falling on Rhys; her breaths and the saliva escaping her lips, damping Rhys''s waist. And before her breaths could turn even heavier, she started unzipping Rhys''s pants and lowering his underwear at the same time¡­ only to be pped right on her face by the thing between Rhys.


    "I¡­ I forgot how big this was," a smile very slowly formed on Lina''s face as she softly grabbed Rhys''s manhood. And even with their difference in height, she had no problem brushing her tongue on it; getting it wet while stroking it with both hands, and with her holding her breath¡­


    ¡­she opened her mouth wide and put it inside her mouth.


    ***


    "...Did you two clean the apartment while I was gone?"


    "Yes, we¡­ cleaned it out."


    And as Katarina returned to the apartment 12 minutester, she found it cleaner than before. With the bed made and a scent of air freshener lingering in the air.


    Katarina, however, did not believe even for a second as she watched as Lina tried her best to keep her thighs close to each other.


    "I''m¡­ I''m just gonna hit the bathroom for a bit."


    And before Katarina could confirm her suspicions, Lina confirmed it for her as she quickly but awkwardly ran to the bathroom. Katarina could really only shake her head as she sat on the bed.


    "Rhys, I know you''re at the age where you''re really really healthy. But at least pick the time and ce, please," Katarina rolled her eyes and sighed.


    "I''m¡­ sorry," Rhys also sat on the bed since there was nowhere else to sit.


    ''At least use some of that energy in me.''


    "Did¡­ you say something?" Rhys quickly looked at Katarina, only to see her with her eyebrows still lowered.


    "I said don''t have sex with just anyon¡ªI mean anywhere," Katarina once again sighed as she crossed her arms; causing her gigantic-sized breasts to almost pop out of her shirt, "I''m your doctor, Rhys. I''d advise you proper hygiene."


    "Hey, I will have you know that I am very clean down there!"


    "Shut up!" And once again, Rhys hears Katarina''s gentle voice suddenly shifting whenever she addresses Lina ¡ª he had really only heard her talking like that with her.


    "The two of you¡­ have be really close," Rhys said.


    "What do you mean clo¡ª" Katarina was about to click her tongue. But as soon as she saw the faint smile on Rhys''s face, she just sighed and held his hand, "Enough about me and Lina¡­


    ¡­what''s your n now?"


    "Explorer Academy," Rhys grabbed the paper he put to the side when he and Lina started doing the deed, "I need to take supplementary sses for a week."


    "I''lle with you," Lina said as she stepped out of the bathroom; patting her skirt as she stood in front of the bed, "I know someone from the local Academy, and it''s just one station away."


    "I can also help him with that," Katarina also stood up, "I know a friend from the Academy too."


    "I think it would be best for me to help him," Lina sighed, "When did you even graduate from the Academy? 20 years ago or something?"


    "What did you say? I will have you know that¡­"


    And as the two once again started arguing, Rhys took it upon himself to just¡­


    ¡­leave the two and go by himself.

 Chapter 70 Misunderstanding

    "Fail."


    "...What?"


    "Just one nce at you, I know you will fail the evaluation."


    "...But I haven''t even taken the supplementary sses yet. And you haven''t looked at my credentials yet."


    "And what credentials, pray tell, would a one-armed Lowborn like you have? Serve another 6 months washing soldiers'' clothes or whatever it is you did. And why are you even wearing your uniform here?"


    Just a day back on the Surface, and Rhys was already being reminded of what sort of treatment he had to live through his entire life. He had at least thought that the local Explorer Academy would at least be able to tolerate him since the people in it have already seen all sorts of people, but no.


    He was being privately interviewed by someone who seemed to be a member of the school''s faculty ¡ª and Rhys thought that the fact he was being interviewed at all was already a sign they were epting of people like him, but no.


    The interviewer did not even nce at his file, just texting on his phone as he gestured Rhys to leave after waiting an entire hour, and then another half an hour inside the interview room where the interviewer just fiddled with hisptop until thest minute.


    But of course, he was already warned by Lina that this was going to happen, and she taught her a technique that would surely work.


    "W¡­ what are you doing?" The interviewer could not help but stand up as Rhys also suddenly stood up and immediately started walking around the table toward him. And then, without even any warning¡­


    ¡­Rhys handed him 10 crisp $100 bills.


    "..." The interviewer squinted his eyes for a few seconds, before very discreetly pulling the bills from Rhys''s hand and nodding his head,


    "...On second thought, I think you at least have the will and resolve to take the supplementary sses."


    And just like that, the tone of the interviewer changed as he started typing something on hisptop.


    "You need to take a total of 42 hours of sses, 6 hours of theoretical ss and the rest is all practical. The lessons will span a total of 7 days, 6 hours each¡­" The interviewer spoke fast, incredibly fast as he continued typing on hisptop, "...And ah! Since you seem to be in a hurry, a ss is actually starting in 15 minutes."


    The interviewer then printed out a piece of paper and immediately gave it to Rhys before just pushing him out of the room in a hurry.


    "Wh¡ª"


    "Room 605, 15 minutes. I already notified the professor that you would be sitting in for the entire duration of the ss."


    And before he could even ask anything, the interviewer shut the door on him.


    "..." And so, Rhys could really only stare at the paper he was holding, before just letting out a small but very deep sigh as he started traversing through the corridors of the Explorer Academy. The Explorer Academy was built several kilometers away from Old York City, with only a few buildings actually surrounding it, and they were far in between ¡ª and it was a massive infrastructure.


    All the buildings inside the campus were at least 6 stories high, and one even needed to take a small train that was built across the campus to get to the other buildings¡­


    ¡­and to think there were 5 more of these Academies just in Amerka alone. Just a testament to how much the government values the Explorers above all else.


    Fortunately for Rhys, he did not need to take the campus train as his first ss was just within the building he was in right now. And aside from stares and whispers which hepletely ignored, the walk toward his first ss was extremely uneventful, as there were not that many people to begin with.


    "...Do they really need this much space?" Rhys could not help but whisper to himself as he continued to walk across the spacious corridor, until finally, he reached his ss. Before he could step inside, however, someone suddenly patted him on the shoulder.


    Rhys quickly looked behind him, only to see an old woman wearing a simr outfit to the man who interviewed him.


    "Ma''am," Rhys quickly stood up straight as he saw the old woman, who was most likely the ss'' professor, "My name is¡ª"


    "You''rete. You should have gotten ready before the students even gathered. And what are you even wearing?"


    "...Ma''am?"


    The old female professor did not even let Rhys introduce himself as she entered the room, gesturing to Riley to follow her inside. And as soon as he entered the room, he heard several curious hums and oohs.


    The ss hall was filled with at least 30 people staring at him, but Rhys did not really mind as he immediately tried to find an empty seat. But before he could even take a single step up, however, he was once again tapped by the professor.


    "Where are you going? Stand in front of the ckboard."


    "...Ma''am?" Rhys turned to look at therge ckboards that were in front of the entire ss.


    "Go."


    "..." Rhys looked at the professor for a few seconds as she started waving her hand. But after a few breaths, Rhys just let out a small and deep sigh as he walked to the front of the hall. He then stood up straight as he scanned the people in front of him,


    "My name is¡ª"


    "This is a Lowborn."


    And before Rhys could introduce himself, the professor suddenly pointed at him with her stick. Rhys thought the professor was asking him to introduce himself to the ss¡­


    ¡­was there really any need to degrade him like this?


    "As we have tackled in thest lecture, you will meet all sorts of creatures once you venture down the Underworld ¡ª Lowborns are one of them. They are not usually this tall, but the Academy wants you to familiarize yourself with what they look like¡­


    ¡­so we hired an actor you could interact with."


    "Ma''am¡­


    ¡­I think there''s been a misunderstanding."

 Chapter 71 For Your Own Good

    "I think there has been a misunderstanding."


    "You hear that? Lowborns are sly like that ¡ª even now, he tries to reason. Listen, if a Lowborn from the Underworld approaches you, they are only after one thing; your money."


    "Are¡­ there really Lowborn in the Underworld?"


    "Yes!"


    "...Why? Isn''t it more dangerous for them there?"


    "Pft, what do you mean why? Lowborns are just retarded like that!"


    "Quiet! Only questions are allowed in this ss! And to answer your question, girl ¡ª Lowborns are in the Underworld because¡­"


    And as the professor continued to have a conversation with the Explorer trainees, Rhys could not help but just stand there in front of them; listening to them as they talked about Lowborns as if they weren''t actually people, but a liability and a hindrance.


    The treatment for Lowborns has always been bad, but they were actually teaching trainees to avoid them? Rhys no longer really tried to call for the professor''s attention and just listened to the ss.


    And the more he hears, the more his remaining hand very slowly turns into a fist. He was wrong, they weren''t treating them as a liability at all¡­


    ¡­they were treating them the same as the monsters of the Underworld.


    "I¡­ I''m sorry I''mte!"


    And before the lecture could be any worse, someone suddenly barged into the room; his breaths,pletely filling the entire room.


    "The¡­ the makeup department couldn''t get the dirt right and¡ªWhat the¡­ who is that? I thought it was my turn to y as a Lowborn!?"


    "..." The old professor could really only just stare at the man who suddenly entered her ss. And after a few seconds, she very slowly turned toward Rhys. She looked at her for a few seconds, before checking her phone in front of the ss. And after a few seconds of doing so, she focused her attention back on Rhys and raised an eyebrow,


    "Why didn''t you say anything!?"


    "I did, Ma''am," Rhys said as he looked the professor in the eyes, "You did not listen."


    "It doesn''t matter," the old professor just waved her hand, "Go find a seat somewhere so we could continue the ss."


    The professor did not even nce at him as he started gesturing to him to find a seat. As for the trainees, they could not help but be confused as they watched Rhys walk to the back of the ss and sit there.


    "What''s¡­ happening? Did they hire two actors?"


    "Why is that tall guy sitting at the back of the ss?"


    "Enough!" And before the trainees'' whispers could fill the entire ss, the professor pped her stick on the ckboard, "It seems there was a certain mix-up because our newest trainee could not even be bothered to speak up. But be honored, a real Lowborn is sitting with us today."


    "What¡­?"


    And as soon as the professor said that, the people who were sitting close to Rhys all subtly scooched away; their faces, clearly showing signs of disgust.


    "He''s¡­ he''s a real Lowborn¡­?"


    "I thought Lowborns aren''t allowed here!? What''s the use if they can''t be Explorers!?"


    "Enough!" Another crack snapped in the air as the professor once again whipped her stick on the ckboard, "Lowborns are allowed here through special admission from the military. That is another thing you should know¡­


    ¡­not all Lowborns are useless, sometimes they could be used to carry our luggage or cook for you in the Underworld, which is what your fellow trainee probably did in the military."


    "Pft¡­"


    The trainees tried their best not tough as they looked at Rhys. Rhys, however, just remained stoic as he waited for the ss to resume. But as it did, all he really learned from the professor was how much the world truly despised his kind.


    But perhaps what surprised Rhys the most was how long this ss on how to treat Lowborns actuallysted ¡ª 4 out of the 6 hours of theoretical ss was used in this. This is no longer just learning about Lowborns, this was t-out trying to brainwash future Explorers to treat them like animals.


    And the fact that he was here, and the professor continued the ss as usual proved that it worked for her and the previous generation ¡ª she didn''t even care or acknowledge his presence at all.


    Thest 2 hours were used to teach the trainees how to treat other Explorers they meet in the Underworld, and how to differentiate and treat Explorers that are under the government, or under a private guild.


    But truthfully, Rhys couldn''t really concentrate at all, he could just learn from the inte about the other stuff. He just asked the old professor to sign hispletion form as soon as the theoretical ss was over and quickly made his way out of the ss before anyone could actually try and talk to him.


    1 week. He just had to endure this for 1 week and he could head on his way to bing an Explorer¡­


    ¡­at least the practical sses in days toe should prove to be useful.


    "..."


    It was not, not at all.


    Rhys found himself in one of the Academy''s training halls, with the other trainees either sparring with each other, or fighting some sort of skeletal machine that could transform itself into different monsters. There was no problem with the training hall at all, in fact, Rhys was initially mesmerized by the technology they were using.


    The Underworld Corps could not evenpare with the equipment they were using here. State of the art and top-of-the-line, there was even a part of the hall where people were using Virtual Reality sses to virtually explore the Underworld; with added effects to simte the regions.


    And all of this technology¡­ and Rhys could only watch on the side as most of the trainees either just have fun, or not treat the exercise seriously at all. Did Lina and Ayesha also start out like this?


    "Oi, you."


    "...Sir," Rhys quickly stood up straight as thebat instructor supervising the ss suddenly approached him. When the in


    "You think I''m just going to sign your papers with you not even participating in the ss?" Thebat instructor was not really that tall, but his bald head and his thick mustache made him look somewhat intimidating.


    "I''m¡­" Rhys scanned the training hall, and no one really wanted to spar with him, or allow him to use any of the machines next, "...waiting for¡ª"


    "I do not want to hear your excuses. I have been observing you for more than 3 hours now while coaching the other trainees, but all you''ve done is just stand there," thebat instructor started taking off his jacket,


    "You are going to die out there like 99% of your kind¡­ do you really think I''m going to let you be an Explorer?"


    "N¡ª"


    "No," thebat instructor once again did not let Rhys speak as he gestured to him to follow, "That is why I am going to personally make sure you fail before even taking the Explorer Examination. You do not belong in this kind of world¡­


    ¡­This is for your own good, kid."


    ''Finally.''-- Rhys thought. Someone actually treating him like a human.

 Chapter 72 Fate is...

    "The¡­ instructor is sparring with the Lowborn?"


    "Pft, finally. I was getting ufortable with the guy. Just standing there with his military uniform like he''s actually doing something."


    "They should just ban Lowborns from attending the Academy altogether. Why are they even wasting resources with these people?"


    "Stop it, they''re people too. I don''t understand why you would treat people like that!"


    "You hear them, Trainee? No matter what you wear, you will always just be treated as a Lowborn."


    "I hear them all the time, Sir."


    "Hm¡­"


    The whispers of the students started to fill the training hall. Those who were previously sparring with their fellow trainees and those who were fighting with the skeletal machines all paused their training as soon as they saw their instructor and Rhys on one of the sparring mats.


    "I am not going to go easy on you," thebat instructor started stretching as he stared at Rhys, "I want you to know that no matter how big you are, how much you train¡­ you will never truly advance in this world. I have nothing against you, Trainee."


    "Thank you for the consideration, Sir," Rhys nodded as he removed his military jacket, causing some of the students to scoff and jeer as they saw his crippled body.


    "Look at him actually thinking he has a chance against the instructor."


    "The instructor''s probably just going to scare him. Good, I was getting ufortable with him here."


    "You got that from action?" Thebat instructor squinted his eyes as he nced at Rhys''s missing arm.


    "Yes, sir," Rhys nodded as he raised his left hand and put up his guard.


    "And you still want to enter this violent world?"


    "With respect, sir¡­" Rhys slightly slid his foot forward as he pointed his slightly opened palm at thebat instructor,


    "...I have probably been in this violent world longer than you."


    "Smug¡­" Thebat instructor smiled; his thick mustache almost poking his nose, "...Let''s erase that!"


    And with those words, thebat instructor rushed toward Rhys; his stance was extremely low as he brushed his palm on the floor. And as he did so, the floor started to crack, the debris following his hand like a ma before forming into some sort of javelin, which he quickly threw at Rhys while still rushing toward him.


    "..." Rhys just very slightly stepped to the side as the javelin seemed to be targeting his armless shoulder. And before the javelin could pass by him, he tapped the tip down, causing it to fly downward and pierce through the floor diagonally.


    "!!!" The instructor, who was rushing toward Rhys, quickly halted his steps to prevent himself from hitting his own face with the hilt of the javelin he threw. Sadly for him, before he could fully stop himself, Rhys suddenly crouched down and extended his leg ¡ª casually tripping him.


    "Wh¡­" The instructor held his breath as he quickly hopped; the floor beneath his right foot, being pushed up by the floor, basically throwing him up. And as he spun in the air to try and regain his bnce, he saw Rhys adjusting the javelin stuck on the floor so he would hit it on the way down,


    "This¡­ kid."


    A smile quickly crawled on the instructor''s face as he just kicked away the javelin, almost hitting a trainee. He was able tond cleanly on the floor, but as he was about to get up, he noticed that Rhys was pointing his finger at him.


    "You have already died, Sir," Rhys quietly whispered, not letting any of the trainees hear his words.


    "...I can tank a bullet," the instructor smirked as he looked up at Rhys.


    "Not this one, Sir," Rhys shook his head.


    "...Which branch did you say you served?" Thebat instructor could really only just let out a small sigh as he stood up and collected himself.


    "The Underworld Corps, Sir," Rhys stood up straight as he addressed the instructor.


    "No wonder," the instructor sighed as he stretched his hand to Rhys, "I also served in the Surface Army. I heard you Underworld Corps are tough motherfuckers, I didn''t know that also includes¡­ well, forgive me for saying, but people like you. What did you do there, Private?"


    "Odd missions, Sir," Rhys saluted, "...And I am a Staff Sergeant, Sir."


    "..." The instructor batted his eyes several times as he looked at Rhys. And then, after a few seconds, he turned to look at Rhys''s jacket which was neatly folded on the floor, only for his eyes to widen as he quickly stood up straight,


    "Ed¡­Edwin Gonzales, Sir!" The instructor quickly saluted, "Sorry for not addressing you earlier!"


    "It''s¡­ fine. At ease¡­" Rhys quickly gestured to Edwin to lower his hand, but Edwin refused to do so as he took a step back.


    "What¡­ just happened?" And of course, the other trainees could really only just look at each other as they watched this scene,pletely confused and utterly bewildered. Before any of them could whisper to each other, however, Edwin quickly told them to continue their training; his voice, extremely strict and stern.


    "Sir¡­" This stern voice, however, was nowhere to be heard as he looked at Rhys,


    "...Please, follow me."


    ***


    "You Underworld Corps really are built different. I mean, wow."


    Rhys and Edwin were now outside the training hall, with Edwin holding a cup of coffee as his back was resting on the wall; the two of them, just casually having a conversation as if they have been friends for a long time,


    "I hope you don''t mind me asking, but are you sure you''re a¡ª"


    "Yes, I''m a Lowborn," Rhys shook his head, gesturing he didn''t mind at all. Edwin was going to hand him a cigarette, but he quickly refused.


    "You''re not in some type of special mission¡­?" Edwin squinted his eyes.


    "No, I''m just doing this to be an Explorer," Rhys let out a small chuckle.


    "Really¡­? The Army has better benefits. Of course, you can''t really get rich unless you deal with the politics of it all," Edwin sighed as he winced, "Don''t worry about attending the sses anymore, I''m signing your form."


    "Is¡­ that alright?"


    "Yeah, psh," Edwin lit up a cigarette as he shook his head, "We look out for each other, brother. Everyone thinks they can be an Explorer when they haven''t even set foot in hell. Honestly, as much as Lowborns die, us Commoners do too once we go down there. It''s just¡­ life, man."


    "Is it hard? Bing an Explorer?" Rhys asked as the air became slightly somber.


    "Only hard when you want to earn the good shit," Edwin blew out the smoke from his lungs, "I''m not earning the good shit so I''m all of this Academy crap, wife''s suddenly pregnant too. Want to see?"


    "N¡ª" And before Rhys could even refuse, Edwin already took out his phone and showed him a photo of an ultrasound, "That''s¡­ nice."


    "Bullshit, I don''t see anything," Edwinughed as he started panning the photos, "Wife''s been showing me this telling me she''s 2 months along or something. Look, this is her¡­


    ¡­my Elizabeth. She''s an Explorer like me and she''s down there right now."


    "...Elize?" Rhys could really only hold his breath as he stared at the familiar face being shown to him¡­ and he could really only imagine her with a hole in her head.


    "...Don''t get all familiar with her now," Edwin quickly hid the phone back in his pocket, "Anyway, where''s your form? Just let me sign it so we can get you out here. But don''t actually go to the Association yet, wait until¡­"


    The Fates, they say, are yful.


    ¡­But they never said they were this yful.

 Chapter 73 Explorer Examinatio...H...Hn!

    "She looks like a butch, but¡­ she''s really freaky when¡­"


    Edwin wasughing as he spoke, and yet Rhys could not really hear most of his words as he stared at the horizon with the view of the campus of the Academy. For some reason, therge campus seemed to be growing smaller and smaller the more Edwin talked about Elize.


    He kept repeating the same words over again and again ¡ª he loves his wife.


    The shrinking horizon kept getting smaller, to the point that it seemed to be confining both him and Edwin. He wanted to move away, but it was already toote as try as he might, the only thing he could really move now was his head.


    And with it, he turned to look at Edwin and said,


    "I bet the two of you will have a beautiful child, Sir," Rhys said as a small smile crawled on his face.


    "You bet?" Edwin snorted, "I bet our child will be as ugly as their parents. I mean, Zeus¡­ look at me. I''m kind of feeling bad for the baby already."


    And as Edwin burst out inughter, Rhys could really only retain the smile on his face as he looked down on the ground. Edwin continued to talk to him,pletely disregarding the other trainees in the training hall for the duration of the 6-hour practical ss. And throughout all of this, Rhys only nodded and smiled.


    "You don''t need to attend the sses anymore, but let''s drink once you pass the Explorer Examination, Sir!" And after Edwin signed hispletion form, he quickly stood up straight and saluted Rhys, "I''m sure you''ll pass it without any problems."


    "...I''m not allowed to drink yet, Sir."


    "W¡ªOld enough to lose an arm for this country, but not old enough to enjoy the country?" Edwin could really only groan and scoff, "Zeus¡­


    ¡­what the fuck is wrong with society?"


    "...The people," Rhys whispered.


    "Well¡­


    ¡­I can''t argue with that."


    And just like that, Rhys was able to skip the rest of the process ¡ª and probably for the best too.


    ***


    "Zey illee jut wet gho?"


    "...I can''t understand you."


    "Fwah¡­ I said, they really just let you go?"


    "Yes."


    Rhys wiped the saliva slipping from Lina''s lips as he looked down at her; her eyes, looking at him with her eyebrows slightly turned up and her face flushed.


    "Wow, but didn''t you just go for like two days?" Lina batted her eyes a couple of times, before once again just licking Rhys''s manhood and wrapping it in her mouth. The sound of her almost choking, whispering in the air ¡ª even then, however, she pushed her head down still. Her knees, on the newly carpeted floor of Rhys''s apartment; her fingers, moving up and down between her thighs.


    Sadly for the new carpets, they were being damp by the juices flowing from Lina''s thighs and butt.


    "The instructor was¡­ a fellow soldier," Rhys let his back fall onto the bed. And as soon as he did so, Lina pulled her head away and started climbing on him.


    "H¡­hn¡­" Lina''s entire body trembled as she put Rhys inside him, "That''s¡­ lucky. When¡­hn¡­ when are you going to take¡­ the exam?"


    "In 3 days," Rhys once again sat up, lifting Lina by her butt as he moved her up and down.


    "That¡­ that means we have 3 more days to¡­ do what we want."


    "Don''t you¡­ have some exploring to do?" Rhys whispered as he started kissing and licking Lina''s neck.


    "They¡­ they can do without me just fine. Once¡­ once you turn into an Explorer, we won''t have much time."


    "...Anything I need to know about the tests?"


    "Nothing you didn''t learn from the military, probably," Lina calmed herself down as she pushed Rhys''s hair away and looked at his face, almost immediately cumming as she saw it, "H¡­hn¡­ there''s a¡­ knowledge test, a practical test where they¡­ just test what you''re capable of physically, ability¡­ test¡­ and thenstly¡­ actual exploration. Nothing¡­ nothing you can''t handle."


    "How¡­ did you do when you took yours?" And even with Lina''s warm breaths practically bathed his face.


    "I did¡­ wait¡­ don''t... don''t stop. The... The explorer examinatio...h...


    ...hn!"


    ***


    "...And thenstly, Actual Explora¡ªOh, I''m sorry. Am I boring you with my exnation?"


    "Not at all, Ma''am."


    "You have somewhere better to be?"


    "No¡­ Ma''am."


    "You better not because you''re both wasting our time. My time, even more."


    How was someone with this kind of attitude even hired as a receptionist in the first ce? ¡ª was Rhys''s thoughts as he watched as the receptionist in front of her started rolling her eyes at him. But then again, everyone treats Lowborns like this¡­ and she was already like thisst week when she told Rhys to take supplementary sses.


    There was also the fact that Rhys really wasn''t actually paying attention to her, as he was surprised to hear the same exact words Lina told him, albeit extremely clearer because of certain absent¡­ factors.


    "As I was saying, Actual Exploration. The paper you''re holding already shows you where you need to go, so¡­ go," and once again, the sassy receptionist started waving her hand and gesturing Rhys to leave, "And if you do manage to pass, which I doubt, youe back to me and we''ll make your license¡­


    ¡­Do. You. Understand?"


    "Yes, Ma''am."


    "And stop calling me Ma''am, my god¡­" The receptionist scoffed, "And this is your number. Pin it on your clothes or whatever, I don''t care. Go, you''re holding up the line."


    "..." Rhys looked back¡­ only to see the empty lobby and therge ss windows with the view of the street outside the Explorer Association building. But of course, Rhys could really only shake his head as he took his applicant number and pinned it on his clothes.


    "Thank you, Ma''am."


    "Ack, I have a name, see!?" The receptionist pointed at the name tag on her small chest, "Hannah, my name is Hannah."


    "Ma''am Hannah."


    "You¡ª"


    And before Hannah could start an argument, Rhys just headed deeper into the lobby, opting to take the stairs down instead to the 4th basement. The Explorer Association in Old York did not really tower over the other buildings near it.


    It does, however, go down several basements¡­ with the gravity even shifting sideways as Rhys reached the 3rd basement ¡ª and now, the stairs just became a long corridor.


    Rhys was already used to this, however, as he just continued to walk until he reached the 4th basement, where a lot of people were lining up in front of arge metal door. And almost immediately as Rhys stood on the back of the line, almost all of the people who were gathered there looked at him.


    They weren''t saying anything, but the look in their eyes was enough for Rhys to hear their thoughts. Some, however, did not seem to care that he could hear them as they all just startedughing.


    Of course, Rhys doesn''t mind ¡ª if he had any ability even before Awakening, then it was his self-control. Something like this, it was just white noise to him as he just waited for his turn; the line behind him, also getting longer.


    Soon, however, he heard something he couldn''t just ignore.


    "Look, look! It''s Ss West!"


    "..." Rhys''s eyes quickly widened as he very subtly turned around. He couldn''t see it at first because of the long line behind him, but soon, he saw Ss West walking past the line of people; not even bothering to fall in line as he was surrounded by who seemed to be his bodyguards.


    Rhys was about to look away so that he wouldn''t be noticed, but then¡­


    ¡­he saw his sister walking beside him.

 Chapter 74 A Silent Chaos

    Once again, Rhys found himself trapped in a world that seemed to be confining him in a small space bing even smaller. He had thought that after everything that had happened to him in the Underworld Corps¡­


    ¡­after all the deaths, after all the trials he had faced, seeing his sister again would not faze him at all.


    And yet, right now, as he watched her very slowly move closer, he felt himself shrinking with the world, stillpletely tethered to her. And now, seeing her walking side by side with the person who murdered their mother with aughing smile on her face, the broken reflection he had always seen himself as returned.


    And as he saw her casually holding Ss''s shoulder so dearly and softly, the mirror just broke and there was nothing else to see of him.


    ''Why? Why would you cling to the man who brutally murdered our mother?''


    ''Why do you carry a smile that I haven''t even seen before? Why would you hold the arm of the man who vited you? Why are you so happy?''


    Those were the thoughts currently repeating in Rhys''s mind over and over again. And as his sister and Ss got closer and closer, Rhys''s fist started to tremble in a violent anger; enough that it caused a whirring sound to echo throughout the entire corridor, causing the other people to wonder what it was.


    He could just snap Ss''s neck here, and his revenge would bepleted. He could do all sorts of things to him and no one within a hundred miles could do anything ¡ª his revenge would bepleted just like that.


    And yet, as the two passed by him, he just subtly moved to the wall and sat on the floor, making sure that the two would not be able to spot him. He may be able toplete his revenge, but it will not be fulfilled, no.


    He had already nned what to do with Ss West¡­


    ¡­Killing him will never be enough.


    "What do you think your level will be?"


    And there, he heard her sister speaking in a sweet and high-pitched tone for the very first time, like she was undoubtedly and truly happy¡­ he had never seen her like this before. But then again¡­ the first time he had actually seen her sister again was when he went to her school half a year ago.


    "What else? Level 10, of course."


    As soon as he heard Ss''s words, however, any sort of emotions he was feeling for his sisterpletely faded away. Ss''s voice was like a grinder being pushed through his brain,


    "Level 10?" Emilia let out a tiny chuckle, "Are you saying you''re going to be in the Top 15 as soon as you register?"


    "Well, yeah," Ss just shrugged,pletely believing himself, "I''m a Noble, Emi¡­ It should be the standard."


    "What about me? What Level do you think I would get?"


    "What level are you now?"


    "L¡­level 1."


    "Hm¡­ I''ve seen you in the Underworld, I think you''re going to rank up to at least 3."


    "You really think so!? If I do, I would treat you to¡­"


    And as their voices faded, Rhys could really only hold his breath ¡ª as not doing so would probably cause him to scream there and then. Emilia and Ss probably already left, as they were allowed to go first and he hasn''t really seen any sign of them anymore. And after a few moments, he finally calmed himself down as he was getting closer and closer to the door.


    [120 to 130, please enter the Physical.]


    And as his number was called, Rhys made sure that his hand was no longer in a fist and that it waspletely rxed. And there, simr to what he saw in the Explorer Academy, was a metallic skeletal machine that was capable of shifting to a different shape depending on its settings.


    [The test is simple.]


    Rhys and the other examinees all raised their heads as they looked at the view deck above the testing hall, only to see several people there watching them ¡ª one of them being the owner of the voice.


    "What the¡­ isn''t that the guild master of the Laughing Bronze?"


    "...Who?"


    "Keh, bro. One of the top 10 guilds in Amerka."


    "...I''m just here to earn money, bro."


    "Well, the guy has a lot of money ¡ª anyone affiliated from a private guild can''t be in here unless they paid in gold."


    "Wait, you think they''re here to get someone for their guild?"


    "What else, you stupid fuck."


    And as the other trainees started to talk, Rhys could really only look at the panel of judges ¡ª and as expected, they were also staring at him; the look on their faces filled with confusion.


    "Is that tall guy a Lowborn?" Keh asked one of his fellow judges.


    "I¡­ think so, let me check," one of the other judges started flipping his files until he saw Rhys''s, "Rhys Wilder. He''s¡­ is this true? He''s a Staff Sergeant of the Underworld Corps? A Lowborn?"


    "The¡­ Underworld Corps?" Keh pushed his long green hair to the side and tucked it between his ear as he reviewed Rhys''s file, "Isn''t that a sub-branch of the Surface Army?"


    "It is and¡­ wait, it''s his turn now."


    And as soon as one of the judges said that, Keh and the others all focused their attention on the training hall; watching as Rhys stood close to the metallic android.


    [Number 120, do you have any experience in fighting monsters?]


    "Yes," Rhys nodded his head as he looked at the machine in front of him.


    [We will have you fight a bipedal monster, the trial will start in 30 seconds.]


    "..." Rhys once again nodded as he saw the machine''s ''eyes'' lighting up. He could not concentrate, however, as he kept remembering his sister and Ss walking so close to each other.


    [10 seconds, 120.]


    And as the machine started to move, Rhys''s eyes started to twitch as his hand once again turned into a fist. And without even realizing it¡­


    [5 seconds, 120.]


    ¡­He let out a subtle groan and rushed straight toward the machine. His fist¡­


    ¡­loaded with rage.

 Chapter 75 Kenneth Kennedy

    Everything else was ck, and all Rhys could see in front of him was Ss West; his long, whitebed hair, the only light in this darkness he found himself in. And if it disappears, then so will Rhys.


    But he knew, he knew the thing in front of him was not actually Ss, but imagining it was him was the only thing he could really do ¡ª to imagine what would happen if he just smashed his fist straight onto his smirking face.


    His head would just probably disappear into existence. Ss may be a Noble from one of the strongest Olympians, but the blood he was carrying in his veins is primarily an Elemental ¡ª as long as he catches him off guard with Ayesha''s strength, that would be it.


    And as Rhys''s fist got closer and closer to the image of Ss, everything suddenly returned to him as he remembered where he was. Ss, now only just a bipedal training machine; its silhouette, entirely metallic and skeletal.


    And as soon as Rhys realized what he was about to do, he stopped.


    He stopped his fist just an inch away from hitting the head of the training mannequin, as not doing so would probably obliterate the machine entirely.


    Rhys was not going to hide his strength. After all, what he wanted was to attract attention and gain influence fast, but he did not want everyone to know what he was truly capable of, at least not yet.


    He is powerful now, extremely so ¡ª and he knows that. But there are still people out there stronger than him.


    Unfortunately for Rhys, he does know he is powerful, but he once again underestimated Ayesha''s strength as the entire testing hall trembled and his footnded on the condensed metallic floor. And the mannequin¡­ the mannequin violently fell backward just from the shockwave of his fist suddenly stopping and snapping the air in front of it.


    The mannequin quickly bounced back like a punching bag, however, and Rhys immediately caught it with his hand to prevent it from flying altogether.


    And suffice it to say, everyone witnessed what he just did.


    "Was¡­"


    The other examinees truly wanted to say something, but the only words that were really escaping their mouths were their own stuttered breaths. They could try and find excuses for what just happened.


    A sudden earthquake. A bomb exploding. Or maybe even a hole opening up in the middle of the city ¡ª and most of them would actually be more believable than a Lowborn causing the entire training hall to shake and cause a training mannequin to bounce from it.


    And suffice it to say, no one would even believe them even if they told the people outside ¡ª only the people present in this room would know what just happened¡­ and even they couldn''t believe it themselves.


    "What was that?" The people who were supposed to be judging the trainees were now all standing from their seats as they looked at Rhys, "Do¡­ do we have a recording of what just happened!?"


    "...No. The recordings are only allowed to be reviewed for security purposes only."


    "But I missed it! I wasn''t looking and missed what happened!"


    "Why weren''t you looking? You''re a judge."


    "Because he''s a one-armed Lowborn! I was expecting him to just struggle and ultimately give up in the end!"


    And while the other judges were starting to raise their voices, Keh Kennedy, the guild master of the Laughing Bronze, could not help but cover his mouth as he stared at Rhys, who was also just seemingly looking at them. It was hard to see if he really was staring at them, since half of his face was covered by his hair.


    It didn''t matter whether he was or not, however. What mattered was that unlike the other judges, Keh actually saw everything. Everything.


    At most, the judges probably only saw Rhys causing the mannequin to bounce from the floor without it even having the chance to even fight back. But Keh saw Rhys stopping his fist just before he hit the head of the mannequin.


    [You can leave, 120,] and as the other judges were busy trying to figure out what happened, Keh grabbed the microphone from the other judge and took it upon himself to tell Rhys to go wait in line again for the next test. All the other judges were part of the government, and Keh would be stupid to actually let them know what he knew.


    Rhys was a wild card. It doesn''t even matter if he is a Lowborn¡ªno. Perhaps it matters more that he is, because that would attract even more attention, and in turn, more people would be lining up to sponsor and suck up to his guild.


    No matter what, the Laughing Bronze should have him.


    "Okay. Thank you, Sir."


    And as Rhys was turning around and leaving, the other judges wanted him to stay so they could ask him some questions. Keh, however, did not let them even nce at the microphone as he waved his hand.


    "120 is nothing special, he''s a trickster," Keh let out a small groan and a sigh as he looked at the other judges, "I saw him tripping the mannequin, and then using his abilities to make it look like it bounced back."


    "...Abilities?"


    "Didn''t you read his file?" Keh stood up as he drilling his finger on the file on the table, "He can create threads or something. You know how these Lowborns are, their sly."


    "What about the earthqua¡ªWhere are you going?"


    And before the other judges could ask any more questions, Keh started walking away.


    "Oh, I''m just going to the restroom," Keh let out a tired chuckle, "I''ve been holding my pee back since there might be someone interesting, but they might as well all just be as weak as that Lowborn. Except that Ss dude, but he''s already a part of Cerberus, so fuck him."


    "W¡ª"


    Keh quickly hastened his pace as he truly did not want to say anything else, as it would surely already garner the other''s suspicion. And of course, he was not actually heading to the restroom, but rather to the next testing hall.


    "Mr. Kennedy?" The judges in the testing hall were all surprised as Keh suddenly sat with them in the Ability Testing Hall, "I thought you were only going to watch in the Strength¡ª"


    "I got bored," Keh just nonchntly waved his hand as he pretended to watch the examinees below them. His eyes, however, were busy reviewing Rhys''s file.


    "...Why is this name so familiar," Keh stared at the photo of Rhys''s face, shaking his head while doing so as he tried to remember where else he could have seen Rhys. After all, a Lowborn as strong as this could never have hidden himself this long. Unless, of course¡­


    "...The Underworld Corps'' secret weapon? That''s the only reason I could think of. But if he is¡­ then that means the government already owns him. But if he''s not¡­ then I really must have him."


    And as Keh quietly whispered to himself, the other judges could really only look at each other, before just choosing to ignore him and focus on the examinees below them. And perhaps if Keh and Rhys had something inmon, it would be that they are both¡­ chronic overthinkers.


    And unfortunately for Keh, the only thing he could really do was think. All the judges were asked to surrender their phones to avoid any leakage of information to the outside ¡ª that worked for Keh since he truly did not want Rhys''s existence revealed just yet. But at the same time¡­


    ¡­he also could not search for traces of him on the inte.


    [Numbers 120 to 125, please enter the Ability Testing Hall.]


    And as soon as he heard those words, Keh quickly sat straight up from his seat. Not before, of course, feigning to cough so that the other judges won''t notice his excitement.


    "What the¡­ am I reading this right? A Lowborn?"


    And almost a repeat of earlier, the other judges started looking at each other in confusion; forcing out a chuckle as they read Rhys''s file.


    "Mr. Kennedy, you were in Strength, right? How did this Lowborn do?"


    "Oh, he''s alright. Nothing special, but good enough to maybe carry our baggage," Keh burst out inughter, causing the others to do the same as they shook their heads, "But I think we can give him a Level 1 License, you know? Just for theughs."


    "Pft, an Explorer Lowborn?" One of the judges continuedughing, "Like that would ever¡ª"


    "Level 1 License," Keh smiled at the judge as he grabbed him by the shoulder, "It will be fun."


    "...But he''ll die out there. He''s¡ª"


    "Rx, I''m taking him to my guild to show the others as a joke. Can you do this to me as a favor?"


    "..." The judges once again looked at each other. They knew the guild master of the Laughing Bronze was slightly entric, but why would he even risk recruiting a Lowborn in his guild as a joke?


    Unbeknownst to them, however, Keh just wanted Rhys to pass the test. After all, how could he recruit him to an Explorer Guild if he wasn''t even an Explorer? He wanted no one to know about him, but he also wanted him to pass.


    And so¡­ he very slowly pulled out a big fat check from his pocket.


    And as soon as the others saw this, theughter on their faces all returned.


    "Of course, of course, it would be funny! Ha¡­ Haha!"


    "I know right?" Keh also smiled, "By the way, I actually bought you guys some pizza outside. How about you guys rest¡­


    ¡­and just let me take over for a while?"


    And as Rhys wanted, he was very slowly garnering attention. But sadly for Rhys¡­


    ¡­this same attention was preventing him from garnering the attention he wanted.

 Chapter 76 A Needle In a Haystack

    "What''s going on¡­? Why is it taking so long?"


    Of course. While Keh and the other judges were talking to each other, the examinees who were already in the testing hall could not help but wonder what was going on. Although, they actually already have an inkling of what it is¡­


    ¡­The Lowborn.


    Nos. 121 to 125 have actually had a long conversation about what happened back in the previous test. And no matter how hard they thought about it, there really was only one conclusion they reached ¡ª that they had no idea what was happening.


    "..." And while all of this was going on, Rhys was looking around; feigning indifference as he tried to gauge the people''s reaction. The tests may not be public, but rumors can''t be stopped; somewhere, somehow, a crack will open up and the news of a Lowborn having extraordinary strength will very slowly seep out.


    He just had to do well, but not too well that it would be unbelievable and scare other people. Level 2, his aim was to at least instantly skip Level 1, and that would be enough to break the minds of the masses and put attention to him.


    The Explorer test has been incredibly simple so far and the process fast; perhaps no doubt due to the number of aspiring Explorers applying each day. They could not put a moreplex test unless they wanted the tests tost for a month.


    He had already made sure to be as early as possible, and even then, he was number 120.


    [120, you may proceed.]


    And as his number was called, Rhys let out a small breath and started examining the Ability Test hall. Much like the previous hall, the entire area seemed to be ted with a sort of condensed metal that absorbed most impact ¡ª that was the only reason why Rhys did not destroy the entire floor when his foot mmed on it in the Strength test.


    The ability test hall had a much wider area. And unlike the previous hall, there was nobat mannequin to be seen. Instead, it was filled with all sorts of blocks, pirs, and random objects of different colors and sizes scattered everywhere. There were even some that were hanging from the ceiling.


    It very much reminded Rhys of one of those indoor ygrounds and obstacle courses, except on a muchrger scale and more boring.


    "..." Rhys then waited for the judges to tell them the instructions, but even after a few seconds of just standing in the middle of this obstacle course, it did note. And so, Rhys just turned to look up at the view deck, only to see that it was nowpletely cked out.


    [Ah right, sorry¡­ I forgot to exin the objective. Just do whatever you want and try to impress us with your abilities, 120. It says here you are capable of producing threads like a spider?]


    "Yes," Rhys nodded at the view deck even though he couldn''t see the judges¡­ who for some reason, have be very active and talkative.


    [Okay, go. Hang from the ceiling, tie up one of the things, or even use the threads to pull one of the blocks. Everything is up to you. The goal of this test is not only to see how strong your abilities are, but also how creative you are in using your abilities. I remember when I was in your¡ªI suppose I am rambling. Go, 120.]


    Do¡­ whatever he wanted? Rhys could only once again scan the hall as he thought of what to do.When he awakened, Katarina was the one to register him, and the only thing she listed was his ability to produce spider threads.


    But that is all he really needed.


    Rhys first shot out his white sticky threads onto the high ceiling of the testing hall, showing how far it could actually reach, and then hung onto it with one hand, because he really only has one hand. He then used his thread to quickly and expertly tie up a few of the blocks and pull them toward him ¡ª he did everything the judge casually told him to do.


    "Pft¡­ that''s it?" The examinees started letting out breaths of relief as they saw Rhys just doing mundane things they all could do if they had a rope.


    "I guess thest test really was just a fluke."


    "Of course, of course. How can a Lowborn actually do something like that?"


    The examinees were whispering to themselves as they seemed to try to cling to thestmon sense they had. But soon, their whispers once again abruptly stopped as they heard a certain low-pitched whistle screech through the air.


    They wondered what it was at first, but soon, they saw the blocks which Rhys tied up earlier starting to tremble on their own. They then turned to look at Rhys, who was very slowly closing his hand into a fist; the screeching in the air, slowly getting louder and louder.


    And as Rhys fully closed his hand, a high-pitched whistle exploded in the air; causing all of them to cover their ears as they watched in horror as all the blocks¡­ were all minced into pieces, offering little resistance to their brutal fate.


    As for Rhys, he once again judged the expressions of the other examinees to see what they were thinking. And as soon as he saw them with nk expressions on their faces, he could really only let out a sigh.


    These other examinees were Rhys''s weapon ¡ª they were going to be the cracks that would very slowly let the rumors of him slip out into the world.


    Unfortunately for Rhys, he wasn''t actually a good of a reader of emotions as he thought if the emotion did not involve disdain toward him¡­ and Rhys thought they were unimpressed by what he had shown them,pletely oblivious of the fact that the blocks were actually made from the same material as the floor they were stepping on.


    And so, Rhys''s eyes turned toward one of therger blocks in the hall. Before he could do anything to it, however, a loud rumble scattered in the speakers.


    [120, that is enough. You may leave.]


    "But¡ª"


    [You will already pass with that. You may leave.]


    Fortunately for Rhys, the guild master of the Laughing Guild stopped him from doing something he would regret¡­


    ¡­unfortunately for Rhys, Keh was also trying to make sure he doesn''t stand out as much as possible, even asking the other judges to leave so it would only be him who will actually evaluate him.


    And suffice it to say, Keh was already trembling in excitement. No matter how much it cost, he needed to get Rhys.


    ***


    [All those who passed the Strength and Ability test, please proceed back to the Surface to take the Knowledge test.]


    Although there is supposed to be a process of elimination during the test, Rhys noticed that they have not actually failed anyone yet. Rhys was always the first to take the test in his batch, so he couldn''t really see how well the others were doing ¡ª but there should at least be someone failing.


    But as Rhys and the other examinees walked back to the ground floor of the Explorer Association building, he noticed that their numbers had not dwindled at all. And now that they were gathered in the lobby, he had finally realized just how many were truly taking the exam.


    There were probably a thousand of them there, and by all means, it would be hard to notice even someone as tall as Rhys in that crowd. And yet¡­


    "...Rhys?"


    Emilia found him in the crowd.

 Chapter 77 A Changed Man

    "...Rhys?"


    "Emilia."


    Rhys thought of the possibility of seeing his sister again since she was in the same building, but he thought she would already be gone since she and Ss were obviously being given special treatment.


    But now, she was standing in front of Rhys; her eyes, slightly trembling as she stared at Rhys''s right arm, or at least it should have been there, but all Emilia''s eyes were reflecting was his sleeve just freely waving even with the slightest movement.


    "You¡­" Emilia slightly gasped and blinked before looking at Rhys''s covered face, "...You were back?"


    "..." Rhys did not really answer Emilia and just stared at her face. He could try finding the right words to say, but he had actually already said everything thest time they spoke. And so, Rhys really only let out a small hum before just turning around.


    "Wait, Rhys!" Emilia loudly whispered as she tried to grab Rhys''s hand,pletely forgetting there was nothing there, "Listen. About¡­ about thest time we spo¡ª"


    "Rhys¡­ Wilder?"


    "..." Rhys wasn''t going to stop for Emilia no matter what words escaped her mouth, but the voice that suddenly whispered into his ears quickly made him turn around.


    And there, was Ss West, his eyebrows upturned and his mouth slightly opened.


    "You''re¡­ Rhys Wilder, right?" Perhaps even more so than Rhys, the shock Ss was feeling was obviously more prevalent due to the tone of his voice, "It''s you."


    "Hm," Rhys did not say anything as he just literally stared down at Ss, even as he very slowly got closer and closer to him.


    "How¡­ are you doing?" Ss took in a small gulp as his eyes did not seem to know whether to look at Rhys''s face or not, "Shit¡­ that''s a stupid question, fuck."


    Rhys watched as Ss gritted his teeth and his hands started fidgeting. Ss also started looking at Emilia, who really only nced at the both of them back and forth; her eyes, seemingly wanting to separate the two far away from each other.


    And soon, Rhys saw Ss''s eyes reddening and his breaths turning heavier by the second. And then, all of a sudden, tears seemed to fall from the edges of his slightly trembling eyes. Before any of them could build up and trail down his cheeks, however, Ss quickly turned his head up, subtly covering his face and gripping his white hair tight as he tried to calm his breath.


    "Rhys¡­" Ss once again took in arge gulp as soon as he made sure no tears were going to fall from his eyes. And then, without even as much as a warning¡­


    ¡­he kneeled down on the hard floor, hard.


    "...I''m¡­ I''m so sorry for what I did to you, to the both of you," Ss nced for a second at Emilia before just looking up at Rhys. His neat white hair that was previously brushed back, now as messy as his breaths,


    "I¡­ am not going to make excuses for the horrible things I did back then ¡ª because there is no excuse for it, it was¡­ just fucked and evil," Ss gripped his hands tight; tight enough for blood to escape between the gaps of his fingers,


    "I have changed, but I know that doesn''t matter to you because I was in your position¡­ you would probably want to strangle me right now. But Rhys¡­ what are you doing? Bing an Explorer? Even joining the Underworld Corps? I have no right to say this but please, stop trying to kill yourself. It''s me¡­


    ¡­everything that happened back then was my fault."


    Rhys watched as Ss started gesturing to himself while trying to look at him in his hidden eyes.


    "I know¡­ I know that what is happening now isn''t fair," Ss slowly started to stand up, slightly struggling as his legs seemed to be trembling uncontrobly, "I know that you think that society and justice have failed you, and it did. But it''s me, I''m the one that did that and I will never, ever forgive myself. But Rhys, please¡­ stop trying to kill yourself."


    "..."


    "You can kill me now if that is what you want," Ss once again gestured to himself before stretching his arms to the side, "If that is what will bring you peace¡­


    ¡­then kill me. No one here will stop¡ª"


    Rhys did not let Ss finish his words as he finally responded with a heavy breath and a touch. He did not grab Ss''s shoulder, he just lightly ced his hand on it as he leaned close to him and whispered right into his ear.


    "Justice is fair, Ss West," Rhys said with his teeth almost sticking together, "It just has not reached the both of us yet¡­


    ¡­but it will."


    Rhys could just swing his hand right now and Ss''s head would just quickly fall to the ground. But as he said, justice still has not reached the both of them just yet¡­ not yet.


    "And stop it with the tears, you can control water as easy as breathing."


    "That''s not what¡ª"


    Before Ss could say anything else, however, Rhys just backed away from them; disappearing into the crowd which had already gathered and circled around them.


    The crowd was inevitable, and perhaps weed for what Rhys wanted¡­ but he did not really care for them at all, as he was truly just trying his best not to try and kill Ss there ¡ª and even if he did attempt to, it did not escape his eyes that as soon as he ced his hand on Ss''s shoulder, his bodyguards who were hiding within the crowd all flinched and started to move closer.


    "Rhys!"


    Rhys could hear his sister calling and chasing him, but Rhys just swiftly moved through the crowd; even using his extremely enhanced senses to weave and disappear from her eyes altogether.


    Emilia did not give up, however, as Rhys could still hear her calling for his name even after several minutes had passed. It wasn''t until Rhys was called to the knowledge test that Emilia''s voice no longer gued his mind.


    And perhaps out of all the already simple tests, the knowledge test topped all of it as it was literally just a digital written exam. They were given a tablet and they needed to answer all the questions there.


    And as a matter of course, Rhys just drifted through the entire test; not even knowing whether what he was answering was correct or not. How could he even concentrate in the first ce after what just happened?


    The entire hour just disappeared and Rhys found himself just passing his paper with a nk expression on his face as they waited for the results.


    And as another matter of course, Rhys actually failed the written exam, and failing the written exam meant he wouldn''t be able to take the final test ¡ª Actual Exploration.


    ¡­Or at least that would have been the case, if not for Keh, the guild master of the Laughing Bronze, finding his name amongst the thousands of papers submitted and changing the test results.


    "Wow, you''ve passed. What a surprise."


    And as Rhys returned to the receptionist, Hannah, to have his papers stamped so he could move on and join the Actual Exploration test.


    "Ugh, I hate people like you who rely on their connections," Hannah rolled her eyes as she stamped Rhys''s papers, "I should have just stamped this earlier this morning."


    "...What do you mean?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "Don''t feign ignorance, tch. You were always going to pass," Hannah groaned as she started waving her hand, "Someone called me from the Mayor''s office and told me to ensure you pass. You know who?"


    "...What?"


    "The Mayor himself," Hannah bobbed her head from left to right as she looked up at Rhys, "I told you, you were wasting both of our time¡­


    ¡­mine, mostly."


    And unbeknownst to Keh, everything he did was actuallypletely useless¡­


    ¡­as someone above was already pulling the strings from the start.


    ***


    "Rhys! Is that you¡­? Why do I suddenly feel scared looking at you, my boy?"


    Rhys had already grown a few inches taller in his time in the Underworld Corps, and yet the person in front of him still towered over him the same as before ¡ª the Mayor of Old York.


    "Ayesha told me you were missing an arm. But honestly, I am just surprised you''re even alive."


    "Mayor¡­


    ¡­What are you trying to do?"

 Chapter 78 Importance of Time

    "Mayor¡­ what are you trying to do?"


    "Going straight to the point as always, Mr. Rhys Wilder. Why don''t you take a seat first and we can talk?"


    "..."


    Rhys stared at the mayor''s smiling face for a few seconds, and yet he might as well just be doing nothing at all. Rhys has not noticed it before serving in the Underworld Corps, but there was something really odd about the deputy mayor.


    He was smiling while he gestured to Rhys to sit, yes. And by all means, the tone of his voice was incredibly friendly, and it has always been.


    But Rhys was now realizing the type of friendliness the mayor had ¡ª it was the type of friendliness that could allow him to take any child in the park with just a single word.


    And in this case, Rhys was the child, he had been from the start.


    And as he finally took a seat, the mayor''s assistant, Dan, quickly ced a can of soda in front of him; ice, still lingering around its cylinder.


    Rhys probably wouldn''t bat an eye on this, but the can of soda the assistant ced in front of him was the soda he had learned to like while he was in the Underworld Corps.


    It was the first thing he drank after a long mission, after a good meal, or just to alleviate a certain thirst for sugar.


    In short, it was his new favorite drink. And knowing it should be impossible unless they were a part of Rhys''s circle back in the Underworld Corps.


    "It''s just a drink, Rhys," the mayor let out a small chuckle while Dan poured a cup of boiling hot water for him. Not even coffee, but just boiling water.


    ¡­Has he always drank that? ¨C Rhys thought. He wouldn''t actually know, as most of the time he visited the mayor, his head was entirely stuck on the floor; no confidence to really look at anyone.


    "Now, I can see you''ve gained an entire life story down there with the suicide squad," the mayor squinted his eyes as he looked at Rhys''s missing arm, "Care to tell me what happened there, exactly?"


    "I¡­ have a feeling you already know," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as a loud pop snapped in the air as he opened his soda.


    "I was mortified when I heard what happened to your first crew," the mayor let out a very long and deep sigh as he shook his head, before taking a sip of his scalding hot water; even seemingly letting out a satisfied breath after he did so,


    "Now you know why I was so against you joining the Underworld Corps, kid. And now you''re even missing an arm¡­ But I suppose you gained something far more valuable in return, no?"


    "..." Rhys''s eyes started to squint.


    "A sense of camaraderie," the mayor let out a hearty chuckle as he leaned his back on his chairpletely rxed.


    "Did you pay the Explorer Association so I could pass the exam?" Rhys finally asked as he looked the mayor in the eyes, "Why would you do that?"


    "Because I was not initially confident you would pass the test, Rhys Wilder," the mayor let out another sigh as he raised his hand. And as Dan saw this, he quickly left the office quietly without even as much as a word.


    And as soon as the two were alone, the smile on the mayor''s face quickly faded away as he leaned closer to his desk; returning Rhys''s stare as a small grunt escaped his lips, "But it would seem my meddling was quite unnecessary¡­


    ¡­just where and when exactly did you gain that kind of strength?"


    "How¡­"


    "I''m a politician," the smile on the mayor''s face returned, "I have friends in¡­ very high ces. And as for what I hope to gain in assuring you pass, well ¡ª My entire tform revolves around giving Lowborns equal rights, equal opportunities, and fair results reflecting their performance¡­


    ¡­and you are my chicken in this marathon long overdue."


    "You¡­ should choose another chicken," Rhys could really only let out a sigh of his own as he stood up, "For your own sake, Mayor. You''ve helped me through all these years, and the least I can do is give you a warning that¡­


    ¡­I''m taking the wrong path."


    "The world has been wrong for so long, Rhys Willder," the mayor shook his head as he stifled a chuckle, "Your wrong path may just be the right one. Like it or not, you are my chicken. And if your path is wrong, then maybe we''re all just meant to be wrong."


    "Hm¡­"


    "Don''t pretend that what I said actually made sense," the mayor scoffed before finally letting out another hearty chuckle, "Also, you should probably leave in a few, today''s the day you''re going back down there? Right? The Exploration test?"


    "You really should stop asking things you already know the answer to," Rhys sighed as he turned around to leave.


    "Oh, right!"


    Before Rhys could step out of the office, however, the mayor''s loud voice entered his ears once more, "If you see my daughter again in the Exploration test, say hi to her for me."


    "...You have a daughter?" And perhaps out of all the subtle revtions he had heard from the mayor, this was what shocked him the most, "And what do you mean ''if I see her again''?"


    "Wh¡ªHow could you not know who my daughter is? She told me the two of you talked quite extensively back in the Association."


    "..." Rhys could really only squint his eyes as he tried to remember if he ever talked to any girl other than his sister, but he couldn''t quite¡ª


    "Wait," Rhys''s eyes started to widen, "You mean the receptionist? Hannah?"


    "What do you mean receptionist? And yes, Hannah," The mayor stood up from his desk, only for his head to almost hit the ceiling as he did so; his suit, barely even containing the muscles hidden within them,  "Don''t you see the simrity?"


    "...No."


    "Weird. I''ve been told that out of all my 30 children, she is the one who looked like me the most."


    "...You have 30 children?"


    ***


    [Everyone, listen up!]


    And true enough, Rhys did truly meet the mayor''s daughter ¡ª standing in front of all the examinees on top of a stage the association seemed to have finely set up for all of them. And behind Hannah, was a vaulted hole that has been used by the Old York Explorer Association as an examination ground for all their examinees.


    There did not seem to be that many examinees nowpared to before they took the knowledge test ¡ª perhaps less than half of them.


    [As much as you want to be here, I have absolutely no interest to be here and see your annoying faces,] Hannahzily waved the mic she was holding as she looked at each of the examinees in front of her; her eyes, ultimatelynding on Rhys.


    "..." Rhys also looked at Hannah from head to toe, and he still could not see any simrity between the two. Hannah was quite¡­ small, even more petite than Lina. Her clothes were neat and extremely professional, and yet her personality seemed theplete opposite as she groaned with each word.


    [And you!]


    And as if Rhys wasn''t already attracting enough attention as it is, being the only Lowborn in the crowd, Hannah singled him out by pointing at him.


    [I am watching you, 120. Do not do any of your hocus pocus in this test because people have died here.]


    The other examinees that weren''t already previously talking about Rhys were now surely talking about him. But as always, Rhys has learned how to filter them out as he only focused on Hannah. Just what sort of position did she actually have in the association for her to just do something like this, and none of the other staff and employees seemed to dare stop her?


    [Anyway, as I said, I don''t want to waste all of our time so¡­]


    "!!!"


    Rhys felt himself being lifted up in the air. And it wasn''t only him, the almost 500 examinees felt themselves very slowly being lifted up as Hannah raised her finger in the air. And soon, they found themselves right on top of the vaulted Hole.


    [...I''ll change the rules and whatnot of the Exploration test. Originally, you''ll be given a certain task, yada yada. But since I am short on time, I am just going to decrease the difficulty a bit and just have you survive down there.]


    And as Hannah started exining, therge hatch of the vaulted Hole began to slide open.


    [Easy, right?] Hannah breathed out,


    [You just need to survive for an entire month, moving from one area to the next of my choosing.]


    "W¡­wait, one month!?" One of the examinees screamed as he flinched in the air, "What do you mean a month? I¡­ We didn''t bring any supplies because this was only supposed tost for a day!"


    [Well, yes. 1 day for me¡­


    ¡­your time don''t matter.]

 Chapter 79 And Once Again

    "Stop wasting my time." ¡ª Those were thest words Rhys and the other examinees heard before they were forcefully thrown and dropped into a Hole.


    As for the one who dropped them there, she did not even nce at the Hole and just stepped off the stage; casually chewing a piece of gum as she did so.


    She then snapped her fingers, and as she did so, the ground started to tremble. And after a few seconds, the vaulted Hole suddenly and violently closed.


    "T¡ªCall the Rescue Team!"


    "The healers! Call all the healers!"


    "Someone open the Hole!"


    "We¡­ we can''t! It''s stuck!"


    "Zeus¡­ They''ll be fine," And as the other staff and members of the Explorer Association started to panic and run around the area, Hannah could not help but roll her eyes as she continued to walk away, "They are aspiring Explorers, if they can''t survive for a month down there, then they might as well just work in offices or something."


    "M¡­Ms. Hannah, why did you do that!?"


    Sadly for Hannah, before she could leave the testing ground, one of the members of the association rushed toward her and blocked her path; the man''s heavy breaths, almost causing Hannah''s office dress to wave even though it was already tightly wrapped around her waist.


    "Because they assigned me this job?" Hannah once again rolled her eyes as she just walked past the hyperventting man, "And I did not even have to, you''re wee."


    "They¡­ they were supposed to be apanied by an Explorer team!" The man took in a whistling gasp as he pointed at a group of people who were carrying bags and all sorts of weapons¡­ and clearly wearing attire fit for Exploration,


    "They won''t be able to survive down there for a month¡ªno. They won''t evenst an hour!"


    "Dude, chill the F down," Hannah grumbled and started waving her hand, "And since when were they apanied by veteran Explorers? And all you people really need to tone it down a little, it''s getting pathetic."


    "...They''ve always been apanied by professionals!" The man wanted to pull out his hair there and then.


    "Oh¡­" Hannah blew her gum into a bubble as she nced at the now closed Hole, "...They''ll be fine. It''s a controlled Hole, not even Level 1."


    "It''s not! Some parts of the wall protecting the testing area were destroyed by a monster and we''ve been trying to prune everything that manages to seep into the cracks while fixing it, but we couldn''t get an Explorer team to do both this week since Holes have been opening left and righttely!" The man raised his voice; the veins on his forehead, almost popping out,


    "Right now, we don''t even know the exact level of the Hole!"


    "Well, that''s stupid," Hannah scoffed, "You should have had an Explorer team waiting down there then."


    "Them! It was supposed to be them!" The man once again pointed at the Explorer team, who were still standing in the same spot they have been standing since earlier,pletely confused and unaware of what to do since everyone around them was panicking and running around, "They were supposed to orient the examinees, guide them, scout the area and clean it if they have to!"


    "You should have told me all of that beforehand, then," Hannah just shrugged.


    "We did! We had a meeting just a few hours ago!"


    "..." Hannah blinked a couple of times as she tried to recall the meeting, only to remember that she had been on her phone the entire time, "Oh¡­


    ¡­are you saying it''s my fault, then?"


    "..."


    ***


    "M¡­mommy!"


    The people on the Surface were not the only ones panicking, no. Their panic could not even bepared to the horrifying screams that were currently trying to make Rhys deaf as he and the other examinees continued to fall down the Hole.


    It did not help that their screams were being amplified as the Hole caused even their tiniest breaths to echo. Some of the examinees were even spinning violently, fainting even before the gravity shift that was about to happen.


    Suffice it to say, out of all the almost 500 hundred people falling, Rhys was the only one that was still; his bodypletely straight and his feet pointed down; his hand, just making sure his hair did not wave around.


    His posture made it so that he was the first to actually reach the Underworld; somersaulting in the air and just flowing with the sudden gravity shift before expertlynding on Underworld ground with slightly bent knees.


    And almost immediately, without even waiting for anyone else to be puked out by the Hole, he ran away and made sure to gain enough distance from the Hole¡­ lest he wanted to be in the middle of a vomit party, literally.


    And true enough, as soon as the other aspiring Explorers started shooting out from the Hole, Rhys watched most of them just violently rolling on the floor while vomiting at the same time.


    Some,pletely unconscious ¡ª and they were perhaps the lucky ones.


    "Ugh¡­ am I¡­ am I dead?"


    "Kill me¡­ just kill me."


    Most of those who were still conscious, if not already vomiting, were gasping for their breaths as they tried their best to regain their bnce. There was a group, however, who seemedpletely used to the sudden gravity shift.


    "Hm," as for Rhys, he just subtly let out a small groan as he remembered his first day in the Underworld Corps¡­ where he was also forcefully shoved down by Ayesha.


    And now, with all of the examinees in the Underworld, Rhys started scanning the area.


    They were in a swamp region, with perhaps the only dry patch ofnd the area surrounding the Hole. The trees were colossal and bent but far in between; their branches and leaves, seemingly trying to reach for each other.


    Even with the roof of leaves, however, the rays of light seeping in from their gaps made sure the nt life below was incredibly lush; making it hard to know how deep the water goes in the wet areas.


    A perfect introduction to how harsh the Underworld can get.


    [Ugh¡­]


    Before Rhys could get to scout the area, however, a loud screeching whistled in the air; causing the examinees whose heads were already thumping to almost grovel on the slightly damp ground, and those who were unconscious to forcefully wake up only to vomit.


    Rhys quickly looked to where the familiar voice wasing from, only to see arge set of speakers attached to the nearest tree; caged in steel perhaps to protect it from monsters.


    [...So these ipetent members of the Association made a mistake and they are ming me. You''re not supposed to be down there alone.]


    Thatzy voice and breaths filled with sarcasm could not belong to anyone else but Hannah.


    [The good news is that you don''t have to be there for a month, just you know¡­ several hours, maybe half a day.]


    And as soon as the groggy examinees heard Hannah''s words, their collective sighs almost made an orchestra of relief.


    [The bad news is that you could probably die because, welp¡­ there might be more monsters than anticipated.] Everyone could hear Hannah sucked in her breaths as she grumbled her words, [So, yeah. Good luck.]


    "W¡­what?"


    "What do you mean ''good luck''!? We''re going to die here!"


    "I''m¡­ I''m going back!"


    And as one of the examinees started running back to the Hole, a loud screeching whistle once again traveled through their ears.


    [Please don''t be stupid.] And although none of them could see Hannah, it was obvious she was rolling her eyes back on the Surface,


    [That Hole is actually supposed to close but¡­ there''s been someplications since someone forcefully closed the hatch up here. If you jump, well¡­


    ¡­st.]


    "H¡­ help us!"


    "I don''t wanna die before I can be an Explorer! I''m¡­ I''m just here for the benefits!"


    [Ugh, shut up. All of you knew the risks, you Explorers are all the same even when you''re not Explorers yet. Anyway, I''ve already wasted enough time exining this to all of you. Want my advice? Just stick together and wait for the rescue team to pry the thing open. Good luck.]


    "What do you¡ª"


    [Oh, and also, we have plenty of cameras set up around the testing area so the association could watch you like the creeps they are. I mean, seriously? We have time to set up cameras but no time to fix walls? What about automatic weapons? Just how stupid¡­]


    And as Hannah''s voice began to fade away, the examinees did not think they would want to hear her voice again. But as soon as the quietness of the Underworld took over, all they wanted was to hear anything from the Surface, even her.


    "...Cameras?" Rhys quickly covered his face, instinctively crouching to the ground as he tried his best not to be seen by anyone; his breaths, slightly getting heavier by the second.


    And while Rhys was trying his best to calm himself down, one of the examinees stood on the thick andrge root of the tree nearest to them.


    "Everyone, listen up! I have already been to the Underworld many times before!" The man raised his voice as he calmly looked at all the people in front of him; his posture,pletely confident, "There is no need to panic. Right now, we are in a Swamp region, and that gives us plenty of resources to y around with. We just need to stick tog¡ª"


    "Fuck! What''s that!?"


    And before the man could finish his speech, a gigantic lizard suddenly appeared right beside him and almost instantly swallowed him whole.


    [Shit¡­] And as the sound of the man''s bones crunched in the air, Hannah''s voice once again whispered,


    [...that''s going to hurt my paycheck.]

 Chapter 80 Rhys, The Side Character

    "It¡­ it ate him!"


    "Where did it go!? It was just there!"


    "Run!"


    If there was one thing the man that was just suddenly eaten by the camouging giant lizard, it was that it would be better not to separate ¡ª as they say, there was strength in numbers. But s, putting untrained and unsupervised civilians in a situation like this always leads to one thing, mass death.


    It was a repeat of what happened to Rhys on his first days in the corps; this time, however, Rhys seemedpletely out of it and not even caring about the chaos as he remained crouching on the ground. His eyes were wide open, and his mouth was the same as he breathed in and out of them as if there was something stuck between his throat.


    While the other examinees were panicking from a hiding predator, Rhys was just being attacked by panic itself as he grasped his hair tight and covered his face; if he still had his other hand, it would probably be sping his drumming chest.


    [Do not separate. Absolutely do not separate!]


    Another voice, not Hannah''s, reverberated in the air,


    [Help will being soon. There is a safety bunker 750 meters away from¡ª]


    "!!!"


    Everyone let out a collective yelp as the voice speaking from them from the Surface was suddenly cut off. How could they not, when they saw the very same gigantic lizard that ate their fellow Examinee do the same to therge speaker? This time, however, they were even more terrified as the beast was able to chew on therge rod bars that were caging the speaker.


    That cage was supposed to protect the speaker from the monsters in the testing hall¡­ and yet that lizard was able to just gnaw on it without even any sign of resistance. And perhaps the worst thing about all of this¡­


    ¡­is that they couldn''t see the monster again as its camouge truly made it seempletely invisible.


    "That¡­ I know what that is now!" And while everyone was busy doing nothing and being frozen in fear, one of the examinees raised his voice and started flipping a book he was carrying, "E¡­ everyone, it''s this! It''s a Fog Kamelos. It''s¡ª"


    "Give me that!"


    And before the man could even start exining, one of the other more muscr examinees suddenly snatched the book from his hand.


    "W¡­what are you doing!?" The owner of the book tried to grab his book back, but the thug refused to let go and even started pushing his face away.


    Due to their size difference, with the owner of the book almost being literally half his aggressor''s size, the scrawny man could really only try and shake his head¡­ and when he found he couldn''t reach the book no matter what, he bit the muscr man''s hand; his flesh almost like rock due to all the calluses.


    "Ugh! You fucking psycho!" The muscr examinee quickly let go of the book as he checked his hand. And after a few seconds of staring at his mangled flesh, the muscr man suddenly let out a roar and lunged toward the owner of the book ¡ª pushing both of them toward the damper area of the swamp until the water now reached their knees, "I just wanted to look at the monster!"


    "S¡­someone stop him! He''s going to kill that boy!"


    No one, however, helped the owner of the book as the muscr man started strangling him; even pushing his head into the knee-deep water and drowning him at the same time. Suffice it to say, the only thing the owner of the book could do was wriggle and wave his hand randomly in the air.


    Until that is, his hand touched the muscr man''s head ¡ª because as soon as it did so¡­ a loud bang thundered in the air as everyone watched as blood just oozed and showered from the man''s ears. His body, instantly turning limp as he fell onto the scrawny examinee.


    "H¡­ Ho!" The scrawny examinee struggled for a bit as he pushed the man away. Fortunately, the man was not as heavy as he looked as the scrawny examinee was able to push him to the side,


    "I''m¡­ I''m alive¡­" The scrawny examinee gasped for air as he coughed out all the water inside his lungs. And as soon as he recovered, he started rummaging through the water; not knowing that while he was searching for his book, the ripples he continued to create were calling for a serpentine slithering beneath,


    "I¡­ I got it! It¡ª"


    And before he could finish his words, amon-sized snake lunged onto him; creating some sort of humming as its 2 pairs of wings that had the same color and transparency as the swamp water fluttered at a speed almost invisible to everyone.


    It was fast, incredibly so ¡ª but it wasn''t agile enough to avoid the machete suddenly swinging down straight through its neck; cutting it in half.


    "Eep!" The scrawny man could really only crouch; avoiding the snake''s head as it still seemed to want to bite him. And as he watched the snake of the head slowly being swallowed by the swamp water, the scrawny man turned to look at the person who saved him ¡ª only to see a woman even more muscr than the thug who wanted his book,


    "J¡­Jenny!"


    "Hm," the muscr woman, Jenny, did not really say anything and just nodded. If Rhys wasn''t currently having a panic attack, he would have probably thought how simr the woman looked to the Cyclops Barbarian he saw back in the Underworld Corps.


    "You saved me, sister¡­" The scrawny man gasped for air as he ced his hand on his sister''s muscr arm, which was almost the size of his entire skinny waist, "...That snake, it was a Snake Waterfly¡ªit wasn''t exactly venomous, but its bite makes you thirsty enough to even drink swamp water, which would be contaminated with its eggs. The eggs would then hatch and start eating you from the inside."


    And as his brother suddenly started exining out of nowhere, Jenny just nodded her head and started pulling him out of the water. And soon, the other examinees started gathering around the two and listening to the scrawny man.


    And while all of this was happening, Hannah and the others from the Explorer Association were watching from the Surface; some of them were relieved, while most of them were gripping their heads as two people had already died, and it hadn''t even been an hour.


    Hannah, however, had her eyespletely focused on one single aspiring Explorer who was just crouched down on the ground and doing nothing.


    "Well, that''s anticlimactic¡­" Hannah whispered to herself as she ced another gum on her mouth,"...Do something, No. 120. I thought you would be the main character of this test¡­


    ¡­but you''re not even a side character."


    Hannah sighed as she continued scanning all the monitors in front of her. And soon, her eyes started to squint as she saw an interesting group of people ¡ª the group Rhys noticed earlier who seemedpletely used to the sudden Gravity Shift.


    While the others were fawning and starting to surround Jenny and her scrawny brother, they werepletely isted from the rest and seemed more interested¡­ in Rhys.


    They were ncing at him, subtly but aggressively at the same time.


    "Hey, old man. I don''t recognize those 5," Hannah then obnoxiously grabbed the head of the person closest to him, forcefully facing it toward the monitor she was looking at, "Can you bring up their file?"


    "That¡ªwe have better things to do! We''re cleaning up your mess, Ms. Hannah!" The man quickly pulled his head away, only for it to return straight into Hannah''s palm like a yo-yo, hard, "T¡­I''ll look into it!"


    "Go," Hannah rolled her eyes as she waved her hand; her eyes, staring back and forth between Rhys and the group as a small smile very slowly crawled on her face,


    "Maybe this is a good way to waste my time aft¡ª"


    "Don''t do anything, don''t do anything."


    And before Hannah could finish whispering to herself, she noticed a man beside her anxiously biting his nails.


    "...Aren''t you the GM of the Laughing Bronze? What are you doing here?"


    "Ah, Ms. Hannah. Long time no see¡­" Keh only nced at her while monotonously greeting her before turning his focus on the monitor showing Rhys; repeating the same words over and over again ¡ª


    "Don''t do anything¡­ don''t stand out."


    Fortunately for Keh, Rhys truly was not doing anything even after several minutes had passed. He was no longer breathing heavily, but his head was still down; his eyes, now finally scanning the area. He wasn''t scanning for the hiding lizard, however, but he was scanning for the cameras scattered and hidden around them.


    The cameras were more of a threat to him than an overgrown chameleon.


    "Everyone! The Fog Kamelos is a Level 2 monster, but we could easily defeat it if we work together since it''s a territorial monster! It doesn''t hunt in a pack," the scrawny man raised his voice. And with Jenny standing beside him, no one really dared to say anything else. But why would they? This scrawny man seems to be their way to survival,


    "The man that died earlier is right ¡ª we stick together, we survive. The Fog Kamelos has a small appetite, and once it is full, it won''t feed for an entire day."


    "Does¡­ does that mean we are safe!?"


    "No," The scrawny man shook his head, "In order for it to be full, it needs to eat¡­ an entire cow. The person it ate is definitely not enough. So we need to be vigi¡ª"


    "I have a suggestion!" And all of a sudden, one of the members of the group that kept themselves isted raised their hand,


    "...What about we feed it the Lowborn?"

 Chapter 81 Wrong Advice, Again.

    "What about we feed it the Lowborn?"


    It was a heinous suggestion. But as the hundreds of examiners very slowly turned their heads toward Rhys, it all of a sudden became the only viable solution to their current predicament. Rhys wasn''t blind to this at all, as he momentarily stopped his search for the cameras hidden around them and scanned the person who suggested it.


    It was one of the people who Rhys saw earlier that did not puke, or even seem nervous at all as theynded in the Underworld.


    "Look, before anyone says how cruel this is¡­"


    They did not seem done convincing the others of their n, however, as another one from their group stepped forward. This time, it was a somewhat beautiful woman; enough charm to disarm someone. Sadly for her, Rhys had already spent long amounts of time with even more extraordinary women ¡ª and he wasn''t fooled by the concerned tremble on her face at all.


    "...He is already missing an arm, and look at him ¡ª he can''t even stand up from the whish."


    Whish, a word usually only used by veteran divers of the Underworld; Rhys had heard it being said several times in the corps by his seniors.


    "Even if he manages to survive here, and by miracle bes an Explorer. He would just die an even more gruesome death," the pretty woman said with conviction; her voice, hurt with each word she uttered, "At least here¡­


    ¡­he would have a chance to be a hero."


    "That''s¡­ right."


    And the truth is, the people did not really need any more convincing. As soon as the first person suggested the n, most of them already nodded their heads and agreed without a second thought.


    One single Lowborn vs. the lot of them? How was that even a choice?


    And so, very slowly¡­ or very fast depending on how one may interpret it, Rhys slowly found himself being stared at by all the almost half a thousand examinees. They did not really need to push or surround him, as Rhys was already isted from them in the first ce since he was the first tond in the Underworld.


    "..." Rhys wasn''t focusing on any of them, however, as he finally stood up and subtly looked at the seemingly veteran group, only to see them giving each other high fives down below. Rhys was about to approach them, but as he did so, his eyes finally caught a glimpse of one of the cameras hidden near the hole.


    And almost immediately, his body instinctively turned and his head lowered ¡ª he did not want to be scared of this. He was tired of being scared by this trauma, but his trembling legs showed no signs of cooperating with him at all.


    Katarina once told him that it wasn''t the cameras he was afraid of, but the intent behind them; he needed to understand that to slowly get rid of his phobia. She always told him that it was alright, that fear is a part of life and he should learn to embrace it and wee it, then use it.


    "¡­But what does that even mean?"


    "Everyone, wait! Wait!"


    And as Rhys once again tried to calm himself down by whispering his thoughts to himself, the scrawny examinee rushed to his side and started raising his palms up in the air,


    "Sacrificing someone is not the way we will survive this!" The scrawny man said as he tried looking each of the people in the eyes, "You do not want your first step in bing an Explorer to be paved with blood, not with blood. That''s not what it takes to be a hero!"


    "...Who says anything about wanting to be a hero?" One of the other examinees also raised their voice as he disagreed with the scrawny man.


    "That''s right, we''re just here to earn money!"


    "Didn''t you just kill someone!? Don''t be a hypocrite, you have more blood on your hands than any of us ever will!"


    "Wait¡­"


    "Let''s just tie up the Lowborn! Why are we even discussing this!? People like that ck-haired scum shouldn''t even be allowed to live in the first ce!"


    "Who¡­ who said that!?"


    And soon, the scrawny man could not even discern where the shouts wereing from as they turned to roars of hate.


    "Jay. It is no use."


    The scrawny man, Jay, turned to look at his muscr sister, who was shaking her head as she approached him.


    "Jenny? You mean¡­ not you too," Jay could really only shake his head as he blocked the trembling Rhys from his sister''s path, "If we''re going to be like this, we might as well forget our dreams."


    "I mean it is no use talking to the others," Jenny once again shook her head as she stood beside Rhys. And although she was clearly shocked that Rhys slightly towered over her, she still grabbed Rhys''s arm, "You are not safe here."


    "Jenny¡­" Jay wanted to smile, but as he realized the other examinees very slowly approaching them, the only thing he could do was grab Rhys''s other arm¡­ but there was nothing to grab there and he almost tripped himself, "...My sister doesn''t talk much, but when she does, she''s usually right. We need to get you out of here."


    Jay looked at his sister, the two nodding to each other as Jenny started dragging Rhys away¡­ only to find that she could not even budge his arm for even a single millimeter.


    "..." Jenny squinted her eyes for a bit, before looking at Rhys from toe to head. Of course, it was extremely hard to see Rhys''s face because of his hair; but as soon as Jenny caught even a tiny glimpse of the expression on his face, she could not help but quickly let go of his arm and back away, almost drawing her machete but stopping before she could do so.


    "Jenny¡­? What are you doing?" Jay was confused by his sister''s action, but did not really think twice of it as he opted to grab Rhys''s hand instead. Before he could do so, however, Jenny quickly pulled her away from Rhys.


    "Sister!? What are you¡ª" And once again, Jay was interrupted. Not by her sister, however, but by the sudden fog that was creeping from their feet. And as soon as Jay saw this, his head quickly started shaking as he stood close to his sister.


    "Everyone! Whatever you do, don''t move!" Jay let out a scream that almost cracked his voice, "I¡­ I was wrong! The Fog Kamelos isn''t alone!"


    "What!? What the fuck do you¡ª"


    "Fog!" Jay did not let anyone talk over him, "If a fog grows in a Fog Kamelos'' hunting ground, that means it is nested there¡­


    ¡­with its family."


    And as soon as those words escaped Jay''s mouth, the other examinees who were still approaching Rhys all stopped in their tracks.


    "Quick thinking, Jen," Jay nodded and looked at his sister, "If we moved away from the hole, we would have been¡ª"


    "That''s¡­ not why I pulled you away from him."


    "Huh¡­ what do you mean?"


    How could Jenny not move away from Rhys, when the expression he saw of him earlier almost made her pee her pants? She couldn''t really exin it due to herck of better vocabry, but it was¡­ almost gnarling.


    And Rhys, perhaps finally came to a sort of realization of what Katarina said to him. Wee his fears, use them as fuel¡­


    ¡­and turn it into rage.


    Unfortunately for Katarina, that is not what she meant at all, far from it. Sadly for her, she was not exactly a psychologist and forgot...


    ...that fear, shame, and rage are all that Rhys grew up with, they are all he knows.


    And as the fog slowly crept, a weird smile also began to creep onto his face¡­ slowly.

 Chapter 82 The Fog In Which The Monster Hides

    "Everyone, just stay together. Hold each other''s hands if you can!"


    "I¡­ I think something is biting my leg!"


    "Sorry¡­ that was my knife. I thought it was a tail."


    "You stabbed my leg!?"


    And as the fog very slowly started to veil the entire area, the aspiring Explorers once again all started to panic. It definitely did not help that Jay told all of them that there wasn''t just one giant man-eating lizard, a whole family of them.


    And so, right now, all of them were just waving their weapons at the slightest silhouette they saw. There were some trying to blow away the fog with their abilities, but even those with Wind Control found themselvespletely defeated as the fog just almost instantly return¡­ and even thicker.


    "F¡­ fuck staying together, you all can die hugging yourselves!"


    Suffice it to say, as soon as the examinees started identally hitting each other, no one really listened to Jay''s n to stick together anymore as some of them started running in different directions.


    "W¡­ wait, don''t run there! That''s the Hole!"


    "W¡­ Help!"


    No one really saw what was happening, but as soon as they heard someone''s screams slowly fading away, the only thing that was left in people''s minds was to get as far away from the Hole as possible; running in different directions away from the Hole, some even pushing each other.


    "Wait, guys! Wait! Don''t move! The Fog Kamelos is as blind as us in the fog, but it uses the vibration in the ground to¡ª" Jay tried stopping everyone who was running past him, but he only found himself being pushed and caught by Jenny, who was just shaking her head and gesturing him to stop.


    The fog got thicker and thicker, almost aplete anti-reflection of the thinning crowd. Jay could really only watch as their silhouettes disappear into the distance; the sound of water rippling everywhere, whispering in the air.


    If there was perhaps a silver lining to this situation¡­ it is that the Fog Kamelos and its palette would surely be after the ones who ran away.


    However, for those who were watching on the Surface, there was no such silver lining at all.


    "Don''t run! Just wait for the fucking rescue team! Gods damn it!"


    "Chill."


    "What do you mean chill!? This is all your fault, Ms. Hannah! And the worst part of all of this is that I am the one going to take the me since I am leading this exam!"


    "That''s why I''m chill."


    And once again, as most of the staff and members of the Explorer Association were panicking as they all watched in horror as their aspiring Explorers started splitting up, Hannah was quite rxed; her eyes, still just reflecting the monitor that had Rhys in view.


    The people in the testing area might have limited vision in the fog, but the cameras could still see through them. Albeit also slightly hindered, but not enough to not be able to see what was going on.


    And of course, Keh was also there, seemingly happy with what was going on for some reason Hannah could not really exin. And so, she could really onlye up with one conclusion ¡ª Keh, the Guild Master of the Laughing Bronze, is a pervert.


    "Fuck! They should have all stayed together! The deaths would have been minimal since the palette of kamelos would leave after they''re done feeding¡­


    ¡­but now these stupid shits just ran to their deaths! That swamp itself is the most dangerous thing there! Look, look! One is already drowning in quicksand, and another is being strangled by veins because he''s too stupid to stand up!"


    "Zeus, they should just die now if they''re going to die like that," Hannah just groaned.


    "You''re only saying that because you''ve never been in their position!"


    "So, it''s my fault that I''ve never wanted to be something as stupid as an Explorer?" Hannah rolled her eyes and waved her hand, "You all should just leave the Underworld alone. Th¡ªBring that monitor back up."


    And before Hannah could unjustly reprimand the people around her, her eyebrows lowered as the monitor showing Rhys suddenly cked out.


    "W¡ªwe can''t! We lost connection!"


    "We lost another one!"


    "We lost Camera 6 as well! Is the fog interfering with the signal!?"


    "Stupid fuck, all our devices are wired."


    "..." Hannah stood up from her seat as she watched as the monitors all turned ck one by one. She was, however, quick to notice that all the monitors that were being cut off¡­ were all near Rhys ¡ª with the first even being the camera closest to Rhys.


    "Can you bring up the footage before this one was cut off?" Hannah pointed at the monitor directly pointed to Rhys, "We should¡ª"


    "We have no time for that." And all of a sudden, Keh suddenly lowered Hannah''s hand, "We should focus on watching the other monitors, it will make it easier for the rescue team to search for the examinees if they know where they werest seen."


    "You really should let go of my hand if you don''t want it¡ª"


    "$1000," Kehpletely ignored Hannah as he looked at all the people in the surveince room, "I will give each person in this room $1000 for every aspiring explorer we save here today! Because they are our future, and we must do everything to save them."


    "W¡ª"


    "Everyone, let''s do our best!"


    And suffice it to say, no one even listened to a single word Hannah was saying. In the eyes of money, even the danger of her wrath seemed to have be meaningless for them ¡ª and the only thing she could really do was stare at her reflection on the ck screen.


    "Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­why is Father so interested in you?"


    ***


    "The fog''s slightly clearing up."


    Back in the Underworld, Jay was still being held by his sister. And as he said, the thick fog which quickly veiled the air around them left as quickly as it came, "...I heard the Fog Kamelos is also capable of controlling fog, but it''s not really confi¡ªWhere''s No. 120!?"


    "He jumped."


    "What¡­? Where?" While Jay was turning his head everywhere, Jenny was just looking at a single spot ¡ª the ground that Rhys was just standing on earlier. The ground in the swamp area was soft, for sure¡­ but a single leap shouldn''t be enough to make it look like it was carved off by an excavator.


    "Jay," Jenny made sure not to let go of her brother, "Make sure not to get involved with that Lowborn."


    "W¡ªDon''t call him that, that''s offensive."


    And while the siblings were talking to each other, the seemingly veteran group of examinees who suggested to sacrifice Rhys were currently, but softly walking around the thinning fog; their eyes all squinted as their eyes moved without pause to search for something.


    "Jamal, you see the Lowborn anywhere?" One of them then turned toward the branch of therge tree near them. And there, two shadows were veiled in the fog.


    "No. Ain''t seeing anything soon from this damn fog. I see you, though."


    "We see the two of you too."


    "Aight. We¡ªHold up, what do you mean ''two''?"


    "I mean we see you too."


    "...What?" Jamal squinted his eyes as he saw 4 people waving at him, "You was smoking, Cuz''? There are only five of us, what you saying there¡ª"


    And as soon as the realization dawned on him, Jamal very slowly turned his head to the side¡­


    ¡­only to see a tall dark shadow slowly standing and towering over him; his silver eyes which were covered by his hair, almost glistening in the white veil.


    "You were sent here to kill me¡­


    ¡­was it Ss West?"

 Chapter 83 Start of The Short Hunt

    "You were sent here to kill me¡­ was it Ss West?"


    "W¡ª!!!"


    "What the¡­ what are they even doing there?" Jamal''s group could really only lower their eyebrows as they saw the silhouette of Jamal and the person he was with disappear into the fog, "He''s supposed to be our¡ªWait¡­ was he supposed to have someone with him? Wait¡­


    ¡­there''s four of us here!"


    And as soon as Jamal''s friends finally realized he was supposed to be alone up there, they all quickly rushed to see what happened to him, climbing and leaping onto therge branches of the tree. But s, the only thing they found there were Jamal''s things.


    "This is his bag, just where¡­"


    And as the group started checking therge branch, a crackle whispered in the air they stepped on what seemed to be ss.


    "...Broken ss?"


    "Surveince cams." The only woman in the group picked up something from her feet, before picking another one that she identally lightly kicked away, "Several of them."


    "...Did Jamal remove it? That makes our jobs easier."


    "We have no time for that. Do you think the Lowborn got to him?"


    "..."


    "..."


    "Pft, yeah right. It''s probably just one of the girls taking the exam. You know how he is."


    "We have a job."


    "Killing a Lowborn, that''s not even a job at all. We might as well be on vacation. Jamal''s mouth''s probably drowning in some pussy right now."


    Unbeknownst to Jamal''s friend, Jamal was actually just above them on another branch and his mouth truly was drowning ¡ª not with pussy, but Rhys''s entire hand as he pinned him down.


    Every time Jamal struggled and wanted to do something to set himself free or just to make his friends aware that he was just above them, Rhys would push his hand deeper through his mouth; causing the shards of his broken teeth to scratch and slice the insides of his throat.


    Rhys would just probably gesture to Jamal to be quiet and shush him. But unfortunately for Jamal, Rhys only has one hand.


    The only thing Jamal could really do was re at Rhys, who was just staring at him with his cold silver eyes. His eyes were not uncaring at all, however, as there was an obvious hint of rage within them; hiding, but failing due to the tremble of Rhys''s lips which were trying their best not to show Rhys''s gritted fangs.


    "Jamal!"


    "The guy can''t be far. But be vignt, we can''t be so sure the Lowborn didn''t actually do this."


    "You kidding. Right, boss? There''s no way a Lowborn¡­"


    And as hispanions'' voices very slowly faded away, Jamal''s head started to tremble uncontrobly as he watched as Rhys nced at them. And as soon as they were gone, he felt his head being lifted up as Rhys started to remove his hand from his mouth.


    "Scream, and I will break your other leg." Another reason why Jamal couldn''t struggle more was that Rhys had actually already twisted one of his legs, literally; the kneecap, facing the wrong way.


    "Do you understand?" Rhys asked as he finally pulled his hand away; quickly wiping the mixture of blood and saliva on Jamal''s shirt.


    "Y¡­ yes," Jamal nodded; his voice, extremely hoarse and gasping.


    "Did Ss West send you to kill me?"


    "N¡­ no. I¡­ I don''t know what¡ª!!!"


    Jamal wanted to scream as Rhys suddenly broke his shin, but he couldn''t. As before he could even open his already opened mouth wider, Rhys''s hand was already grasping his mouth; not covering, but grasping tight that it felt like Jamal''s skin was about to be ripped off anytime soon.


    "I think we''ve established the fact that you came here to kill me," Rhys whispered as he looked Jamal in the eyes, "But I heard them, you heard them ¡ª the only question now is who sent you to kill me."


    "I¡­ don''t know," Jamal wanted to shake his head, but all that came out of him was a tremble, "We just¡­ we just ept jobs, we don''t ask!"


    "Wrong answer."


    "Gk!!!" And once again, Jamal raised his hand, three of his fingers now suddenlypletely twisted in the wrong way and a few of the bones sticking out, and he did not even see what happened.


    "I am not a very smart man, sir Jamal," Rhys let out a small sigh, "But I was trained in ways that could get you to talk. So, if I were you¡­


    ¡­talk."


    ***


    "Jamal!"


    "Gods damn it! My ancestors'' tits are already sagging and we still can''t find the man."


    "You guys think maybe¡­ Rhys really killed him?"


    "...Pft."


    And once again, theughing breaths of Jamal''spanions echoed through the swamp as they continued to find Jamal and Rhys through the white veil. Their silhouettes could be seen just casually walking through the thinning fog, seemingly as if just taking a leisurely walk on the Surface.


    Soon, however, their leader suddenly raised his fist and gestured to them to stop and shut their mouths.


    "Jamal, is that you?" The leader of the group squinted his eyes as he saw a silhouette slowly approaching them. Something was weird, however, as it almost seemed like the silhouette was floating toward them ¡ª the group did not think much of this, however. As soon, the silhouette revealed itself to be Jamal.


    "Yo! Where''d you go!?" The group quickly approached Jamal, "We have been¡ª"


    But they also all quickly stopped as he saw his mouthpletely mangled; unable to even open his jaw to speak. And then, they slightly looked up as his body rose from the ground and another silhouette showed itself behind him.


    And without even any warning, the tall silhouette holding Jamal''s head up in the air let go of him ¡ª not allowing him to reach the ground, however, as the silhouette of his leg suddenly disappeared. And as it did so, the group watched in horror as the entire lower half of Jamal''s body was torn awaypletely.


    "I am going to ask the same question I did your friend¡­


    ¡­your answers better be the same."

 Chapter 84 The Brutality Off-Camera

    "I am going to ask you the same question I asked your friend¡­


    ¡­your answers better be the same."


    Jamal''s body was not done scattering everywhere as Rhys said those words.


    Rhys''s wasn''t clean at all, as all of Jamal''s guts and blood sprayed everywhere from the sheer force of the kick. And the mist that veiled this violence was also instantly blown away, making the brutality in front of them even clearer.


    They could not even focus on Jamal, as they did not know where to focus as his body was all over the ce¡ªno. The only thing they could really focus on was Rhys Wilder, whose silver eyes could be seen almost glowing even with his hairpletely blocking them.


    And as Jamal''s blood dripped from Rhys''s face, the only other thing they could really see was his teeth, which were baring at them as if a hungry animal disturbed from its cave.


    "What¡­ the fuck?" The only woman in the group could really only take a step back as he did not even recognize Rhys anymore, "They¡­ they set us up! That''s not a Lowborn!"


    "Everyone, on your guard!" The leader of the group raised his fists, an armor of stone, covering his entire body as he did so, "Don''t panic, this is just¡ª"


    And as the fog once again very slowly veiled Rhys''s silhouette, they all saw him just quickly disappear ¡ª running. Not away, however, but to the side¡­ almost like a panther suddenly hiding and lying in wait; waiting for them to just make a mistake.


    Sadly for them, Rhys wasn''t a panther at all.


    "Kh!"


    "Tilda!?" One of the men leaped up, trying to catch the only woman in their group as something just suddenly yanked her up into the air; but s, the only thing he could really grab was the sole of Tilda''s shoe as it was ripped off.


    "F¡­ Fuck!" The man threw the sole away as he looked up, "Just what is¡ª"


    "Gah!" None of them could even form a sentence before they heard a high-pitched scream reverberating from above, "I¡­ I don''t know anything, I swear!"


    "...Tilda!? Just¡­ Just tell him what he wants!" And almost immediately, the leader of the group made a quick decision ¡ª to run and just save his men, "Don''t¡ª"


    Sadly for him, before he could utter his next words, he saw the silhouette of something round falling from above. He quickly stepped back to avoid it, but instinctively caught it as soon as he caught a glimpse of what it was.


    "Tilda¡­" It was Tilda''s head; missing an ear and several of her teeth, "You¡­ you monster! We haven''t even¡ª"


    "Who is it that paid you to kill me?" And before the leader of the group could finish his words, all of them watched as Rhys''s silhouette very slowly descended from above; his hand raised in the air as if he was holding onto something. And as his feetnded on the damped ground, he once again stared at the remaining 3 one by one,


    "Was it Ss¡ª"


    "No!" The leader of the group let out a roar as he also bared his teeth at Rhys, "I don''t know who it was, but it was someone from the Cerberus guild!"


    "From the Cerberus guild, but not Ss West?" Rhys calmly approached the two; his fingers moving as he did so for some reason, "How do you know they are from the Cerberus guild?"


    "Because¡­ because we always do a background check on our clients!" The leader of the group no longer hesitated and just told Rhys everything, "But once we found out he was from the Cerberus guild, we¡­ we backed off, okay!? I swear, that''s all we know. Please¡­


    ¡­at least let the two go."


    "Boss!?" The group''s remaining two members could not help but look at their leader, "We¡­ won''t leave you! We''ll kill this bitch together and¡ª"


    "I''m sorry."


    "Gk!"


    And before any of them could say anything more, they suddenly found their voices unable to escape their throat as something sharp was wrapping around their necks. It wasn''t just their necks; their limbs were also wrapped by something invisible ¡ª and they could do nothing but just freeze as they felt their bodies very slowly being lifted up in the air.


    "But I can''t let any of you go even if I wanted to." And almost as if to reflect their floating bodies, Rhys also raised his hand in the air, "You see¡­


    ¡­all of you are already dead."


    And with those words, Rhys gripped his hand into a fist¡­ and along with it, the threads he hadid upon everywhere tightened,pletely slicing the bodies of those in front of him without even as much as a slight resistance.


    "...I need to clean this up," and as their bodies scattered everywhere, the only thing Rhys could really do was sigh as he made his way to the mangled and dismembered corpses. Before he could take a single step, however, he heard the sound of footsteps from behind him. He quickly turned around to see who it was¡ªor in this case, what it was.


    The Fog Kamelos and its palette, 1 slightly smaller, and 2 not even half its size.


    "I thought you guys went after the others?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at the palette. The lizards, however, were not looking at him at all and were focused on the body parts he left behind, "Oh, did you want an easier meal for your children? Well¡­


    ¡­feel free to have them."


    ***


    "There''s another one here!"


    "Fuck, this is a disaster! How many survivors do we have!?"


    "Hm¡­ my bad."


    "You¡ªJust help us, please!"


    It seems it was amon urrence that while the Explorer Association was running around in panic, Hannah just stood there chewing gum; not even caring or flinching as the rescue team brought out people who were barely even breathing. And as a matter of course, she wasn''t going to help them.


    "No. 120." And instead, she just approached Rhys, who was sitting by himself with his head covered by a towel¡­ on the edge of the Hole to the Surface.


    "...Ma''am," Rhys only nced at Hannah, before turning his focus back on the Hole in front of him.


    "I told you to stop calling me that, Rhys Wilder," Hannah scoffed as she sat beside Rhys, not even caring that the ground was a bit damp, "And also, this is yours."


    "...?" Rhys could really only blink as Hannah ced her hand in front of his face. And resting in between her fingers, was a card.


    "Your Explorer''s License, tch." Hannah shook her head as she flipped the card, showing Rhys''s covered face, as well as abel that indeed says [Official Explorer''s License]. There was also all sorts of information about Rhys there, as well as a section indicating his current rank, Level 1,


    "Don''t act so surprised now, I already had this thest time we spoke. I told you, you were always meant to pass because Dad likes you. I don''t even know why you''re here in the first ce. You know what, I think it''s actually your fault that all of this happened. If you weren''t here, I wouldn''t have thrown¡ª"


    "Excuse me, Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    And before Hannah could have a conversation with Rhys, Keh suddenly appeared behind them with a wide smile on his face.


    "I know this may be rushing things as we are in the midst of a terrible tragedy, but I would like to assist you in getting your license moving forward. You may not know this, but I have actually been acting as a sponsor to ensure that¡ªWhat are you holding?"


    "You blind?" Hannah stood up; a smirk, very slowly forming on her face as she stared at Keh, "It''s an Explorer''s License."


    "I see that, but why does he have it?" The courteous smile on Keh''s face started to flinch as he looked back and forth between Hannah and the license Rhys was holding, "That shouldn''t be issued until next week."


    "Well, he has one now, deal with it."


    "Wait, wait!" Keh quickly rushed to Rhys''s side and crouched beside him, "Rhys, you don''t understand. That is only possible because of me; I paid¨CI mean, I asked the judges to let you pass. It''s me. I guess¡­ I guess they already printed your license beforehand, such diligence. He¡­ hehe. Please, I spent almost a million dors for¡ª"


    "Uh¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Keh,


    "...Who are you?"

 Chapter 85 The Eromancer

    The Explorer Test Tragedy, that is what they are calling it¡­ well, used to call it.


    With more than 200 of the 435 aspiring Explorers dead, Rhys had initially thought this news wouldst for an entire month ¡ª but no. Just 3 dayster, Rhys was now watching the news that said that Hanamichi Rukawa, the world''s top 9th Explorer¡­ was now single.


    And as a matter of course, the women that were loitering and idling in the same lobby as Rhys were all giggling and fawning over the fact, perhaps more so than the other women outside as Rhys is actually inside the Explorer Association building, where the female explorers actually had a chance to meet Rukawa in person.


    He had been sitting in the lobby for an hour, and yet not a single news of what happened in the Explorer Test was being shown, not even once. Rhys had also tried searching the inte, but all he could really find were small headlines¡­ and Hannah''s name was nowhere to be seen in all of them.


    Just what sort of power and authority does the deputy mayor actually have to¡ª"


    "So, have you thought about it?"


    And almost like a creeping¨Cno, the guild master of the Laughing Bronze truly was very slowly creeping near him. Rhys has no idea how Keh was doing it whilepletely seated. But it didn''t matter, Rhys just let out a sigh and shook his head.


    "I''m sorry, sir Keh. But my answer still remains the same."


    "You''re not even going to hear my offer?" Keh started bringing out his check, subtly but obviously waving it in front of Rhys,


    "$250,000. And that''s just the signing bonus, your annual andmissions arepletely separate. I was thinking maybe another $250,000 for your annual?"


    "..." Rhys almost epted Keh''s offer there and then when he started throwing out numbers, but he quickly started shaking his head as he remembered the advice of the three women in his life.


    ''Do not join an Explorer guild in your first year.''


    "$300,000! 300,000 and you do not even need to do anything!" Keh''s sweat started to form on his face as he negotiated by himself, "Just go out there and do some missions once or twice a month. And then¡ª"


    [Wilder, please proceed to counter 6.]


    "That''s me, Sir Keh."


    "Wait, w¡ªYou have my number! Call me, or I call you!"


    And as Keh''s loud voice caught the attention of the crowd, the only thing Rhys could really do was let out a long and very deep sigh. The crowd was already busy thanks to Rukawa turning single, but now, they were all staring at Rhys and his ck hair as he walked past.


    "Look, it''s the Lowborn."


    "How long has it been since a Lowborn became an Explorer? 10 years ago? 15?"


    "Pft, they passed everyone who survived the incident."


    "Zeus, I wish I had his luck. It took me 3 tries before I got my license¡­ and he got one just by surviving?"


    "Sshh, not so loud. He might hear you."


    "Let him, he''s just a Lowborn."


    And once again, all sorts of negative rumors and gossip echo in the air, but all of it just goes through one ear to the other for Rhys ¡ª basically just white noise at this point. He ignored all of their snickers and breaths of disdain until he reached counter 6¡­ in which he heard an even louder groan of disdain from Hannah, who was the one sitting on the other side of the counter.


    "Ugh¡­ seriously, why do we need to pretend like you''re just getting your license now?" Hannah rolled her eyes as she just randomly moved her hands on the counter, "Just pretend you''re doing something."


    "..." Rhys couldn''t really say anything as he also ced his hand on the counter¡­ identally touching Hannah''s hands as he did so. Hannah, however, seemedpletely oblivious to it as she just sighed and grabbed a piece of paper, pretending to be writing something on it. He hadn''t really noticed it before¡­


    ¡­but there was nothing floating above Hannah''s head. Is it possible she swings the other way?


    "Congrattions," and after a few seconds, a very professional and courteous smile appeared on Hannah''s face as she stretched her hand to Rhys¡­ her right hand, fully knowing Rhys was missing his.


    Rhys did not mind, however, as a small smile also crawled on his face as he still grabbed Hannah''s hand; cing his fingers between hers,


    "Thank you, Ma''am."


    "Let go of my hand, you little shit," Hannah said with a sweet voice as the smile on her face did not disappear.


    "I thought we were shaking hands."


    "I was being professional. Now, stop wasting my time and give me your license so we can choose your Explorer name," Hannah swatted Rhys''s hand away as she gestured to him to give her his license, "You''ve been waiting there for an hour, please¡­


    ¡­tell me you''ve already chosen a code name."


    "Dreggerman." And without even any hesitation, Rhys handed his license back to Hannah.


    "Dre¡ªYou almost made me say it," Hannah red at Rhys, "Do you want me to be canceled? Is that it? Do you have something against me, Mr. Rhys Wilder?"


    "I am serious, Ma''am," Rhys, however, just returned Hannah''s gaze and looked her in the eyes, "Dreggerman."


    "Your names will be used once you go on an Exploration with other people, you really think someone is going to call you that?"


    "They have been calling me that all my life, Ma''am," Rhys smiled, "It''s time I own it."


    "...Fine. But don''te crying back to me, you can only change your code name once a year. First one is free, the 2nd one will cost you," Hannah scoffed, before a small smirk crawled on her face as she started processing Rhys''s license, putting it inside some sort of machine,


    "Now, just smile back and go. Celebrate with your friends, if you have friends," Hannah might as well have thrown Rhys''s license back to him as soon as the stamping was over.


    "What about you, Ma''am? Do you have friends?"


    "Stop wasting my time, you''re really starting to piss me off."


    Rhys observed if hearts would start appearing above Hannah''s head, but there was still nothing there. And so, after a few more bickering and banter, Rhys left the Explorer Association building while staring at his license, and next to his name, was his code name;


    Dreggerman.


    Rhys had thought long and hard about what his code name would be ¡ª even wanting to do a y of words and using the name of the god flowing through his veins. If there were pyromancers, necromancers, cryomancers¡­


    ¡­then he would be the Eromancer.


    But he thought about it, and it would not really make sense for other people ¡ª he needed something with impact, which people would gradually talk about once he slowly showed himself to the world.


    And for that, he needed to ept his first mission. But for now, he should go visit Lina and Katarina back¡ª


    "You shouldn''t have that."


    And before Rhys could even n the rest of his day, a boy suddenly blocked his path; pointing at the license he was holding.


    "My dad died during the test¡­


    ¡­but a Lowborn like you is alive?"

 Chapter 86 A Broken Child

    "My dad died that day¡­ but a Lowborn like you is alive?"


    It should be said that even though the Explorer Academy near Old York was far and away from the city, the Explorer Association building was dab smack right in the center of the city, just a few walks from the central park.


    And suffice it to say, it had be some sort of tourist spot for locals and foreigners alike; waiting for a chance to meet someone famous.


    In short, a lot of people are gathered in front of the building, enough that the association actually had to put up guards that are specifically ordered to keep the tourists away.


    And now, all of them were slowly turning their eyes and ears toward a crying boy, who was pointing at a tall man with ck hair.


    "You shouldn''t have that!" The boy pointed at the card Rhys was holding, "My dad died so he could have that, why would someone like you have it!?"


    "Greg, that''s¡­ that''''s enough!" Her mother quickly lowered her son''s hand and hugged him, covering him from Rhys and everyone''s view. Not fast enough, however, as the crowd were already gathering and looking at them.


    "No!" The boy raised his voice even further as he struggled to get away from his mother, "He should have died instead! Why¡­ why does it have to be dad!? It should have just been him! His life is worthless!"


    "..." And as Rhys heard this, the only thing he could really do was hide his licence and sigh. The boy shouldn''t even be 10 years old, and yet his view of Lowborns have already reached such state ¡ª no doubt a reflection of his parents. Rhys then turned to look at the mother, who was just staring, no, ring at him.


    She wasn''t saying anything, but it was clear she shared her son''s sentiment.


    Rhys then quickly turned to look at the thickening crowd, slightly nervous as he tried to find someone holding their phone. But as taking photos and videos are strictly prohibited in the association''s grounds, unless permitted, no one could really record what was happening.


    This gave Rhys a sense of relief, as he crouched down so he and the boy could see each other''s eyes without looking up or down.


    "I am going to teach you something, since it looks like your mother hasn''t bothered teaching this to you yet¡­" Rhys whispered as he looked the boy in the eyes, "...Your father did not die as a Commoner. Your status, it means absolutely nothing down in the Underworld."


    "It''s unfair!"


    "It is fair," Rhys shook his head, "Your father did not have to die. He probably wasn''t weak at all, he reached the final part of the exam. You should be proud of that instead."


    "..."


    "No, no¡­" Rhys smiled and lowered his voice even further, "...Your father died because he was a coward."


    "That''s¡­ that''s a lie!"


    "Like the rest of the people that died that day, I saw him run in fear. He didn''t die fighting a monster, he died running, probably tripped and drowned himself like the rest of them. He¡ª"


    "I think that''s enough, Rhys."


    And before Rhys could finish his words, he felt a familiar warmth touching his shoulder; trying to forcefully pull him up, but failing all the same. But as soon as Rhys saw who it was, he just allowed himself to be pulled up in the end.


    "Lina¡­ what are you doing here?"


    "Originally giving you a ride home," Lina''s eyebrows were slightly raised as she looked Rhys in the eyes, before turning to nce at the crying boy. She seemed to want to say something, but ended up just sighing and shaking her head, before just pushing Rhys away until they were far from everyone''s eyes.


    "What the heck, Rhys?" And as soon as they reached the association''s parking lot, Lina immediately grabbed Rhys''s arm tight,


    "Why would you say that to a grieving child?"


    "...Say what?" Rhys seemed visibly confused that Lina was getting mad at him, "He wanted to hear why his dad is not here, I told him the truth."


    "No, you smacked him with it, and then some," Lina scoffed as she looked away, "That''s¡­ that''s not cool at all."


    "Is¡­ what I did wrong?" Rhys''s eyebrows began to lower.


    "Seriously, Rhys¡­?" Lina let out a long groan as she looked up into the sky, "I can''t understand you sometimes. It''s a child."


    "Should¡­ I apologize to him, then?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at where they came from.


    "What were you even thinking in the first ce?"


    "That he deserved to know the truth," Rhys looked Lina in the eyes, "The same as I did when my mother died."


    "Rhys¡­" Any trace of anger and annoyance on Lina''s face almost instantly melted away as her shoulders lowered.


    "They told me the truth back then too," Rhys let out a deep breath, "That I was just¡­ unlucky that I was a Lowborn. And that''s the reason why my family was targeted ¡ª Because of me. The boy deserves to know the truth¡­


    ¡­Look at me, I turned out well."


    "Rhys¡­" Lina could really only blink a couple of times as she looked at Rhys from head to toe.


    She loves him, truly, without a doubt. But she would be lying to herself if she said that Rhys¡­ turned out well.


    Physically, he might as well be the father of the gods¡­ but he is broken.


    He is broken, perhaps more so than any other man living in this world. When he was serving in the Underworld Corps, she and Katarina became close, and she learned more about Rhys from her.


    What he went through as a child, the horrible things that were done to him as a teenager and everyone just¡­ watched.


    By all means, the man that should be standing in front of her right now should be a very different man.


    Katarina exined to her that most men that have gone through even half the things Rhys have gone through are all either dead, in jail, or locked in a mental institution ¡ª and she even presented data to prove it.


    Rhys wasn''t fragile, not at all¡­ because he is already broken.


    "I''m¡­ sorry, Rhys," Lina then very gently held Rhys''s face with both her hands, "I would¡­ I would turn back time and hug you if I could. But Rhys¡­ there is something wrong with you."


    "..." Rhys could really only blink as Lina started crying and smiling at him at the same time.


    "But I want you to know, that whether you are fractured into a billion pieces¡­


    ¡­I would love each part of you equally, and I ept them. I ept you for what you are, Rhys Wilder."


    And with those words, Lina very gently lifted herself up using her wind abilities, letting her lips reach Rhys as she kissed her without caring about anything else.


    "I am madly¡­ and truly in love with you."


    "..."


    And while Lina''s lips were resting upon Rhys''s, a familiar silhouette was actually watching them from inside a car ¡ª Katarina.


    She was smiling at first as they looked at them. But soon, her eyes failed to hide the sadness she felt as she looked away.


    "You are happy. You''re happy¡­ that''s all that matters," Katarina tried her best to breathe normally, but all that came out were stutters, "I''m¡­ I''m happy¡­ as long as you''re happy, my little Rhys."


    "You do know that is creepy, correct?"


    "!!!" Katarina could not help but instinctively pressed the horn of her car, causing Rhys and Lina to look in her direction. And of course, she hid before they could even get a glimpse of her. She then turned to look at her rear view mirror, only to see Hannah sitting at the backseat of her car,


    "What are you doing here¡­?"


    "That how you greet an old friend?" Hannah blew the gum from her mouth, before just letting it pop as she looked Katarina in the eyes, "And also¡­ you''re the one who called me. I wouldn''t have gone if it was anybody else. But color me surprise¡­


    ¡­everyone''s rted to the Lowborn wonder. Are you and Dad up to something I don''t know about?"


    "That''s¡­ not really any of your concern." And once again, Katarina''s gentle eyes which were just gazing at Rhys were nowpletely gone; her voice, cold, "Do you have the files I wanted?"


    "No," Hannah shrugged, "Because the 5 were not listed as examinees in the first ce. What were you nning once you get their files anyway? They are confirmed dead already, or missing."


    "They were obviously targeting Rhys¡­" Katarina''s eyes began to tremble as her pupils became extremely dted; her teeth, biting her nails as her voice became even colder, "...I need to find out who did it¡­


    ¡­and make them and their families suffer for even thinking of harming my Rhys."


    "Gods¡­


    ¡­you''re still such a psycho."

 Chapter 87 Free Explorers

    "Sorry, this Hole is full."


    "This Hole is already packed. Why don''t you try the next Bus?"


    "Are you a Porter or a Cleaner? W¡­what? You''re an Explorer? I think the next bus still needs more people."


    "..."


    3 hours now. Rhys has been waiting for 3 hours for a bus to take or at the very least ept him, but they allpletely shun him away even though they clearly still have a lot of slots to put him in.


    Rhys had heard that it was already hard for Level 1 Explorers to secure a spot for Exploration, add the fact that he was a Lowborn... well, he wasn''t exactly in a very ideal position right now.


    He could disguise himself, but that would defeat the entire purpose of why he chose to go through the path of being an Explorer in the first ce ¡ª and besides¡­ his Lowborn status was etched on the back of his license anyway¡­


    ¡­listed on the Deficiency section, above ''Missing Right Arm'' and ''Prosthetic Right Leg''.


    Did they really list being a Lowborn under a section that basically might as well say ''Disabilities''? Rhys thought he had already learned how Lowborns are truly treated in this world when he saw the settlements down in the Underworld, but now that he was slowly exploring the Surface, he couldn''t help but just¡­ shake his head and sigh.


    Maybe¡­ he shouldn''t have listened to Katarina, Lina, and Ayesha and just joined the Laughing Bronze? Newbie Explorers, especially those who just go straight to Level 1, don''t really get that many jobs simply for the fact that, well, they are either weak or don''t know anything.


    Holes bring cmity to the world, but at the same time, they also bring riches ¡ª and throughout time, it has perhaps, undoubtedly be the most lucrative business in the world. Yes, Rhys hase to learn that the Holes are being treated as amodity, much like real estate.


    Newly formed Holes outside the Safe Zones, by default, are owned by the Government once the monsters that manage to reach the surface are cleared. The Government will then decide, through careful consideration and evaluation, whether the Hole will be closed, or sold to private sectors,panies, and guilds through outright purchase or bidding.


    The individuals, party, or guild that first arrive and manage to clear the monsters from the newly opened Hole, if not part or under the Government, will have a share of the sale depending on their contribution, or if they decide to purchase the Hole, they will be given a discount depending on their share.


    It''s basically the biggest industry in the entire world, right next to Entertainment and Show Business ¡ª but in this day and age, the two are already melding together due to the birth of Underworld Streamers and Celebrity Explorers.


    Of course, none of these things directly involve Rhys yet¡­ as he could not even find a Bus that would take him to a Hole.


    Rhys is what is considered as a Free Explorer ¡ª not under the government, and not under any guilds. They need to actively search and approach agencies andpanies; in this case, Rhys was currently in a Bus Station.


    Not exactly a bus station to take you from and to, but it was a station where each of the buses was owned by differentpanies and agencies, and they all filled them up with Explorers to explore the Holes they owned.


    Most Holes that are owned bypanies operate strictly on amission-sh-contribution basis. Thepanies own a percent of whatever they get or find in the Hole; the Free Explorers don''t actually own anything, and thepany would handle all the sales.


    One might think the Free Explorers are being taken advantage of, but no. Free Explorers on average, ording to the research made by the Statistics Office, individually earn more than those that are in a guild.


    But of course, as most things in life, strength and reputation matter ¡ª and Level 1 Explorers are not really that popr withpanies. This is why most Newbie Explorers want to be adopted by guilds, they will not have trouble finding Holes to enter.


    Maybe he really should have epted Keh''s offer? No, if he wanted to gain attention the right way, going solo would be the best way to start it.


    But how exactly was he going to start it when all the buses he approached outright shun him away? The bus station probably had over a hundred busesing and going, and yet not even one wanted him.


    [Hey, Baby. How''s it going?]


    And after another 30 minutes, the only epting that was happening was him answering Lina''s call with a long and very deep sigh.


    [Oh¡­ that bad, huh?] Lina let out a small giggle as she heard Rhys''s heavy breaths,


    [Why not just bleach your hair and gain some rights while you''re at it?]


    "...That''s illegal."


    [It¡­ was obviously a joke, Baby.]


    "...Baby?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as Lina kept repeating the word, "Is that supposed to be me?"


    [It''s a pet name, Rhys. Seriously?] Lina suddenly burst out in a fit ofughter, [What do you want me to call you, then?]


    "...Sir?"


    [S¡­Sir? What is this, the 1800s? You¡ªWait,] Lina suddenly took in a small but stuttered breath, [That''s¡­ that''s honestly slightly making me a bit horny.]


    "..."


    [If I''m not so busy now, I would have just gone with you¡­ Sir.]


    "We could just go next time, Ma''am."


    [Oh. My. God,] Lina almost screeched on the other line, [Stop, stop it! Stop! I need to go. I love you, okay?


    I''ll see you home in a few days? Alright, bye bye!]


    And before Rhys could even say anything back, Lina just hung up the phone after giving Rhys imaginary kisses. Rhys could really only look at the phone, before letting out another sigh as hemented his current situation.


    But as soon as he hid away his phone in his trusty utility belt, he saw a bus that barely even had any Explorers on it, with the Bus Manager even holding arge sign that said ''Danger Zone 3''.


    Danger Zones are categorized into 5 Levels. The higher the number, the farther the Hole was to a Safe Zone. Meaning, there was a chance the Bus might actually encounter Rogue Monsters, monsters that might have been missed by Explorers and are roaming free in the Danger Zone, even before they get to the Hole.


    The downside to this is that the Hole might not even yield rewards ording to its risk. And so, it was no wonder why this Bus barely even had any Explorers on it ¡ª only those desperate enough would actually load it¡­


    ¡­and Rhys probably belongs to that category.


    Rhys once again brought out his phone to search for thepany that owns the bus, ''James Fullman'', and they seem to be a fairly newpany with only 2 Holes listed to their name¡­ and both were Level 1 Holes.


    It would seem they were as desperate as the Explorers loading their bus. The question is¡­


    ¡­are they desperate enough to hire Rhys?


    "Hello, Sir. Are you hir¡ª"


    And without even waiting for Rhys to finish his words, the man holding the sign kneeled on the ground and almost hugged Rhys''s leg.


    "Yes! Please, please just help us! We only need one more, please!"


    Well, that answers that question.

 Chapter 88 The Monsters 200 Miles From the Safe Zone

    [I heard from the driver that you hired a Lowborn!?]


    "Y¡­N¡­Yes?"


    [Why would you do that!?]


    "I don''t know! We needed 8 people!"


    200 miles from the nearest Safe Zone, the manager of the bus owned by James Fullman, Inc. was currently being drilled by James Fullman himself. How Rhys knows this, well, everyone on the bus could hear the voiceing from the manager''s phone ¡ª and it wasn''t a happy voice at all.


    The manager was not happy too, as while their boss was scolding him, he was ring at the bus driver for snitching on him; not knowing what to do as he walked back and forth on the aisle. Of course, he could not really get mad at anyone, as he himself did not realize that Rhys was a Lowborn until it was toote.


    He just hugged the leg, literally, of the first person who approached him and did not even bother to look at his face ¡ª if he did, then Rhys''s messy ck hair would have stuck out to him like a lollipop.


    And when he realized what he had done, it was already toote as Rhys already boarded the bus, and he already ordered the driver to leave the city. There was no escape for him and the Lowborn.


    "The only thing I know is that if I didn''t hire them there and then, we would still be waiting in the station!" The manager reasoned as he took several nces at Rhys, "And I am telling you, this guy is jacked. If anything he can be used to carry out things even though he is missing an arm¡ª"


    [He''s missing an a¡ª]


    "I¡­think¡­reception," and before James Fullman could finish his words, Rhys and everyone else on the bus watched as the bus manager started screeching and whispering with his mouth, pretending that he was losing cell signal, "...Zone¡­ far."


    [What are you even doing!? I can clearly hear you pretending to¡ª]


    "We will produce results, bye." And with that, the bus manager quickly hung up the phone and threw it at his seat. He quickly took in a very long and even deeper breath as he tried to calm himself down, but this did notst long as he red at Rhys and started approaching him,


    "You! How could you con me like this!? You don''t have any business being here!"


    Rhys did not really say anything and just stared at the bus manager as he stomped his way toward him, "We might just be heading to a Level 1 Hole, but this exploration is strictly for professionals and vets. I''ve seen your license, it hasn''t even been 2 weeks since you got it! How many Explorations have you even been through!?"


    "1, Sir," Rhys answered dutifully.


    "O¡­ho¡­one!?" The bus manager almostpletely bent his spine backward as he heard Rhys''s words, "You really don''t belong here! Everyone on this bus is at least a veteran and could manage their own¡ª"


    "Kh! My¡­ my inhaler."


    The bus manager could not even finish his words before one of the other Explorers he hired let out a loud and screeching gasp.


    "..." The bus manager then turned to look at the other Explorers who boarded their bus, only to see someone who looked like he would die with just a simple st of wind, there was also another who was filled with bandages; with one still clearly bleeding. In short¡­


    ¡­Rhys looked like he was the most fit among all the Explorers he had. But of course, physical looks were useless as he was a Lowborn, and the only thing he had really ever hired a Lowborn for was to clean hiswn.


    "Look, just¡­" The bus manager pointed at Rhys, "...Once we get to the Hole, you stay on this Bus. Okay? Don''t even think of Diving, I don''t want you dying during this Exploration. Thest thing I need right now is someone dying on my team. There¡ª!!!"


    And before the bus manager could finish his words, he felt his vision shift as the bus suddenly stopped; screeching loudly as the wheels locked. Unluckily for the bus manager, he was standing up and took most of the force; practically yeeting him away. Luckily for him, he did not really hit anything¡­


    ¡­as Rhys caught him by the neck.


    "That¡­" The bus manager did not really know what to say, and he didn''t. As he just rushed toward the bus driver as soon as Rhys let go of him, "What are you doing suddenly braking like th¡ª"


    The bus manager did not need to ask any questions, however, as he saw somethingrge blocking their path.


    "That''s¡­"


    It was hard to see since there was smoke everywhere from their bus braking, but the silhouette of the thing blocking their path wasrge, and rectangr in shape¡­ much like their own. No¡ªnot like their own, the same as their own.


    It wasn''t a monster at all, but a bus.


    "S¡­raiders!" The bus manager raised his voice as soon as he saw people wearing masksing out of the bus; all of them holding rifles that were bigger and thicker than their arms. And without even any warning or hesitation, one of the so-called bandits with the smallest gun started shooting at their bus, "Everyone, keep your heads down!"


    The sound of the bullets hitting the ss was violent. But it wasn''t as loud as one would think, as most of the bullets just bounced off of the windows and they barely even scratched the surface.


    "It''s fine, everyone. We will be fine! Just¡ª"


    [Everyone on that bus! We have explosives and we will detonate them beneath your vehicle! Open the door and give us all your things, and we will just let you go peacefully.]


    The bus manager quickly crawled near the driver, grabbing what seemed to be a microphone from the dashboard while keeping his head low.


    "This is the bus manager! My bus is filled with high-level Explorers! I am warning you now¡ª"


    [Nope, no. We know you barely have any people there¡­


    ¡­because we already have someone from the inside.]


    "What do you¡ªIs it the Lowborn!? You¡ª"


    And before the bus manager could finish his words, he felt the microphone being snatched from him. He quickly looked up, only to be punched by the man covered in bandages.


    "No one has to get hurt."


    "You just punched me in the face!" The bus manager could really only hold his cheek and back away as the man covered in bandages red at him, "W¡­ what do you even want!? You think we have any treasures here!? You should have robbed us after we got back from the Hole!"


    "...You really think these people can survive in the Underworld?" The man covered in bandages almost chuckled as he pointed at the people on the bus, "And you do have a treasure¡­


    ¡­this bus."


    "Fuck¡­" The bus manager could really only tremble as he cursed, "...I told them not to buy such an expensive vehicle."


    "Now, everyone¡­" The man covered in bandages faced Rhys and the other Explorers, "I want all of you to calmly and carefully step out of the bus¡­


    ¡­you have a very long walk home."


    And while all of this was happening, Rhys just found himself blinking and staring out into the wastnd. Lamenting his fate.


    ¡­All he wanted was toplete his first Exploration.

 Chapter 89 The Ecological Chaos of an Illogical World

    "You can''t do this!"


    "We''re already doing it."


    The bus manager pleaded to the robbers, but the only thing they did was kick him out of the bus; his face being introduced to the hard ground of the wastnd.


    "And the rest of you, try not to do anything funny! Stronger explorers than all of youbined have tried fighting back against us, and they have all met this wastnd as their graves!"


    "Wow, is that the line you were practicingst night?"


    "Pretty cool, right?"


    The robbers truly did not seem to see Rhys and the other explorers on the bus as threats, as they just started jeering and joking. And even as the explorers started stepping out of the bus and passing by them, the only thing they did was look at the bus and inspect it.


    And surprisingly, even as Rhys stepped out, the robbers did not seem to care at all; something he did not expect as everyone just seemed to care so much that he was a Lowborn. No, he was treated like everybody else on that bus.


    "Everyone of you, get on your knees and don''t move!"


    And as Rhys and the others were made to kneel, he could not help but just smile from the fact that these robbers were probably the most organized set of people he had ever met since he left the Underworld Corps. The aspiring explorers back in the Explorer Test could not evenpare.


    "Moose, their license."


    There were probably more than 12 of them there ¡ª and the one who was actually with them on the bus seemed to be the leader of their gang, as he ordered one of the men to search them. Rhys was waiting to see if someone from the 7 Explorers he was with would do something, but all they really did was close their eyes and whisper to themselves, praying.


    "You hit the nail on this one, Scar," the one searching for them, Moose, could not help butugh as he started checking the license of everyone there, "Most of these are just Level 1 Explorers. I swear, these people never learn: never buy a cheap Hole in the middle of nowhere, boys and girls. We¡ªwhat the, this guy''s an Explorer! I thought he was a porter or something."


    "Really?" The robbers started gathering behind Rhys as they checked his silence, "Woah, he just became an explorer this month, Now I kinda feel bad. Should we let him live?"


    "W¡­ what!? I thought you were going to let us live!? This¡­"


    And almost immediately, the bus manager and the driver stood up and started running away ¡ª quickly followed by the other Explorers without even saying as much as a word; they all just started running away.


    "Stupid, learn to keep your mouth shut!" Their leader, Scar, quickly grabbed one of the¡­ rocketunchers that his men were holding and pointed it at the running people, "This was supposed to be a clean jo¡ª"


    "Sorry."


    "What the¡­?" Scar took his eye off the scope as he saw a face covered with a lot of hair, only to see Rhys suddenly standing in front of him; his chest, nted right on the muzzle, "You didn''t run away with the re¡ª"


    "I apologize, I might not bemissioned by the Underworld Corps, but I still am part of it," Rhys let out a small but deep sigh as he grabbed the muzzle of the rocketuncher and moved it away, "Carrying firearms with the intent of doing harm to innocent civilians is¡­ against thew."


    "..Look at this guy," Scar turned to look at his men andughed, also causing them to burst out in a fit ofughter as they started hitting each other in jest.


    "Look, kid¡­" Scar shook his head, "...We get it, you were part of the military and became an Explorer. What, are you going to arrest us or something?"


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything and just looked at each other the robbers one by one before finally shaking his head and letting out another sigh,


    "No. The punishment for doing something like this outside the Safety Zone is death."


    "Wh¡ª" Scar was going to say something, butpletely forgot what as he watched as Rhys very casually crumpled the muzzle of the rocketuncher he was holding. The others also stoppedughing too¡­ when they saw Scar''s head just suddenly dropping to the ground and rolling toward them, and all they heard was a whistle.


    "I do find it ironic," Rhys gently pushed Scar''s headless body, before looking at the bandits, "Ever since I got out of the Underworld Corps, I''ve been killing more men than monsters."


    "G¡­ get him!"


    The robbers all pointed their rifles at Rhys, and when three of them started summoning fires from their hands; Rhys could not help but slightly blink, as he hadpletely forgotten that these people should have special abilities¡­ but they were using guns instead.


    Some Explorers actually do the same, as their abilities, albeit more powerful than most modern weapons, put arge toll on their body, and thus they reserve it when they truly need it ¡ª a conceptpletely foreign to Rhys, as one of his abilities allow him to have unlimited stamina and energy.


    "Kill him, he''s just one¡ª"


    And before any fighting between Rhys and the robbers could happen, several shadows started looming over their heads; followed by a whistlingugh that seemed to cause their ears and necks to tingle.


    All of them looked up, only to see several women flying in the air. Well, not exactly women, as their arms were wings that spanned longer than a sedan, and their legs were filled with feathers, and a sharp set of talons as their feet.


    "Harpies!"


    The robbers quickly changed their attention to the flying werebeasts above them,pletely ignoring Rhys as they started shooting at the harpies with reckless abandon. They shot some of them down, as Rhys watched one fall right in front of him; its head twisted the wrong way but still very much moving.


    More and more started to fall ¡ª but then, all of a sudden, one of the harpies that seemed to be falling from their death suddenly stretched its wings to the side; stopping just a meter away from dropping on the ground.


    And without even any warning, it cleaved one of the robber''s heads in multiple pieces with its sharp talons. And then, the harpies, who they thought were already dead on the ground, started pping their wings and just started mauling down the unsuspecting men. And just within that short span of time, more than a dozen bandits were torn into pieces right in front of Rhys.


    Rhys knew there were monsters just roaming around the Danger Zone, but why¡­


    ¡­does it seem like the Surface was actually more chaotic than the Underworld?


    One moment, they were peacefully on their way to a Hole to explore, and then they were stopped by brigands, and then those brigands were now being mauled and eaten right in front of him.


    And now, with them finally noticing Rhys as he took a step back, the harpies'' bobbing heads all instantly turned toward him; like chickens.


    Is the life of an Explorer truly this colorful¡­ or do the Fates truly just like fucking with him?

 Chapter 90 Borrowed Land

    Harpies, also considered as one of the most annoying monsters of the Underworld due to their intelligent and tricky nature¡­ Rhys disagrees.


    The way they disemboweled the robbers in front of him, killing them all in one swoop by pretending to be dead was truly¡­ beautiful.


    And now, even as these feathered women turn to look at him, Rhys could not help but just stare at them. Their faces truly looked like women, perhaps just slightly alien due to the gap between their eyes being a lot wider.


    Their faces were all women, but only 7 of the 13 harpies had Hearts floating above their heads ¡ª and upon further observation, even though the remaining six had breasts hanging from their torso, they also had¡­ something hanging between their thighs.


    ¡­Is this what they meant by tricky?


    ''Eat. Eat. Human. Eat!''


    And soon, Rhys''s thoughts were finally disrupted by the desires of the female harpies as they sneakily and very subtly used their sharp talons to practically crawl toward Rhys inch by inch.


    "I¡­ can''t really fulfill that desire," Rhys could really only scratch his chin as threads began slithering from his fingers,


    "...Are none of you just itchy?"


    "!!!"


    And as the harpies let out a wail that caused even the dust resting on the ground to ripple, Rhys found himself instinctively covering his ears; it almost felt like his brain was being put in a blender and then reassembled back.


    And even as Rhys fell to the ground, the harpies did not let up as they continued to scream while surrounding him, only stopping as hepletelyy lifeless; his face drowning on the hard ground and blood profusely trailing from his ears, eyes, and nose.


    The harpies then started looking at each other in confusion, before quickly leaning down and licking Rhys''s blood. And as soon as even just a tinge of Rhys''s blood touched their tongues, their feathers all rose up and started to rattle.


    And once all the blood was either gone or just absorbed by the wastnd, the harpies once again looked at each other; the smiles they carried on their faces almost reaching from ear to ear. Some even licked the blood from their brethren''s chin as they did not want to waste a single drop of it.


    And when there was nothing else to look forward to, the harpies started moving in circles around Rhys and started tearing his flesh with their sharp teeth¡­


    ¡­or at least that is what they thought would happen.


    The only thing their talons did was lift Rhys up; their teeth, almost just getting stuck on his skin.


    "So, ying dead truly is effective¡­" And while the harpies were confused as to what was happening, Rhys''s head suddenly moved as he looked at the harpy trying to chew on his remaining arm,


    "...Falling for your own tricks, not that smart after all." Not exactly, as Rhys truly lost consciousness for a second. But with those words, Rhys pulled his arm away from the harpy''s mouth. The harpy did not have time to process its teeth shattering, however, as it saw its vision suddenly shift. And it wasn''t alone.


    The other harpies found themselves suddenly tripping to the floor as Rhys stood up; his hand, holding several threads which were all tied to the harpies'' feet.


    "Kree!"


    And as soon as they realized they were caught, the harpies immediately pped their wings.


    "Woah!" Rhys let out a deep breath as he was suddenly yanked in the air. Suffice it to say, for someone that was used to just falling down, floating up was quite an¡­ exhrating experience for Rhys. The view of the Danger Zone was slowly revealing itself to him, and there, Rhys could see remnants of what seemed to be buildings of old; ruined¡­ devastated.


    The wastnd seemed like it did not even end.


    They were told that the humans had already reimed the Surface from the monsters. But looking at this bleak and barrennd beneath him, Rhys could not help but question that.


    Have they, truly? Or were they merely just living in a world they thought was theirs, or were they merely like these harpies? Thinking they have won and were flying to their freedom, thinking they had Rhys chained and he will just fall to his death¡­


    ¡­when they were the ones actually flying to the end of their flight?


    "Kreek!?"


    The harpies all let out sharp gasps as they felt themselves slightly but violently being pulled down ¡ª they weren''t really pulled back to the ground, however. And their limbs were still intact ¡ª but Rhys was now already floating right in the middle of them; his body as straight as an arrow as the face that covered his hair very slowly lifted up.


    Rhys then gently whipped the threads in his hand, causing them to wrap around the harpies'' body and wings, and as he started to fall, Rhys kicked in the air hard to the point that he started to spin violently ¡ª and with this, the threads wrapped around the harpies tightened¡­ hard.


    The threads, now digging through their bodies as they all started to fall with Rhys, who did not really carry any emotions on his face. After all, falling was already a second nature to him as much as these bird people.


    And as the ground got closer and closer, Rhys mmed his hand down, creating a snap in the air as the hair-thin threads attached to his hand brutally whipped. And before the harpies'' bodies could even hit the ground, their limbs, wings, and torsos already separated from each other.


    At the same time, however, their body parts almost merged as they hit each other on the way down, creating a sort of mound¡­


    ¡­which Rhysnded on.


    And in that instant, all the flesh and bone were thrown away, while the feathers just exploded and very slowly danced in the air as Rhys very slowly stood up.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then looked up from where he should have fallen from. The height should be higher than the dormitory building back in the Old York High School, and yet here he was,pletely unscathed and unharmed. He then turned to look toward the bus, which was really only a few meters away from where hended,


    "...I guess that''s that."


    He walked back to the bus, rummaging through the robbers'' corpses until he found the key to the bus. He didn''t bother getting or checking anything else, as the authorities might be interested in inspecting it at ater time.


    And then, with a short but very deep sigh, Rhys started the bus and started driving to where the bus manager, driver, and the other Explorers should have run to; slightly having a hard time due to his missing hand.


    And eventually, after a few minutes of trying to find them through the barren wastnd, Rhys saw them still running for their lives ¡ª even hastening their marathon as they heard Rhys blow the horn.


    Sadly, none of them were gifted with the blood of Hermes and Rhys immediately blocked all of their paths¡­ and the bus manager immediately started kneeling and begging for his life.


    "Please¡­ please spare m¡ªWhat the¡­ aren''t you the Lowborn!?"


    "Get up...


    ...We still have a Hole to explore."

 Chapter 91 First Step as An Explorer

    [You got attacked by raiders!?]


    "Well, they were after the bus. It''s lucky a bunch of monsters attacked and they killed each other."


    [Damn it, why is this so hard¡­ maybe I should have just gone to the entertainment industry instead. Did anyone die?]


    "No. They¡­"


    Rhys had actually already told the bus manager about what happened. But as a matter of course, the bus manager justughed at him and did not believe that he was the one who killed the harpies. Rhys did not really mind, however, as he just focused his attention on the view of the wastnd.


    It had been an entire hour since they were attacked, and yet they still had not reached the Hole they were supposed to explore. It is no wonder no one actually wanted to board this bus ¡ª the journey alone was enough to sap one''s energy. He hasn''t even done any exploring, and yet thinking of the way back already caused Rhys to just sigh.


    He turned to look back at the other Explorers that were with him, and all of them were either asleep or just whispering to themselves. Rhys had always imagined what his first exploration would be like, and suffice it to say, none of his imaginations were like this.


    He had always imagined explorers to be¡­ invincible. After all, Rhys thought the people who ganged up on him and made his life hell back in Old York High School were already strong, and they weren''t even explorers ¡ª and when he saw Lina back then clearing arachnes with ease, and then the people in the Underworld Corps.


    Explorers always seemed like heroes to him, but now that he was meeting them, only one thing solidified in his mind:


    Reality is often disappointing.


    Are Explorers actually just glorified¡­ scavengers? Or is it him? Was he the odd one?


    But then again, it was not his fault that he received a percentage of Ayesha and Arachnea''s abilities. Well, maybe he had a little hand in getting Ayesha''s abilities.


    And as Rhys lost himself in his thoughts again, he did not notice that they had arrived at their destination and the other explorers were already stepping off the bus. He was about to do the same, but the bus manager suddenly blocked his path.


    "Look, Rhys. That''s your name, right?" The bus manager raised both his palms, "I''m really thankful for you for not running away with the bus, that''s why I am telling you now ¡ª this might be a Level 1 Hole, but you will di¡ª"


    And before the bus manager could finish his words, Rhys just grabbed his face and pushed him away; softly pinning him on the windshield as he moved past him.


    "O¡­okay, maybe you''re a little strong," the bus manager''s muffled voice whispered in the air as he struggled to get away from Rhys''s grip. Try as he might, however, he could really only get free when Rhys stepped down the bus, "F¡­ fine. You''ve already signed a waiver anyway, it''s your life!"


    Rhys justpletely ignored the bus manager as he stood next to the other Explorers, who seemed like they were just moving almost by sheer will alone ¡ª if he wasn''t lucky enough to awaken the blood of Eros, would he also be like these people? No, as a Lowborn, he would have probably already been dead.


    The Hole was not particrly big, even smaller than the Hole that appeared back in Old York High.


    [Now, everyone. Please listen up!] The bus manager stood in front of the Free Explorers with a megaphone in hand, [I will repeat it just in case all of you forgot already, this is a Level 1 Hole. Dug by a Boulder Cockaroach. They are fairly weak, but do not let them bite you or you''ll find a part of you turning into stone. There aren''t really any other monsters reported down there¡­


    ¡­so kill and get what you can, and we will meet back here on the Surface in 24 hours! May Zeus be with you all!]


    And without even saying a word or asking any questions, the other Explorers started running toward the Hole without even checking or inspecting it; one just evenzily dropping as if he just wanted the dive to kill him. Leaving Rhys standing alone with his hand behind his back in front of the bus manager.


    "..." The bus manager stared at him for a few seconds, looking at him as if he was going to die in the Hole before shaking his head and walking back to the bus.


    Rhys actually wanted to ask some things, like how much the poption of the cockaroach was, and how long ago was the data acquired as that was how they did it in the Underworld Corps¡­ but the bus manager just closed the door.


    "..." Rhys then started looking around, wondering if the bus manager should have ordered some of them to stay just in case they were attacked by brigands again ¡ª but since the bus manager did not seem to care, Rhys just shrugged and dived into the Hole head first. This time, however, he stayed close to the wall; his nose almost grazing it.


    And with his calm breaths hitting the moving dirt, he stretched his arm¡­ before grabbing the dirt in front of him and forcefully pulling himself down.


    "!!!"


    The Explorers who went before him could really only lightly spin as they fell as Rhys suddenly moved past them like an eagle diving down. It takes several minutes to get to the Underworld, but that was already too long for Rhys who could not even count anymore how many times he had dived to and from the Underworld.


    And so, he just used both Ayesha''s strength and Lina''s wind abilities to get to the Underworld as fast as possible. And when he did, hended gracefully; already scanning the area as swiftly as possible before his feet touched the ground.


    There was not that much to scan, however¡­ as the area was incredibly dark. The scent that hit his nose, like a dried dirty sock filled with germs left in the sun for too long.


    "A cave¡­" Rhys whispered to himself, before grabbing a glow stick from his trusty utility belt and throwing it in front of him. And immediately as he did so, he noticed numerous shadows the size of a dog crawling away from the light¡­ perhaps too many as it almost seemed like the walls of the cave itself shifted.


    Rhys had already researched it on their way to the Hole. But as their name implies, the boulder cockaroach¡­ was an oversized cockroach that looked like a boulder. Incredibly hard to spot due to their inherent ability to naturally blend in with their surroundings¡­ like the cave Rhys was in.


    They could overwhelm with their numbers, but aside from their hard exterior, they were incredibly soft everywhere else; weak and easily defeated.


    One could step on them, and they would be crushed by their own boulder-like skin.


    And so, with that note, Rhys started stepping.


    His very eventful first steps in the Underworld as an Explorer... is stepping on oversized bugs.


    "I...


    ...should have stayed in the Corps."

 Chapter 92 Ill Let You Do It In The B-

    "Hm."


    Rhys no longer how many boulder cockaroaches he had stepped on, but it did not really matter since he was just now moving through the cave. His hand, juggling a somewhat white and cloudy crystal; he caught the crystal onest time, before cing it in the small sack that was now hanging around his utility belt.


    It was Adamantine, crystals that form from the blood of the monsters of the Underworld ¡ª the clearer they are, the higher their grade. Rhys did not really know the specifics, but the adamantines are supposedly used in everything and everywhere; from creating weapons, powering machines, and enhancing one''s abilities. Even his robotic leg is powered by it.


    He was told to approach nearby Tech-Armor facilities to have the adamantine reced every week or when it starts to weaken; but for some reason, Rhys''s robotic limb never really showed any signs of weakening yet.


    He asked Ayesha about it before, but she just told him not to ask too many questions and just consider himself to be lucky.


    "Got one!"


    "That''s mine! You¡­"


    Rhys nced back at the voices behind him, only to see the silhouettes of the other explorers arguing and fighting with each other; their shadows, flickering as the glowsticks Rhysid down started to fade.


    Rhys did not heed them any mind, however, as he just continued to go through the cave; whether he was going deeper or not did not really matter ¡ª he just wanted to explore. The words that were echoing through the walls of the caves, withering away as Rhys disappeared further into the darkness.


    "This¡­" Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he grabbed a shlight from his utility belt, "...is boring."


    And as he saw the cockaroaches once again avoiding the light, Rhys let out another sigh before attaching the light to his utility belt. He then stretched out his hand as threads beganing out of them.


    "I call this¡­" Rhys whispered out as he tried his best to entertain himself, "...Web Hurricane."


    And with those words, Rhys started swinging and whipping the threads from his hands while running forward; creating several ps of thunder that snapped through the cave as he practically mowed down all the cockaroaches in his path.


    And with the storm, he caused over as soon as it arrived, he looked behind the wake of destruction he caused and whispered,


    "...I want to go home."


    Unbeknownst to Rhys, however, something has actually been watching him from the start.


    ***


    "Sir!"


    "...Sir? Did you just call him Sir?"


    "None of your business. Wee back from your first Exploration!"


    And after a grueling and extremely anticlimactic first day as an actual Explorer, Rhys just found himself back home with a nk expression on his face. He did earn a lot of money; more money than most jobs could earn in that short span of time just from the sheer amount of adamantine he had gathered ¡ª and all of them were of the lowest grade too.


    Suffice it to say, the bus manager was shocked how Rhys was able to get so many ¡ª but he did not let his shock get in the way of the fact that Rhys just earned them a lot of money. The bus manager did not even question him and just outright calcted everything and paid him his share with a smile on his face.


    The bus manager wanted to get Rhys''s contact number, but Rhys just stared nkly at him, making the bus manager just ce a calling card in one of the pockets of Rhys''s trusty utility belt.


    And now, he just found himself back home with two beautifuldies weing him back ¡ª even setting up his apartment and filling it with balloons as they shot a confetti cannon right on his face. Rhys did not even bother dodging anything and just went straight to his bed; pushing the balloons away as he let himself fall face-first on its soft confines.


    Katarina and Lina could really only look at each other as they saw this, their eyes seemingly gleaming with concern. But after a few seconds¡­ they just suddenly burst out in a fit ofughter.


    "Was it¡­ was it that bad? Are you¡­Pft!" Lina would have fallen to the floorughing if it wasn''t for Katarina being in the same state; the two holding each other up as they stared at Rhys.


    "Oh, man¡­" Lina wiped the tear falling from her eye, "...I remember my first Exploration, I ended up just picking herbs and flowers ¡ª and I couldn''t even sell half of them since half of them were actually just weeds!"


    "Pft¡­" Katarina''s humongous breasts bounced violently as sheughed; her shirt, almost unable to contain the mountains raging within them, "...I remember mine too. It felt so boringpared to all the grand stories you hear as a child."


    "Right, we¡ªWait. I didn''t know you were an Explorer?" Lina abruptly stoppedughing as she looked at Katarina, "I thought you were a doctor through and through?"


    "I¡­ I meant to say¡ªAh, Rhys! I got you something!" Katarina did not answer Lina''s question as she just started digging through the balloons covering the entire floor; grabbing a small steel box and then just rushing to give it to Rhys,


    "Open it!"


    "..." Rhys nced at the box and Katarina, before finally getting the strength to sit up from the bed.


    "Ah, not fair! I didn''t get a gift!" Lina also rushed to the bed, practically leaping as she swiftlynded behind Rhys and embraced him from behind, "What did you even get him?"


    Lina was about to open the box, but Katarina quickly pped her hand away and red at her, "Why are you even on the bed? Get off!"


    "I will have you know that this is my and Rhys''s bed," Lina tightened her embrace on Rhys, burrowing her face on his back before looking at Katarina again, "If you''re so jealous¡­


    ¡­then why don''t you just sleep with us, Kat? That can be my gift."


    "What¡­ what are you even saying!?" Katarina quickly moved away from the bed; her eyebrows, slightly trembling as she didn''t know whether to stare or re, "Just open the gift, Rhys!"


    "Thank you, Dr. Katarina," Rhys showed his gratitude even before opening the gift. And as he opened it, the contents inside immediately reflected all the light in his room, almost causing him and Lina to close their eyes,


    "This is¡­"


    "A set of scalpels," Katarina nodded to herself, "You seem to like my scalpel a lot, so I asked my cksmith to make you your own set."


    "...You have your own smith?" Lina squinted her eyes as she looked back and forth between the glimmering scalpels and Katarina, "You''re starting to be very sus."


    "Thank you, Doctor¡ª"


    "Please, stop calling me Doctor," Katarina let out a small groan as she sat on the bed, "Just call me Kat."


    "...Hm," Rhys nodded as he closed the box and set it aside. He then turned to look at the table, finally noticing the cake peacefully resting on it, "You guys didn''t really need to do all of this."


    "But we¡ª" And before Katarina could finish her words, rhythmic noises started to scream in the air as her phone rang. She quickly rejected the call and turned toward Rhys, "But we¡ª"


    [Kill, Kill!]


    Before she could say anything, however, her phone rang again.


    "...You should probably answer that," Lina slightly moved away, "...And you are thest person I thought would like Metal."


    "I''ll be just a sec," Katarina could really only let out a sigh as she walked away and answered the phone. And as soon as she was gone, Lina whispered into Rhys''s ear.


    "I lied, I actually have a gift for you¡­" She said as she very gently held Rhys''s thigh, "...Once Kat is gone, I''ll let you do it in the b¡ª"


    "What!? Which streamer!?"


    And before Lina could say whatever it was she wanted to say, she and Rhys watched as Katarina started running across the small apartment; immediately turning on the 85" TV she bought for Rhys and quickly opening WeTube.


    "..." Lina looked at Rhys for a few seconds, before getting off the bed and standing beside Katarina, "What''s going on? Why did you¡ªNo! T¡­ turn it off!"


    "It will still be there even if I turn it off," Katarina''s voice turned deep as she nced back at Rhys, before very slowly moving to the side, "You¡­


    ¡­have to face this, Rhys."


    Rhys wondered what Katarina was talking about as he got off the bed. But as soon as the TV started to reflect in his eyes, he found himself once again dropping onto the bed; his legs, losing all of their strength.


    "That''s¡­


    ¡­me?"

 Chapter 93 Thats Me

    "Rhys, breathe! Please, breathe! Follow my rhythm."


    "N¡­no. I told you not to show him! I''ll turn the TV off!"


    "No! If this has to happen, then it needs to happen here with us. And if you''re not going to help, just get out!"


    "What am I even supposed to do!?"


    Lina had already seen how cameras affected Rhys the very first day they met back in Old York High, and she could not help but think of how vulnerable he seemed back then whenever she remembered it. But that was nothingpared to what she was seeing now.


    Back when Rhys was serving in the Underworld Corps, Lina annoyed Katarina with her questions to the point that she almost showed Rhys''s clinical file. But of course, Katarina did not really do that and opted to just share what she could with Lina.


    Lina already knew all of Rhys''s ws, what he had gone through, all of the mental ticks and illnesses he had. She even fought Katarina once, ming her for not helping more when she could have.


    Lina already knew all of Rhys''s ws¡­ but she had no idea what they looked like at all.


    She would cover her ears and close her eyes if she could, but she had to see this ¡ª she had to ept the man she had fallen in love with for all he is and was.


    "Rhys¡­ breathe with me."


    Rhys was on the corner of his bed; his back on the wall and his body curled. He seemed to be desperately hiding himself, but failing all the same as his hand repeatedly hit his head over and over again. He wasn''t crying, not at all, he was just letting out a continuous wailing groan that had not even paused once from the time it started.


    "It''s okay, Rhys. It''s okay¡­" Katarina''s words were soft, incredibly so. She did not really try to grab or stop Rhys from hitting herself, she just kept her distance and calmly talked to her, "...We''re here, okay? Everything is fine, we''re here."


    "Should¡­ should we give him something? Anything? L...Lemons, or something?"


    "No," Katarina shook her head, "Any physical interaction makes it worse for him."


    And even through Rhys''s violent and gasping breaths filling the entire room, Lina could still hear the gentleness in Katarina''s voice; enough to calm even herself down. And so, she did the only thing she could really do¡­


    ¡­sit beside Katarina and just wait.


    "Look, Lina''s here¡­" Katarina held Lina''s hand; her grip, strong but trembling, "...We''re here now, and we will be here after."


    Lina nced at Katarina''s trembling hand for a few seconds, before gently also holding it and looking at Rhys, watching him as he continued to scream and hurt himself. His eyes werepletely open, but they were not really looking at anything at all ¡ª they were just constantly moving as if reflecting something that was not really there.


    A second.


    A minute.


    And soon, Rhys started to calm down as his eyes were now suddenly looking at Katarina and Lina. Completely confused as if he had just woken up; his breaths,pletely hoarse.


    "A¡ª" Lina was going to say something, but Katarina gripped her hand tight and prevented her from saying anything.


    "It''s¡­ it''s my fault, everything''s my fault." And before Lina could even wonder why Katarina stopped her, Rhys started whispering to himself as the tears that seemed to want to fall from his eyes finally trailed down his cheeks, "Dead, everyone¡­ everyone is dead because of me. I killed them, I killed them all. It was me, it''s my fault."


    Lina almost forgot to breathe as her head started trembling; trying her best not to let out a whimper there and then as she heard Rhys''s words. She turned to look at Katarina, hoping to at least get something, but she was the same as her ¡ª both of them trying their best not to cry.


    "Mom¡­ mom is dead. I saw¡­ I saw it. I saw her stomach open. Her blood, her blood got on my face," Rhys then crawled from the bed and started walking in circles around the room; his hand, seemingly not knowing what to do as it just waved and shook around everywhere, "I think¡­ I think I drank some of it. My sister she¡­ I just watched her¡­ it''s my fault. It''s all my fault.


    It''s¡ª"


    Rhys then suddenly stopped walking as his eyesnded on the TV. Lina was about to rush and turn it off, but Katarina held her back. Lina nced at Katarina, but seeing the expression on her face, she seemed to be even more confused as to what was happening.


    Rhys blinked a couple of times as he walked in front of the TV and pointed at it, "...That''s me."


    "It is, Rhys. It is," Katarina did not let go of Lina''s hand; practically dragging her as she very slowly approached Rhys.


    "Where''s¡­ Mom and Chloe?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he stared at the TV.


    "They are not there, it''s just you¡­" Katarina then slowly sat on the sofa with Lina. Lina was as confused from the start as to what was happening, so she just went with the flow; not letting Rhys off of her sight for even a single millisecond.


    "Just¡­ me? Why?"


    "I¡­ I don''t know," Katarina smiled as she scooched away from Lina and started patting the space between them on the sofa, "Why¡­ why don''t you sit with us and we''ll watch?"


    Rhys looked back and forth between the TV and the sofa, before just nodding and sitting between the two; his eyes,pletely focused on the TV. And this time, Katarina was holding his hand, while Lina very carefully rested her head on his shoulder and embraced him.


    Lina tried her best not to cry, but now that she was feeling Rhys''s warmth again, she could not help but just bury her face on his shoulder and let the tears flow. Katarina gripped Rhys''s hand as strong as she could; her breaths, stuttering as they could only escape from her mouth.


    As for Rhys, he just continued to stare at the TV with a curious expression on his face; seemingly unfazed by everything. He watched the video until the end, and then watched it again repeatedly several times¡­ and the two just watched and waited with him.


    "I''m sorry you had to see that, Ma''am¡­" And finally, after what seemed like hours and hours, a calm breath escaped Rhys''s lips as he rested his cheek on Lina''s head, "And I''m sorry you had to see it again, Katarina."


    "I will see it as many times as you want," Katarina sniffled before adjusting her sses; subtly wiping away the tears that did not manage to fall from her eyes, "But as your doctor, hopefully, this is thest time we see an episode like that."


    "Sir¡­" Lina did not really say anything much and just tightened her embrace on Rhys, subtly pushing Katarina''s hand away that was holding Rhys''s only hand, but failing all the same as her grip was too tight.


    "This video¡­ who uploaded it? Is it uploaded somewhere else? Shudder?" Rhys asked, knowing it could only be one of the explorers he was with. It caught everything --- the camera, most likely a 360 degree camera, seemed to have been left in the bus as it had footage of the robbers, the harpies, and then what he did in the Underworld.


    "As far as we know, the streamer doesn''t have a Shudder ount. Just WeTube," Katarina finally let go of Rhys''s hand and stood up, "I''ve already asked some people to try and take the video d¡ª"


    "No. Let it stay," Rhys closed his eyes and sighed, "It''s time¡­


    ...They watch something else about me."

 Chapter 94 My Name Is...

    "Are¡­ you sure about this, Sir?"


    "Yes."


    "Rhys, I was the one adamant that you should face this. But this is¡­ such a drastic step. And I don''t even know if it''s in the right direction."


    "If people are going to see me a lot from now on, then I want to be the one that shows them what they need to see."


    "But still¡­


    ¡­a Streamer? And¡­ and Dreggerman? Would they even allow that name?"


    "Woah, Kat. You''re not allowed to say that."


    "It''s just a name."


    It has been a full day since Rhys''s manic episode, and he had already fully calmed down¡­ or at least that is what Katarina and Lina hoped. And currently, Rhys was standing right in the center of his apartment; with his newly bought furniture, all pushed to the side. He was wearing a suit; a dark gray coat, dark gray shirt, and dark gray pants.


    Suffice it to say, with his height, a lot of people would think he was some sort of model of a luxury brand ¡ª well, if it wasn''t for his hair still covering half his face, that is.


    "Are you really sure about this, Sir?" Lina was fixing his hair, kneeling on a chair so her hands wouldn''t get tired from trying to reach Rhys''s hair; making sure that she didn''t miss a single spot and that it wouldn''t just suddenly be blown away and show his face, "Although I am all for this¡­ progress of yours, you can wear a mask if you want to."


    "Ah, that''s a good idea!" And while Lina was fixing his hair, Katarina was currently setting up a set of cameras at the table near them ¡ª all newly bought too like the furniture, "That would at least soften your transition and slowly ease your way through your trauma. You even have a mask from the Faceless Crew. We could use that to¡ª"


    "I am wearing a mask," Rhys shook his head and did not let the two finish their discussion before pointing at his hair, "I have been wearing them the entire time, I realized it when I saw¡ªwhen I watched myself in that video. I have been actively hiding my face from the world and¡­ I didn''t even realize it."


    "Wait, so this isn''t a stylistic choice?" Lina blinked a couple of times as she stopped fixing Rhys''s hair, "You¡­ weren''t aware you were hiding your face?"


    Rhys did not really answer and just shook his head, "I didn''t want to be seen."


    "...You''re like 6''6"," Lina could really only blink a couple of times as she stepped away from Rhys and dragged the chair she was kneeling on with her, "Alright, all set here. How about you, Kat?"


    "Hm, I think this is the only thing you need ¡ª it''s better to only have one camera so the shots will be consistent," Katarina approached Lina and stood beside her as she looked at Rhys from head to toe, "You wearing a suit¡­ I never thought I''d see the day. I''m¡­


    ¡­so proud of you, Rhys."


    "At times like these, you really do seem like his mother," Lina let out a cheeky smile before looking at the camera Katarina was holding, "And isn''t that thetest camera from UnderPro? UnderPro Max X360 or something?"


    "Hm? I guess?" Katarina just shrugged as she started fiddling with the tiny camera with two dome-like lenses on each side.


    "That''s like $4000¡­ and hasn''t been released yet," Lina squinted her eyes as she looked Katarina in the eyes, "Just who are you, woman?"


    "Why are you interrogating me? This is about Rhys," Katarina walked away and grabbed a tripod; cing the camera right in front of Rhys and turning it on, "This is live Rhys. But don''t worry, no one will see it yet."


    "...My guildmates will see it," Lina sighed, "He asked me to share it as soon as he goes live."


    "..." Katarina did not really say anything and just looked at Lina for a few seconds, before cing all of her attention back to Rhys, "Whenever¡­


    ¡­you''re ready, Rhys."


    Rhys''s head slightly shook as he saw the red dot blinking on the camera, but he immediately closed his eyes and tried his best to calm himself down. Lina and Katarina did not really say anything, just unconsciously holding each other''s hands as they breathed along with Rhys. And then, after a few seconds, the two of them held their breaths as Rhys opened his mouth.


    "Hello¡­" Rhys could be seen opening his eyes from behind his hair, "...and wee to my first video. Some of you may wonder why I look so familiar, that is because currently; someone uploaded a footage of me on WeTube just this week without my consent. Since the video was uploaded, it has gained more than a million views¡­ Everyone is specting whether or not it is fake.


    Well, I am here to say that it is not ¡ª a Lowborn truly is doing all of that. I want to wee all¡ª"


    "...Rhys?" Katarina quickly grabbed the camera as Rhys suddenly froze and halted his words, afraid he might have another episode. But it did not happen, and instead, a small smile started to crawl on Rhys''s face as he continued his monologue,


    "And perhaps, some of you have already thought I looked familiar when you saw that video¡­


    ¡­that is because I also have another video with millions of views."


    "Rhys¡­!?" Both Lina and Katarina almost instinctively turned off the camera, but Rhys subtly shook his head at them.


    "It was a video uploaded almost 7 years ago now," the tone of Rhys''s voice slightly changed as a long and deep breath escaped his lips, "A video of a child at his weakest¡­ and lowest point, a video of a child being eaten by a society that wants it dead. But I am tired of being a victim of this tragedy."


    Rhys then covered his face¡­ before just very slowly brushing his hair up and pushing it to the side, fully revealing his face to everyone who might see the video. Katarina almost gasped, covering her mouth to prevent any noise from leaking from them.


    [My name is Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­You will be seeing a lot of me from now on.]

 Chapter 95 #itsgettingwilder

    [My name is Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­You will be seeing a lot of me from now on.]


    "What in our ancestor''s swelling balls is this!?"


    "Oh my, oh my. That''s one fine specimen of a man."


    "That''s Rhys Wilder! Sergeant Rhys Wilder of the Underworld Corps!"


    "I could see that, I don''t have cataracts like you, old man."


    Back in the Underworld Corps, the voice of General Banner violently bounced from the walls of Ayesha''s office. But while General Banner''s saliva was being blown everywhere, Ayesha was just calmly seated on her chair, embracing her teddy bear while watching Rhys''s video with a smile of approval crawling on her face.


    "Sergeant Rhys Wilder of the Underworld Corps!" General Banner repeated his words as he mmed his palm on Ayesha''s desk,pletely cracking it in half, "Underworld Corps. Ours, our property¡­


    ¡­why is he on the Surface!?"


    "Uh, because he wants to?" Ayesha scoffed, "And he is not your property. I could argue that he''s mine, but we kinda sort of own each other. You get it, pops?"


    "You were strictly ordered to watch him!"


    "...What do you think I''m doing now?" Ayesha sucked in a deep breath as she started waving the phone in her hand, "And with all due respect, General. You are in my office, you don''t order me around in my of¡­"


    "You are relieved of your duty, Ayesha."


    "...fice. What!?" Ayesha quickly stood up from her chair, violently pushing it back and shattering itpletely as it hit the wall, "Have your balls really sagged to the point we can use it as an anchor!?"


    "Oh, but I can!" General Banner also stood up straight while fixing his coat, "I am the General of the Surface Army. The Underworld Corps is a subsidiary unit of the Surface Army. Are you getting what I am saying? I. Own. You."


    "Well hot diggity dog, old man," Ayesha did not back down; a smirk crawling on her face while she casually stepped toward her adoptive father, pushing the broken desk to the side as she stood right in front of him,


    "All this talk about balls is making you think you actually had one in the first ce. But on what grounds do you think you can justify kicking me out of my position? The Underworld Corps, frankly, has never had more sess¡ª"


    "How about 7 billion dors, Ayesha?"


    "Okay, let''s not get hasty here," the smirk on Ayesha''s face quickly faded away as she raised her palm.


    "You go to the Surface, and get Sergeant Wilder back," General Banner scoffed as he turned back and started walking away, "I do not care what you do, just get him back."


    "I don''t belong up there, Dad!" Ayesha screamed, "And I spent that 7 billion on Rhys Wilder, the person you are so interested in! Surely, that counts for something!"


    "That is the entire budget of the Underworld Corps," General Banner nced back, "And I have not even taken into ount what happened in the operating room. That doctor died, Ayesha."


    "That''s¡­"


    "Rhys Wilder. Retrieve him¡­


    ¡­or say goodbye to your position permanently."


    "I hope your ancestor''s balls rot and their tits sag!"


    "They are your ancestors too!" And with those words, General Banner stepped out of the room.


    "I am adopted, you dementia-infested feces!"


    It wasn''t actually only Ayesha and General Banner losing their minds regarding Rhys, other people were too.


    50,000 people and more by the second, and it has not even been half a day. For a newly built channel that did not even have a single subscriber, this was almost unprecedented.


    Suffice it to say, people truly were losing their minds. How could they not, when everything they have ever known waspletely being questioned?


    [Fake ass.]


    [this dregga thinks his something.]


    [He''s*]


    [seen the video he is talking about. lol]


    [Isn''t this the dregger from the Ss West incident?]


    [-the one that got cucked? lol]


    [Lowborns are really acting uptely.]


    [You guys fr? Hope your mothers also get killed]


    [Stop falling for this propaganda shit.]


    [Everyone shaking because a Lowborn is stronger than them. lolol. Fking keyboard warriors]


    [movie title?]


    [This is AI. Bruh]


    [Die. Dregger!]


    [I hope all you Nobles and bigots die. What''s your address? I''m going to kill you myself.]


    [Like disment if you''re with Rhys Wilder! #itsgettingwilder]


    [Here we go. Told you, propaganda shit]


    [Hope all the dreggers die! Let''s kill this bitch!]


    "What the¡­ who is this!?"


    "...You''re still reading thements?"


    Back in Rhys''s apartment, the sound of Lina''s fingers violently tapping her phone drummed endlessly in the air; her tongue slightly stuck out as she replied to all thements,


    "These people think they''re tough! Wait, let me just¡­ hope¡­ your mother¡­ dies too. Bitch!"


    "...Seriously? And what are you even doing here?" Katarina, who was cleaning Rhys''s apartment, removed her gloves and face mask as she approached Lina.


    "I have some free time," Lina shrugged as she just clumsilyid on Rhys''s bed¡­ with only her panties on.


    "And can you wear some clothes!? Were you not taught some decency!?" Katarina almost turned the entire bed as she threw the nket on Lina, "And also, I am asking why you''re here. In Rhys''s apartment."


    "I can ask you the same thing," Lina shrugged.


    "What do you think I''m doing!? I''m cleaning!"


    "And you''re wondering why Rhys isn''t even looking at you romantically," Lina dropped her phone as she sat up and looked Katarina in the eyes, "You keep acting like his mother."


    "I''m legally his guardian!" Katarina raised her voice and crossed her arms, "And who¡­ who said I want him to look at me that way!?"


    "Bitch, please," Lina smirked as she crawled to the edge of the bed and sat up, "I''ve known you for half a year. Those eyes of yours are not fooling anyone¡­


    ¡­you love him."


    "No," Katarina rolled her eyes and shook her head.


    "Hm. So, you''re telling me you are doing all of this¡­ because you''re his guardian?"


    "Yes."


    "Then leave," the tone of Lina''s voice changed as she looked Katarina in the eyes.


    "...Excuse me?"


    "You heard me... Leave."

 Chapter 96 A Storm Is Coming

    "...Excuse me?"


    "You heard me, leave. I am ufortable with you being this close with my boyfriend."


    Lina did not truly seem to care that she was naked; her nipples, lightly touching Katarina''s shirt as she stood up, "Your breasts are too fucking big and I don''t want that anywhere near Rhys."


    "You leave," Katarina puffed out her chest, almost causing Lina to fall back as she did so, "I''m his guardian."


    Rhys''s apartment was not that big in the first ce, but with the two suddenly filling the air with a sense ofpetition, it almost felt like the room was shrinking even further.


    "He isn''t a minor. By all means, your obligation is done," Lina did not back out, however, as she even stepped forward; their breasts, now squishing each other while their faces were only inches apart, "If you''re not going to be true to your feelings, then leave."


    "And why does it matter what I feel?" Katarina''s eyebrows lowered, "And why are you even asking me all of this? You''re with him."


    "You thought I was joking when I told you I can share?" Lina smirked.


    "W¡­what?" Katarina stuttered.


    "You''re his doctor, Kat. Are you telling me, that not even once, you haven''t seen his thing?" Lina took a step back as she gestured with both her hands, "He¡­


    ¡­is big."


    "What are you even saying!?"


    "His stamina is monstrous too. He doesn''t get tired like¡­ literally," Lina just fell back to the bed; her breasts jiggling as she let out a long and deep sigh,


    "He¡­ is too much to be handled by just me. I feel like I''m going to die from too much of him inside me. It''s just dripping everywhere and¡ª"


    "Wait¡­ you''re letting him cum inside you!?"


    "I''m on birth control," Lina shrugged, "And you get what I''m saying, right? Wait, no¡ªyou''ll only get it once you and him sleep together."


    "Wh¡ª"


    "But not without me, that''ll be cheating," Lina let out a small chuckle as she hugged Rhys''s pillow, "By the way, I got a renovation scheduled for next week. Rhys and I are connecting our apartments.


    "Get up and stop speaking nonsense," Katarina just shook her head and scoffed, "Rhys will be home any minute and I don''t want you feeding those¡­ those ideas in his mind."


    "Oh, he won''t be home anytime soon¡­" Lina grabbed her phone and showed it to Katarina,


    "¡­He''s about to go live."


    ***


    "That''s him¡­ isn''t it?"


    "Who?"


    "The one on the video! Rhys Wilder!"


    "The Lowborn¡­? Why is he so tall?"


    "Are you sure that''s him?"


    "Who else could it be!? It''s him, I''ve been staring at him on the bus the entire time."


    "...That''s kinda sus, not gonna lie."


    "Stupid. Why would you think a bus manager would be crazy enough to actually let a Lowborn join us?"


    True enough to Rhys''s intention, the video he made garnered enough attention that he did not even spend a minute in the Bus Station before the managers started approaching him themselves. Rhys did not really care what sort of Hole they were going to as he just wanted to test if he truly could make another video by himself, and so, he just chose the first manager who approached him.


    And now, he was once again a few meters away from a Hole, with other explorers with him who could not stop looking at him and gossiping about him.


    "Sir," Rhys raised his hand as he approached the bus manager, "I am going to film this Exploration, is that alright with you?"


    "Of course, why do you think I let you on in the first ce?" The bus manager raised an eyebrow as he looked at Rhys from head to toe, "Make sure to get our name on the bus, and mention that ourpany has smaller fees than most. We take 1.5% less than the otherpanies¡­


    ¡­did you get that on video?"


    "...I''m not live yet."


    "Tell me when you are. Now stay away from me, I still have things to do before the Exploration starts."


    "...Right."


    Rhys could really only take a step back as the bus manager started shooing him away like he was some sort of stray dog. Rhys did not really take it to heart, however, as the bus manager truly did seem like he was busy.


    Unlike his first Exploration where only the Bus Manager and the Driver were with the Explorers, there was a guard, a medic, and some sort of analyst. Perhaps, in a way, this could actually be considered as his first true Exploration.


    Hopefully, nothing goes wrong and¡ª


    "What!? A Storm!? Now!?"


    "..." And as soon as Rhys started to rx, the Bus Manager''s voice started to echo loudly across the wastnd. He quickly looked back, only to see the manager rushing toward him and the other Explorers.


    The Explorers, who were previously talking about him nonstop, instantly halted all of their conversations as they quickly gathered ¡ª truly, a far cry from the first group of Explorers Rhys was with.


    And just from the Bus Manager''s expression as he was stomping his way towards them, something probably went wrong.


    "Everyone!"


    And as soon as the Bus Manager called their attention, Rhys quickly turned on the camera attached to his utility belt and went live ¡ª no introduction, and he did not even set up a shot.


    "A Monster Storm is currently happening right now!"


    "...A storm?" Rhys quickly looked at the sky, only to see the sea of blue glowing as bright and immacte as ever. He wondered what the manager was saying when the sky was as clear as ever, but he did not need to wonder for long, however, as he realized that the other Explorers were looking at the Hole instead.


    "In approximately 5 minutes, monsters will be raining from that Hole! Be ready!"


    "Oh¡­" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as the other Explorers started getting ready. Some pushing him away as they started preparing their gear. One of the Elemental Controllers, even building a wall with several spikes to wee the monsters.


    As for Rhys, he grabbed something from one of the pockets of his trusty utility belt, before removing his camera from his waist and attaching it to the thing he grabbed. And with a small sigh escaping his lips, he lightly threw it in the air ¡ª releasing the propellers and turning his UnderPro Max 360X into a drone camera.


    "..." Rhys stared at the camera floating above his head for a few seconds before releasing another long and very deep breath and just looking at the Hole. He started walking, and the drone swiftly followed him in the air.


    "Tch¡­ you think this is some sort of game, Lowborn?" The explorer closest to him immediately clicked his tongue, "You and your camera better now get in the way. Or trust me, I''m going to shoot that thing down myself."


    "You do not have to worry about me, Sir¡­" Rhys only nodded as he continued walking toward the Hole. Soon, however, his steps started to hasten.


    "What are you¡ª"


    And there, everyone watched as Rhys suddenly ran, leaping over the wall they created like an acrobat and diving straight into the Hole without even a slight hesitation.


    "...I won''t be in your way at all."

 Chapter 97 Monster Storm

    Monster Storm.


    Rhys has actually witnessed several of those when he was still in the Underworld Corps, but he hasn''t actually heard them calling it by that name.


    Because for them, it wasn''t exactly a storm ¡ª they were simply targets that needed to be destroyed before they reached the Surface.


    And Rhys¡­ Rhys was the most effective of them all; jumping along with the monsters and killing them mid-air while diving.


    But of course, this time was actually quite different. As instead of diving with the monsters, he was diving against their flow.


    Rhys''s hair waved erratically as he looked toward the Surface as he fell. And surprisingly, the drone wasn''t there but actually expertly falling a few meters beside him. He stared at the lens directly for a few seconds, before just falling head first again and increasing his speed.


    "..." And after a few seconds of doing so, he felt ufortable with the camera just following him and turned to look at it again. Not saying anything felt¡­ weird for some reason,


    "How are¡ª"


    Before Rhys could say what he wanted, however, loud howls and barks started to echo from his path. And as soon as it reached his ears, he immediately sted himself with wind; burying his fingers and attaching himself to the wall like some sort of spider. He then once again looked at the camera, before just letting go of the wall.


    He was, however, still connected to the wall by the threadsing out of his fingers.


    "...Watch this," Rhys then whispered as he leaped to the opposite side of the wall, once again digging his fingers through it. He did this several times, until the threads, albeit almost invisible in the quaint darkness of the hole, made a literal web. It looked clumsy, but for the purpose Rhys had in mind for it, it was more than enough.


    And so, with his web done, Rhys once again let himself fall ¡ª a small smile, slightly creeping on his face as the growls and howls grew louder and louder.


    And soon, eyes that glowed through the darkness started glimmering in front of Rhys; four-legged creatures whose bones were exposed to serve as a sort of armor. Their heads that were just skulls, indiscernible whether or not it was some type of wolf or just a very aggressive cow due to its size.


    Kokasaurus. Now that Rhys was thinking of the name, it was actually probably some type of reptile. ording to the bus manager, the region below was a Scorching Desert, with the temperature of Helios affecting it more than the other regions due to all the heatwaves ¡ª their flesh being hidden by their bones was probably a way to cope with that.


    Rhys did not really have a lot of time to admire the monster''s physiology, however, as they were now only meters away from making contact with Rhys, all 20 of them. 10 were ahead, while another 10 followed behind them.


    "..." Rhys subtly nced at the camera again, before opening his trusty utility belt, where several silver scalpels started falling beside him. Rhys grabbed one of them, before just throwing it straight onto one of the kokosaurus'' heads ¡ª causing it toe out of the other end.


    The scalpel did not continue to fall down, however, as it was attached to a thread which Rhys quickly whipped; causing the monster''s body to violently sway in the air and hit its brethren,pletely breaking their formation and scattering them to the side, allowing Rhys through the middle.


    The monsters were extremely baffled judging from the fact that their roars and howls were reced by high-pitched cries. Their cries did notst long, however, because as soon as they were at the same height as Rhys, 5 of them joined their brethren as Rhys expertly threw knives onto their skull heads. And just like that, 6 of the 20 kokasaurus were dead.


    6, as that was the same number of scalpels that Rhys had.


    It did not matter to Rhys, however, as killing them was not exactly his intention. With 6 of them attached to Rhys''s thread, he found himself being pulled back up to the Surface from the distribution of weight.


    The physics, gravity, and logic behind the Hole were weird. If Rhys were to let go right now, he would once again slowly start falling into the Underworld; the center of his gravity remains to be down there, while the monsters were still pointed toward the Surface even after they shed.


    Rhys then forcefully pulled himself up, letting go of the threads and shooting straight toward one of the kokasaurus that were still alive and kicking it straight down ¡ª letting it hit another monster which caused their formation to further scramble to the point they were just shaking helpless in the air.


    Rhys was basically using them as a literal stepping stone at this point as he kicked one kokasaurus to the next; attaching threads to each one of them which he proceeded to bite down as he leaped onto the walls again.


    This time, however, like a panther climbing on a tree, Rhys proceeded to pounce up; crawling and leaping up onto the walls at a speed faster than the monsters fell, practically violently dragging 14 of the monsters up and leaving behind the 6 monsters that he initially killed.


    He went faster and faster, until finally, the threads he left earlier started to glimmer. And soon, he passed through the gaps of the web; before finally letting go of the threads in his mouth and catching them¡­ before proceeding to tug on it as hard as he could.


    And with that tug, the monster soon made contact with the web of threads Rhys created. And with the speed in which they were now falling¡­ their armor of bones proved to bepletely useless as all of them werepletely sliced up into pieces before the web detached from the walls.


    "...Nice," Rhys whispered as the blood and bones of the kokasaurus moved past him when he once again started to fall down toward the Underworld. Rhys did not seem to mind, however, as he just looked down ¡ª and there, the 6 kokasaurus he first killed were falling toward him; still tied together by the threads attached to their heads.


    Rhys swiftly grabbed threads¡­


    ¡­and just like that, he was on his way back to the Surface.


    ***


    "The monsters are getting near. Everyone, be ready!"


    Back in the Surface, after they moved on from their initial shock of seeing Rhys just dive into the Hole, they all quickly set up their defenses again and focused on clearing the Monster Storm that was about to hit them in a few seconds.


    "...What do you think happened to the Lowborn?"


    "Dead, what do you think? Probably overestimated himself, most new Explorers do."


    The elemental controller who built the wall really only scoffed and shook his head; ready to adjust the spikes he created depending on where the monsters willnd.


    "Stop thinking about the Lowborn and focus, I feel theming up now."


    And with those words, all the Explorers readied themselves and focused on the Hole. And soon¡­


    "They''re here!"


    Another Elemental Controller immediately summoned a ball of fire to shoot toward the monster that wasnding close to his position ¡ª he was not able to do so, however, and just allowed the monster tond¡­ because it was not a monster at all, but just a lump of flesh and bones that plopped as it made contact with the ground.


    He really had no time to process that, as soon, blood started showering out from the Hole like a fountain; along with more monster parts which just rained down on all of them as their gravity began to shift.


    "What¡­ what the fuck¡­?"


    The Explorers began backing away as more and more parts shot out from the Hole; some bones, even piercing diagonally through the ground.


    "Is¡­ Is this some sort of attack!? Is the blood acid!?" One of the Explorers raised his voice as he retreated from the Hole, "I haven''t heard of a kokasaurus that''s able to do something like this!"


    "We should return to the bus and¡ª"


    And before any of them could start deliberating on what exactly was happening, a bunch of intact kokasaurus emerged from the Hole; causing most of them to once again focus on the Hole and put up their guards¡­ that is, until, they saw Rhyse out of the Hole while being pulled by the kokasaurus as if they were some sort of sled.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys expertlynded on the ground as he let go of the threads and began looking around him; seemingly satisfied with what he had done. He did not even nce at the other Explorers, and instead just looked up toward his drone before stretching his palm at it. And almost instantly, it started flying toward him andnding in his hand.


    "...I guess that''s all for today. Until next¡­" Rhys stopped talking as he subtly looked to the side. And after a few breaths, he just shrugged his shoulders and once again threw the drone up in the air, allowing it to continue filming.


    He then started looking around, before walking toward the bus where the manager was hiding. The person guarding the bus did not really know whether to block Rhys''s path or not; but as he saw all the blood dripping from Rhys''s body, he just allowed him to board the bus.


    "Bus Manager, Sir."


    "Y¡­yes?" The bus manager could really only stutter with his words as he very slowly looked up at the blood-drenched Rhys.


    "Can¡­


    ¡­I still participate with the Exploration?"

 Chapter 98 The Black-haired Menace

    "Damn¡­ damn it! That tall fucker is getting ahead of us again!"


    "Don''t¡­ don''t let him hoard everything! I need to feed my family!"


    [lol. Who''s the Lowbornr now, mfkers!?]


    [this is hax. report Rhys for hacking.]


    [Look at this guy, you think you''re watching a game?]


    [where da guys trolling earlier? lolol. Don''t let reese catch uter.]


    [How is this even possible!? The Explorer Academy taught us Lowborns are just pests.]


    [...They teach you that? Dafuq.]


    [I don''t care about Lowborns,moners and all that shit. Just show us your face again, Rhys!]


    [#itsgettingwilder]


    It did not even take an entire day, and yet the number ofments that were siding with Rhys now suddenly outnumbered those who were hating and insulting him. How could they actually not shut their mouths and lock their fingers, when they just witnessed Rhys do something they have only really ever seen in movies?


    A Monster Storm was not a rare urrence, but an Explorer diving against the tide of monsters? Someone else might have already done that before, but they were not going to believe it without proof.


    ¡­And Rhys had undeniable proof since he was even streaming live ¡ª both on WeTube and Shudder, the Explorers'' official live streaming tform.


    Some refuted that it was fake and that Rhys was actually streaming pre-recorded footage with added CGI. But his¡­ new fans immediately took to their cause and researched thepany that owned the Bus he was on, and they were indeed real and they have an Exploration scheduled today posted on their website.


    They did not even need to do that, however, as Rhys has been streaming for more than 3 hours. If this was pre-recorded footage with lots of CGI, then that would mean Rhys would need to have the same budget as those blockbuster superhero films.


    And so, the only thing his hates could do was watch as Rhys¡­ left the other Commoner Explorers in the dust, literally, as they were in a Scorching Desert region. And currently, Rhys''s sack was already filled with Adamantine¡­ again, for the 3rd time as he dived back and forth between the Underworld and the Surface.


    No one could really believe what they were seeing, as the kokasaurus were actually already running away from him; burrowing through the sand just to get away from Rhys Wilder. But Rhys¡­


    ¡­he was relentless. He practically dug his arm through the sand, grabbing the bonelizard''s tail every time and pulling them up¡ªbefore just mming them on the ground several times like a madman.


    The other Explorers were helpless. As even though the kokasaurus were near them, Rhys threw a scalpel connected to a thread and pulled the monster toward him¡­


    ¡­It was like he truly did not care for anyone else but himself.


    "Leave some for the rest of us!" The Earth-controller, who was initially exhrated as they were in a desert region and thought he could fully utilize his abilities, could really only cry out as his kill was once again stolen by Rhys; like he was some sort of fisherman hooking fish. The Earth-controller watched as Rhys stomped the kokasaurus in the head, before finally thinking he had enough,


    "That''s it, if you don''t like to y with others ¡ª then you should not y at all!" And with those words, the Earth-controller mmed his fist on the sound, causing the sand to ripple out before multiple spikes started crawling violently toward Rhys.


    [What the!? Rhys, watch out!]


    [That''s it! Kill the dregger!]


    "..." And as the spikes of sand made their way toward him, Rhys just calmly looked toward the Earth-controller¡­ before kicking the sand beneath his feet as hard as he could.


    [What''s happening!? We can''t see anything!]


    "Did¡­ I get him?"


    While Rhys''s viewers could not see what was happening due to the cloud of sand that suddenly formed in the air, the Earth-controller was in the same spot as he squinted his eyes to where Rhys should have been standing.


    Soon, however, a shadow suddenly pierced through the hazy cloud and leaped straight toward the Earth-controller, a kokasaurus. He did not really panic, however, as he immediately summoned another sand spike which almost instantly pierced the monster through the bottom of its chin.


    "T¡ª!!!" The Earth-controller did not have time to celebrate his kill, however, as he noticed that a hand was actually holding the kokasaurus'' neck; the owner of the hand, slowly being revealed from the cloud of dust,


    "You¡­ What are you¡ªArgh!" And before the man could even say what he wanted, Rhys suddenly mmed the kokasaurus'' head straight on the man''s shoulder; its long and sharp fangs, digging straight through his flesh and bones. The Earth-controller then felt himself being pulled closer to Rhys as he also pulled the head of the monster close to him,


    "You¡­ you can''t do this¡­ You can''t attack your fellow Explorer."


    "But you just tried to attack me," Rhys whispered as he grabbed the dead kokasaurus'' head and further pushed its fangs into the Earth-controller''s shoulder.


    "I¡­ I was just pissed, man," the Earth-controller''s voice started to stutter, "You¡­ you were getting all the good stuff. Ce on, man. You''re not seriously going to kill me over this!?"


    "I am," Rhys then let go of the kokasaurus'' head and then immediately grabbed the Earth-controller''s face, "You were already dead the moment you decided that your life is worth less than the¡­ good stuff."


    "Wait, wai¡ª"


    And with those muffled words escaping the gaps between Rhys''s fingers, he tightened his grip and just crushed his head there and then. The man''s corpse just fell to the sand ¡ª but it had not yet reached its peace, as Rhys pulled the kokasaurus'' head from its shoulder and ced it on the man''s crushed head.


    And with a nod of approval he gave himself, he quickly returned to where he previously was¡­ and just waited until the cloud of sand subsided.


    [Ah, he''s alive!]


    [We love you Rhys!]


    [What the¡­ the other guy''s dead. His face is being eaten by a monster!]


    And as soon as the sand cleared up, Rhys immediately rushed back toward the corpse of the Earth-controller ¡ª quickly pulling the kokasaurus away from him and mming it on the sand hard as if it wasn''t already dead.


    "..." Rhys then quietly kneeled beside the corpse of the Earth-controller, cing his finger on its neck as if he were checking its pulse. And after a few seconds, he shook his head and looked at the drone,


    "...He''s dead."


    [No shit, Rhys. His head was eaten!]


    [Fk¡­ is this even allowed? I''m only 14.]


    [14? This is an 18+ channel only. Report. lol]


    [Did you guys see that!? That guy attacked him and he still tried to save the fucker.]


    [Donate, where''s the donate button!?]


    [I hope you die, fucking dregger! Lowborns should just stay at home cleaning our houses!]


    [ssist much? Report]


    It was only Rhys''s 2nd stream, and could even be considered his 1st official livestream. And yet Rhys''s channel was already making waves on the inte ¡ª his stream, currently the most viewed of the day at more than a million viewers, in both Shudder and WeTube.


    Rhys was actually already expecting his stream would trend just from the sheer fact that he was an abnormal Lowborn¡ªwhat he did not expect, however, was that it would blow up this much¡­


    ¡­to the point it was going international.


    [Wait, you Amerkans still treat Lowborns like 3rd ss citizens? What is this, the 1800s?]


    [lol. Heil Nobler.]


    [That''s Hermany, stupid fk.]


    [Holy shit, I watched this guy in LiveDrip when I was young!]


    [link plz]


    [Its banned bruh. Video is fked up, it had to be taken down.]


    "This¡­ this is crazy. Kat, Kat!"


    "I know, I''m watching the video with you!"


    Back in Rhys''s apartment, Lina and Kat were currently holding each other''s hands tight as they were now watching Rhys''s livestream on the TV. Lina was busy reading thements, while Katarina could not help but just watch what Rhys was doing.


    It had not even been a year since Rhys awakened, and yet he was already this strong. Just what exactly happened to him back in the Underworld Corps¡ªno¡­


    ¡­just what kind of blood was actually running through his veins? By all means, all the tests that were done on Rhys showed that he was still a Lowborn; the blood of gods running through his veins not even on the system.


    But perhaps¡­ the way they do their tests was outdated? It was just general knowledge in the medical field that an unknown god is a weak god ¡ª as all the known gods, even those that are not popr, were involved in the war a thousand years ago.


    But what if that wasn''t the case at all?


    What if, some time and somewhere along the mix, a god that was as strong as the Olympians were actually hidden among them all this time? Because that was really the only exnation Katarina could think of.


    Rhys''s strength; it was equal to what a Noble shows¡­ and he actually knows how to use it.


    Throughout time, Nobles were treated with utmost respect ¡ª and that was because deep down, the people were afraid of what the Nobles could do. It was better to appease them, no matter what.


    But right now, she was currently watching someone who had been abused his entire life¡­ with a hatred so deep it could probably create a hole deep enough to pass through the Underworld and go straight onto the other side of the world.


    While the others see Rhys as a rising star, Katarina could not help but feel that she was watching a falling star instead¡­


    ¡­a falling star that will raze the Earth into ashes.


    Unfortunately for Katarina, most people were not seeing that, as some were even starting to find a way to fan the mes. The Explorer guilds have started taking notice of Rhys Wilder.

 Chapter 99 Of course... Of course...

    "Rhys Wilder, please look here!"


    "Mr. Wilder, care toment on something regarding the Ss West incident!?"


    "Are you secretly a Noble!?"


    "Some people are iming your videos are fake. What do you have to¡­"


    It was only his 2nd Exploration, and yet as his bus returned to the Station, it was immediately bombarded and mobbed by dozens of people waving their microphones and cameras. Rhys would have probably run away if this had happened just days ago, but now, even as the bright shing lights drowned his eyes, he did not even waver for even a single second and just casually stepped down the bus.


    And as he saw all the cameras being pointed at him, Rhys felt a weird feeling growing from inside him ¡ª it was almost as if¡­ he was actually starting to like the feeling of being in the center of it all. Of course, he wouldn''t go as far as fully showing his face or acknowledge them by waving his hand, but he did not shy away from them at all.


    "What the¡­ how did these fuckers get inside the station!?"


    And soon, guards started marching toward the crowd of people and started pushing them away.


    "How many times do we have to tell you that no media is allowed inside the Bus Station!?"


    The media people tried to fight back, but all they could really do was be forcefully pushed away as the guards started summoning their shields to throw them away. Rhys was going to just quietly leave as it felt like he caused unnecessary, but the guard that was yelling earlier suddenly blocked his path.


    "You," the old guard said while shaking his head, "Where do you think you''re going?"


    "I don''t want to trouble all of you any more than I already have, Sir," Rhys quickly stood up straight as he addressed the old guard with respect, "I will leave while they are busy."


    "Hm. People like you do not leave from the front entrance," the old guard once again shook his head, "You leave from the front, and a whole bunch of those assholes will start blocking the entrance. Come with me."


    The old guard gestured to Rhys to follow him, and Rhys did so as the old guard led him to the back of the station where all thepanies'' drivers seem to be waiting and resting. None of them heed Rhys any mind, however, as they just seemed¡­ tired.


    "What? You think only Lowborns like you have a hard life?" The old guard scoffed as soon as he saw Rhys''s eyes slightly squint, "Everyone''s suffering their own way, kid."


    "...You are very lucky to call this suffering," Rhys breathed as he continued to follow the old guard.


    "..." The old guard did not really say anything else and just led Rhys to a door and gestured to him to leave,


    "Also, don''te back to this station. You will be disrupting the other Explorers who just want to earn a living."


    "What¡­?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he opened the door, "But this is the only Bus Station in the city. And this is only my 2nd Exploration."


    "Kid¡­" The old guard sighed and shook his head, "You''re banned."


    "...Huh?"


    "Even if you go to a Bus Station on the other side of the Danger Zone, they won''t allow you in," the old guard lightly pushed Rhys out the door.


    "Why?"


    "You''re famous."


    "W¡ª"


    And without bothering to even exin anything, the old guard shut the door on him. Rhys could really only stare at this slightly rusty metal door for a few seconds, before just subconsciously scratching his head and backing away, realizing that he was in a slightly dim alleyway behind the station.


    It was only his 2nd Exploration, 1st if he did not count the boulder cockaroaches¡­ and yet here he was, in an alleyway behind the Bus Station never to be allowed in again.


    "What¡­ am I even going to do now?"


    "I knew this was going to happen."


    "!!!" Rhys quickly put up his guard as he heard a whispering from the darker shadows of the alleyway. And there, from beside a dumpster filled with trash, emerged the guild master of the Laughing Bronze, Keh; his obviously expensive suit, filled with all sorts of dust and dirt.


    "...How long have you been there?" Rhys lowered his guard as a banana peel very slowly slid from his shoulders as he started approaching him.


    "Long enough to know that this was going to happen from the start," Keh let out a muffled chuckle as he wore a pair of sunsses, even though they were already in a dark alleyway and the sun was about to set,


    "A special person like you, Rhys Wilder, can not truly roam free. There will always be shackles chaining you down, held by people that want to drag you with them ¡ª especially you, a Lowborn that is stronger than Commoners, that can''t happen in our society that is content with its archaic hierarchy. And¡­ and¡­"


    Rhys then watched as Keh subtly checked his phone; whispering and quietly rehearsing what he was going to say to him like he couldn''t actually see him.


    "Forget this," Keh then shook his head and sighed as he looked at Rhys in his covered eyes, "I am going to offer you the same thing I have been offering you from the start¡­


    ¡­Join the Laughing Bronze, and I will make sure all your problems just wither away. You may not know who I am, but my guild is capable of getting you into any Hole you want. And honestly, you don''t have any other options, your stint as a Free Explorer is gone as soon as it started."


    "..." Rhys squinted his eyes as Keh once again stretched his hand toward him. This time, however, Rhys was actually slightly considering it. And as soon as Keh saw the curious look on Rhys''s face, he tried his best to hide the growing smile on his face as heid the final nail on his offer that Rhys could not possibly resist.


    "I can get you revenge too," Keh''s voice lowered, "Ss West. I can¡ª"


    And before Keh could finish his words, Rhys closed his hand and just started walking away without even saying a single word.


    "W¡­ wait!" Keh could really only chase after Rhys as he made his way out of the dark alleyway, "I''m serious, I can¡ª"


    "I do not need revenge, Sir," Rhys nced back, "What I need is justice."


    "Justice¡­? I can get you that too!" Keh chuckled nervously as he saw the look of disdain and disgust in Rhys''s eyes, "I can get you that easier than revenge! My family has the bestwyers and we could open up¡ª"


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "It has toe from me¡­


    ¡­it will only be fair if it is from me."


    "What? Wait¡­


    ¡­just wait!"


    ***


    "Ack, I knew this was going to happen the moment your channel started to trend like crazy."


    "Can¡­ they really do that? But most of the streamers I have seen are Free Explorers."


    "You garnered millions of views and it hasn''t even been like 3 days since you created your Shudder and WeTube. You''re¡­ kinda not on the same level as the others, Sir."


    "Can you guys stop addressing yourselves as ''Sir'' and ''Ma''am''? At least when I am here."


    "...Then maybe you shouldn''t be here?"


    "You literally invited both of us for coffee."


    "I was being nice."


    In a cafe somewhere in the more crowded part of Old York City, Rhys, Lina, and Katarina once again found themselves casually rxing at a table. And suffice it to say, they gathered even more attention than thest time they were in the very same spot before Rhys went into the Underworld Corps.


    And it wasn''t just simple attention. Rhys was ncing at the woman in the cafe, only to see all the 5 Hearts floating above their heads fluctuating for some reason. Come to think of it, he hasn''t really used his main abilities for a while now ¡ª ever since he gained Ayesha''s herculean strength. After all, what else could he actually wish for?


    But seeing all the hearts inside this cafe fluctuating, Rhys could not help but feel something rising from inside him ¡ª a heavy weight pushing him; as if Eros himself was asking him to conquer all the hearts that his eyes could see¡­


    ¡­and perhaps he should? Just how much stronger could he actually be if he converted all the hearts in this cafe into his?


    Their abilities may not be as strong as Ayesha''s, but it is the small things that add up.


    "Rhys. Rhys, are you listening?"


    "Hm¡­?"


    "We lost you again there for a minute," Katarina could really only sigh as she found Rhys daydreaming again, something he actually hadn''t done for quite a while, "Lina and I were discussing what you could do¡­ and maybe, it''s actually time for you to join a guild."


    "I can invite you to mine," Lina nodded, "It''ll just be temporary, of course. Until you start getting¡ª"


    "No," Rhys shook his head.


    "Okay¡­ you didn''t have to shut me down that fast, Sir."


    "I have actually already decided what my next step will be," Rhys shook his head as he looked at Lina and Katarina,


    "I am going to create my own army."


    "...Don''t you mean a guild?" Lina squinted her eyes.


    "Right¡­ yes," Rhys eyes slightly flinched as he let out a small but very deep breath, "Of course¡­ of course."


    "Well, that''s a good n, actually¡­ but you need to at least be Level 3 Explorer for that."


    "...Oh."

 Chapter 100 Retaking the Test

    "What the¡­ weren''t you just herest week?"


    "Nice to see you again too, Ma''am."


    "Oh, my fucki¡ªHannah! It''s Hannah! I''m literally just 3 years older than you. And why are you wasting both our time again?"


    "I''m¡­ here to retake the test."


    "...Already?"


    And once again, Rhys found himself in front of the ever-rude Hannah. This time, however, Rhys made sure to wait outside the Explorer Association building before they even opened their ss doors so that he wouldn''t have to fall in line. And true enough, he was the first person to disturb Hannah¡­ who Rhys half expected to be not there this early in the morning.


    "...Why are you looking at me like that? What? Surprised that some people actually have to work to earn a living?" Hannah rolled her eyes before gesturing to Rhys toe closer, "Give me your license and wait for your name to be called."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys decided to sit in the lobby after handing his license to Hannah, something he wasn''t able to dost time as the building was crowded with people. And now that his eyes had time to wander, he finally realized just how tight the security was in the building.


    Cameras were not allowed in the testing halls, but look anywhere else in the building, and one would see surveince cameras just meters apart from each other.


    He also hadn''t noticed this before, but the tall ss windows were actually almost half a meter thick ¡ª were they really expecting people to create trouble in a building filled with the strongest people in the city?


    Or perhaps¡­ it is to keep something or someone in?


    [Rhys! I swear to the gods I have been calling you several times!]


    "..." And as soon as Rhys snapped out of his stupor, he heard Hannah''s high-pitched screams echoing throughout the entire lobby. And as a matter of course, the people that were flowing in from the outside were now all looking at him as he made his way back to Hannah.


    They were whispering about him; this time, however, they carried a different tone than Rhys was used to.


    "That''s¡­ him, right? Rhys Wilder?"


    "Oh my god, it is! I¡­ I wonder if we can take a picture with him?"


    "...He looks taller in person, wow. And¡­ and look at that ck hair. I think he''s looking at us!"


    "What''s so good about that useless Lowborn?"


    "What did you say!?"


    "..." Rhys could really only watch as a group of women suddenly started ganging up on whoever it was who insulted him. Rhys couldn''t really see, as he was truly literally being ganged up¡­ to the point that security had toe over.


    And as the female explorers were being dragged out as soon as they arrived, Rhys identally met their eyes. He did not really know what to do, and just smiled at them as worded his gratitude with his lips.


    "Y¡­ you''re wee, Rhys! Rhys!"


    "Wow¡­ you''re some kind of hotshot now?" Hannah handed Rhys a number as soon as he returned to the counter, "Just what did you do thest time I saw you, Mr. Rhys Wilder?"


    "I started a Shu¡ª"


    "Just kidding, I don''t care," Hannah popped the gum she was chewing as she gestured to Rhys to go away.


    "..."


    "You know the drill, go down and do the test again."


    "...Already? Don''t I have to wait for¡ª"


    "You came here with the streets still dark, and now you want to wait?" Hannah groaned, "You know what, just give me back the number."


    "No, I''m¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, Hannah just snatched the number tag from him. Before just returning his license.


    "Stop wasting our time and just go," Hannah once again gestured to Rhys to go away.


    "But I need to¡ª"


    "You need to be Level 3 to create a guild, right?"


    "...Yes? How did you¡ª"


    "Hn," Hannah clicked her tongue as she pointed at the license. Rhys squinted his eyes for a few seconds at her, before looking at his license only to see that his Explorer Level had already been promoted to Level 3.


    "How did¡ªJust who are you and the mayor?" Rhys could really only look at Hannah with confusion.


    "We''re gods," Hannah looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "...What?" Rhys''s eyes started to widen as he returned Hannah''s gaze, "Are you¡ª"


    "Of course, I''m kidding, Rhys¡­ Zeus, just where did my dad get you? You think you''re special? You are not the first Lowborn he has sponsored, hundreds havee before you. It just so happens that you are the only one that''s actually growing fruit," Hannah shook her head, before just once again looking at Rhys,


    "...You know what, that actually makes you sort of special. Even Kat likes you. Congrattions, you are actually incredibly special."


    "You know Dr. Lopez?" Rhys blinked a couple of times.


    "And I can see that you don''t," a smile that could really only be called mischievous very slowly started to crawl on Hannah''s face, "Then¡­ do you want me to tell you all about her oh-so mysterious and dark past? She¡ª"


    "No," Rhys immediately shook his head and turned around, "If she wants to tell me, she will."


    "You sure? It''s juicy!" Hannah stood up from her seat, "Worth both our time."


    "I¡­ trust her with my life, Ma''am," Rhys nced back, "I wouldn''t even be here if it wasn''t for her. She can be a monster, it doesn''t change a thing."


    "Sheesh, no need to be so broody," Hannah cringed, "Anyway, for making a guild ¡ª you can just apply online as long as you already have at least 3 members, not including you. And thene back to me with your guild members, got that?"


    "...3 members?" Rhys could really only halt his steps as he heard Hannah''s words, "Where¡­ do I even recruit them?"


    ***


    "Fuck it, I''m in."


    "I am, as well."


    "...What?"


    Rhys had been racking his brains on the way home to his apartment where he could actually get members for his guild. But not even minutes after stepping home and sharing his problem with Katarina and Lina, they both just casually raised their hands without even looking at him ¡ª they just continued to watch the TV and did not blink as they massacred a tub of ice cream.


    "But¡­ you are already in a guild, Lina," Rhys approached them from behind.


    "That''s not a problem at all, Sir," Lina just leaned back on the sofa and turned her head up to look at Rhys; the spoon, still in her mouth as she spoke, "I quit an hour after you said you were going to create a guild."


    "What? But those are your friends, Ma''am," Rhys could not help but hastily sat beside Lina; who just casually fed her a spoonful of vani ice cream.


    "Yes, and you are my future husband," Lina smiled; her words, causing Katarina to quickly pause the movie they were watching.


    "Husband? You haven''t even been together for a year ¡ª and most of that time, Rhys spent in the Underworld Corps," Katarina scoffed.


    "Look, marrying several women is legal in our zone, Kat," Lina waved her hand, "We just have topete on who the first wife will be."


    "Who¡­ who said I want to be Rhys''s wife!?"


    "You don''t want to?"


    "That''s¡­ well¡­" Katarina could really only nce at Rhys.


    "Stop teasing Dr. Katarina," Rhys, however, only sighed as he returned her gaze, "Okay, Lina quit her guild. But what about you, Doctor? I don''t really want to trouble you to take the Explorer test just to¡ª"


    "Oh, no problem at all. I have an explorer''s license," Katarina then leaned on the sofa to get her purse; her breasts, almost making it hard for her to do so, "Where is¡­Ah, here it¡ª!!!"


    And as Katarina started scouring her bag, it identally fell to the floor¡­


    ¡­scattering several IDs with her face on it, but obviously different names. There were also two or three different explorer''s licenses, not including the one she was holding.


    "..."


    "..."


    "..."


    No one really said anything, Rhys and Lina could really only watch as Katarina just very slowly and carefully cleaned up all her IDs and returned them to her purse.


    "S¡­ See? I¡­ I used to be a Level 2 Explorer," Katarina smiled at Rhys; her lips, slightly twitching.


    "What the fuck was that?" Lina, however, pointed at her purse as she looked back and forth between Rhys and Katarina, "And what do you mean Level 2? I¡­ I think I saw a Level 7 license there with your face on it!"


    Lina quickly rushed toward Katarina to grab her purse, but Katarina quickly grabbed her face and prevented her from getting it.


    "It¡­ It''s nothing!"


    "If it''s nothing, then let me see!" Lina started scratching in the air to just try and reach the purse, "Just let us¡ª!!!"


    And without meaning to, her fingers identally caught Katarina''s shirt. And since she was truly putting strength in her arms ¡ª she practically ripped off not only her white shirt, but also her bra.


    "!!!" Lina could really only instinctively be blown away as Katarina''s gigantic breasts popped out; bouncing wildly as she and Lina separated,


    "What¡­ what the fuck are those!?" Lina''s fingers trembled as she pointed at Katarina''srge, yet perky breasts, "Why¡­ why do they still have perfect shape even though they''re that fucking huge!?"


    "D¡­ don''t look!" Katarina quickly covered her breasts; her eyes, ncing at Rhys¡­ who was truly trying his best to look away.


    "I''m¡­" Rhys then quietly started walking out of his apartment,


    "...going to take a walk."


    "Wait, Rhys!"


    Before he could even take 3 steps, however, Lina suddenly grabbed his arm and forcefully turned him toward her. And there, all of a sudden¡­


    ¡­Lina undressed.


    "Mine¡­


    ¡­Mine is enough, right?"

 Chapter 101 Harem of the Black Hair

    "Mine¡­ mine is enough, right?"


    "Y¡ª"


    "Mine is better than hers?"


    Rhys was ready to answer Lina''s first question without any hesitation. But as soon as she posted her next question, Rhys quickly found his lipspletely sealed. How¡­ was one even supposed to answer that?


    He could just say yes. After all, Lina is his girlfriend ¡ª but on the other hand, Katarina was the woman who took care of him for almost half his life. The only thing he knew was that no matter how he answered, he would always lose.


    "..." Rhys took in a small gulp as he could really only just back away. His eyes, looking back and forth between Lina, who had her breasts proudly out there; even making it jiggle as she red at Rhys. On the other hand, Katarina was trying to cover her breasts, but failing as they truly was just that big; her breasts were enough to cause them to jiggle.


    "What¡­ what are you even asking him!?" Katarina raised her voice; her arms, trying their best not to let herrge breasts pop out, but once again failing as her nipples could now be seen from the gaps of her fingers,


    "That is a very inappropriate question! And stop stripping, are you an exhibitionist!?"


    "You''re the one with your monsters out!" Lina pointed at Katarina''s breasts.


    "Because you ripped my clothes off!"


    "Then cover yourself with a nket or run to the bathroom! What? You''re not doing it because you want Rhys to see them!"


    "N¡­No!" Katarina stuttered, "If¡­ If I run, they¡­ they''re going to bounce all over the ce even if I''m holding them."


    "Argh! Now you''re just showing off! Mine isn''t even that small! I''m a C-cup, c-cup! Yours is the abnormal one. I mean, is that even in the alphabet!?"


    "It''s not my fault that¡­"


    And as the two continued to argue with each other, Rhys finally found the answer where the three of them would win. And so, he looked at the two and held his breath¡­


    ¡­before suddenly running to the door and just leaving them again. And as Rhys waited for the elevator, he realized something ¡ª the two were actually spending more time in his own apartment than him¡­ and they lived on the same floor too.


    Rhys still needed 1 more member in order to create a guild, and he did not really know how to go on about doing that. He could post online, as most people do, but since the two other members of the guild were already someone he intimately knew, he wanted the third one to be the same.


    Perhaps someone from the Faceless Crew? That would have been ideal, if he actually knew how to contact them outside the Underworld Corps ¡ª they did not really give out any contact details or anything about their personal lives outside the Underworld.


    Maybe he should just do what Keh did? Introduce himself to new Explorers. In that way, she would grow with the guild and they would get to know her¡­ it could also be a He, of course.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys once again pressed the down button of the elevator, as if it would make it reach him any faster. He just truly did not want to get involved in Lina and Katarina''s¡­ weird debate. Fortunately for Rhys, the elevator finally arrived a few secondster.


    And there, he saw a body covered in an oversized poncho, dumped on top of severalrge bags.


    "What¡­" Upon further examination, however, he noticed the body was still moving; its hand, trembling as it seemingly tried to reach for him.


    "R¡­Rhys," the body whispered.


    "You¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as the hoarse voice reached his ears. And soon, as he saw a nce of the body''s face, he quickly rushed toward the body in shock,


    "Ayesha!?"


    ***


    "Gat damn! Ah!"


    "..." Rhys, Katarina, and Lina could really only fling their heads to the side to avoid all the chunks of food being spilled in the air as Ayesha practically devoured the meal in front of her. But of course, Ayesha was not really wasting anything as she quickly caught all the food flying away before they could even get far.


    And finally, after what seemed like an entire hour and a hundred dors worth of takeout, Ayesha gulped down a liter of water in one gulp¡­ before gently wiping her mouth with a napkin.


    "Thanks for the food. I thought I was gonna have to start eating balls to survive out there," Ayesha let out a satisfied breath as she let herself fall onto the chair; her arms almost giving out on her as she looked at the ceiling,


    "They didn''t even bother giving me any money, nothing. And I don''t even know the way here so I got lost for a few days. Damn, damn ¡ª I hate the Surface."


    "What are you doing here, Ayesha?" Rhys stood up straight, almost saluting as he asked Ayesha a question.


    "Well, Recruit. Whoop dee doo, I got kicked out of the corps," Ayesha let out a small groan as shezily looked at Rhys, "Because of you."


    "...But you''re the Commander of the Underworld Corps."


    "I guess I wasn''t supposed to let you go, Recruit. And they are ordering me to take you back."


    "Then let''s go back," Rhys rushed to get his bag, "They can''t do that to you, Ayesha."


    "Whelp, they did," Ayesha justzily stood up, causing Katarina and Lina to move away as she made her way to the sofa and turned on the TV, "Anyway, what''s going on with the Surfacetely? Anything good on TV? The Altos still a thing?"


    "What¡­ are you doing?" Rhys abruptly stopped packing his things as he saw Ayesha just casually rxing on the couch.


    "Gonna watch TV, Recruit. Rx," Ayesha sighed, "You going somewhere? Buy me my shampoo while you''re at it. Haven''t washed my hair for a week."


    "Aren''t¡­ you here to take me back, Ma''am?" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he approached Ayesha on the sofa.


    "Pft, me? Take orders from the old bag of balls?" Ayesha scoffed and shook her head, "Nope, no way. He thinks someone else could do it better than me? Go ¡ª see where he could find someone with bigger balls than me. Anyway, I''m kinda horny¡­


    ¡­wanna have sex like old times?"


    "That¡­" Rhys''s eyes turned wide as he quickly turned to look at Lina. And surprisingly enough, she did not really react violently and just let out a short but very deep sigh.


    "Wait¡­ hold on¡­" Ayesha noticed Rhys''s expression as she quickly sat up from the sofa and started looking at him and Lina back and forth, "...You didn''t tell him that you know about us doing it like crazed pigs down there?"


    "...What?" Rhys''s worried expression turned into confusion as he heard Ayesha''s words, "Wait¡­ you two know each other?"


    "We''re in a group chat, Recruit," Ayesha let out a chuckle as she pointed at him, "They didn''t tell you? Wait, let me check if my phone''s already charged."


    "...They?" Rhys quickly turned to look at Katarina, only for her to look away.


    "R¡­ Remember when you asked me how I knew you were going to live in this apartment?" Katarina''s voice quickly became meek as she could not even look Rhys in the eyes, "I¡­ I got the information from her."


    "W¡ª"


    "It''s this!"


    "W¡ªwait, don''t just show him!"


    Both Lina and Katarina tried stopping Ayesha, but the only thing they could do was get dragged by her as she practically ced her phone right in front of Rhys''s face. And there, Rhys saw a group chat called,


    Harem of the ck Hair.


    "I didn''t name that!" Katarina could really only turn her head down and give up. As for Lina, she let go of Ayesha and just startedughing nervously.


    "You guys¡­ have a group chat about me?" Rhys could really blink a couple of times.


    "We''ll¡­ we will delete it. We¡ª"


    "No, It''s¡­ fine." And to everyone''s surprise, a smile slowly crawled on Rhys''s face, "I''m just¡­ d that the people I consider my closest friends are also friends with each other."


    "Rhys¡­" Katarina, Lina, and Ayesha could really only look at each other as they heard Rhys''s somber tone.


    "And I''m sorry, Lina. I was actually going to tell¡ª"


    "No," Lina quickly ced a finger on Rhys''s mouth, "The truth is¡­ I was jealous and incredibly livid when I first found out. Then I remembered us having sex the first time and remembered almost dying."


    "...What?" Rhys blinked.


    "Y¡­yeah. I didn''t want to tell you because I was supposed to be the one with the experience," Lina sucked in a deep breath, "I''ve actually been telling this to Kat but¡­ I can''t handle you alone. And also, when I confronted Ayesha ¡ª I realized she was cool like that, you know?"


    "...That was happening while I was in the Corps?" Rhys asked.


    "Why act so surprised?" Ayesha scoffed, "Recruit, you''re built like a freaking god. And your dick is huge too, probably tried to adapt all these years to get in between those tits."


    "What the¡­" Katarina quickly crossed her arms as Ayesha pointed at her breasts.


    "Gat damn, those are huge. And I thought mine was already big," Ayesha grabbed her own breasts; her nipples, slightly revealing themselves through the cor of her white tank top, "Y¡ª"


    "Wait," Rhys raised his voice before the topic could once again go to whose breasts were nicer, "...You have an Explorer''s License, Ayesha?"


    "I think so. Does that thing expire?" Ayesha shrugged.


    "Then, while you''re here..." Rhys looked Ayesha in the eyes, "Do...


    ¡­you want to join my guild?"

 Chapter 102 Rhys, The Guild Master

    "What in the¡­ why are you back here again!?"


    Perhaps more than any other newbie Explorers, Rhys has once again found himself inside the Explorer Association building. Explorers do not really return to the association unless they truly need to ¡ª sometimes not even a year, as that is how long it usually takes when someone wants to try their luck again and retake the test to increase their level.


    "Wait¡­ don''t tell me you keeping here because you want to see me?" And as Hannah was once again the receptionist who received him, she confidently leaned back on her chair and looked at Rhys from head to waist, as that was all she could see from the other side of the counter, "Hm¡­


    ¡­since everyone is practically inferior to me, I guess you''ll do. But on one condition, you have to show your face whenever we''re together."


    "I''m¡­ not here to ask you out on a date, Ma''am," Rhys could not help but just sigh as he saw Hannah eyeing him. It was weird ¡ª even with her clearly showing interest in him, the 5 Floating Hearts that were present in almost all women, and even present to men who were interested in him, were nowhere to be seen above her head.


    It made it harder to read what''s on her mind because he literally couldn''t hear her desires ¡ª and she was hard to read in the first ce.


    "Then why are you wasting both our time again?" Hannah groaned.


    "You¡­ said toe back if I have already gathered enough members to create a guild," Rhys said as he handed several files to Hannah, "We have already filled out the necessary forms."


    "...You already gathered people?" Hannah could not help but blink a couple of times in bewilderment as she looked at the papers Rhys ced on the counter.


    "Yes," Rhys then stepped to the side, letting Hannah finally see the three women who were standing behind him.


    "What the f¡­" Hannah quickly stood up, almost mming her palms on the counter as she stared at the three women, looking back and forth at them and their names on the paper, "...Are you registering for an Explorer guild or an entertainment agency? And you even got the psycho to sign?"


    "The¡­ psycho?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked to where Hannah was looking, only to see Katarina practically ring at Hannah, "You two¡­ know each other?"


    "Oh, yes. We¡ª"


    "We''re old friends," Katarina did not let Hannah speak.


    "We''re old friends," Hannah just repeated Katarina''s words with a slightly mischievous chuckle escaping her lips after. She then turned to look at Ayesha, who just seemed ufortable being there, "...Aren''t you the Commander of the Underworld Corps?"


    "Was," Ayesha crossed her arms as she looked around, "Just stamp the files, woman. Stop asking so many questions."


    "And you¡­" Hannah stared at Lina, who just returned her stare, "You''re¡­


    ¡­I have absolutely no idea who you are."


    "I''m Rhys''s official girlfriend," Lina slightly raised her chin and stepped forward.


    "Don''t care, didn''t ask," Hannah just waved her hand as she sat back down, "Give me all your licenses, I need to update it with your guild name which is¡­


    ¡­The Dregs of Society. What the fuck is this shit? Dreggerman, and now this? You want me to be canceled, Rhys? Is that it?"


    "That''s¡ª"


    "I''m changing it," Hannah then started typing on herputer, "Just give me your licenses."


    "Wait, you can''t do that¡­" Rhys could not help but hesitate as he gave their licenses, "...That''s the name I chose and¡ª"


    "Don''t care," Hannah rolled her eyes as she just forcefully grabbed the licenses in Rhys''s hand, "You''re not even using your Dreggerman name, you just went with Rhys Wilder on all your socials. Let me see¡­"


    "Who is this lovely load of cum?" Ayesha let out a small giggle as she looked at Hannah, "I like her. We should add her to the harem."


    "Ah, that''s good," Hannah pointed at Ayesha and nodded. She then started sliding all of their licenses into her machine before just proudly giving them back to Rhys, "Congrattions, you''re a guild master now, Rhys. It was almost just yesterday that you were a measly Level 1 Explorer. Oh, wait ¡ª you were."


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything and just sighed as he took their license back. And there, on the back of his license, was written;


    [Wilder''s Harem - Guild Master]


    "This¡­ people would think I''m some¡ª"


    "Oh, I like it," Lina breathed out.


    "Well, well," Ayesha only shrugged.


    "This¡­" As for Katarina, she just quickly ced her license back in her purse.


    "You can''t change your guild name, by the way," Hannah signed an ''okay'' with her hand as she looked at Rhys, "Catchy, right? We¡ª"


    "This can''t be!"


    And all of a sudden, a loud scream reverberated throughout the entire floor, causing both Ayesha and Rhys to slightly tilt their heads. Everyone then turned to look at the owner of the voice, only to see someone standing up from a sofa in the waiting lobby; holding a newspaper with his face covered in sunsses and a cap.


    The man then hastily approached the counter while pointing at Rhys.


    "...What the, aren''t you the guild master of the Laughing Bronze?" Hannah also quickly pointed at Keh, who seemedpletely out of it, "I thought we told you to stop idling here!?"


    "You created your own guild!?" Keh removed his cap and sunsses as he looked at Rhys with pleading eyes, "That¡­ that wasn''t part of the n. Do you know how much I''ve spent trying to recruit you, Rhys¡­ do you know how much!?"


    "Who''s the clown?" Ayesha looked at Lina and Katarina, who only shrugged their shoulders, "Can we just leave? The people are starting to stare at us and I''m not used to civvies looking at me."


    "People will be staring at us from everywhere. Have you seen us?" Lina sighed as she looked at Ayesha from head to toe, who looked like some sort of niche high fashion model, "...You''re like Native Amerkan, right? I thought you guys were extinct."


    "Lina?" Katarina''s eyes widened from Lina''s question.


    "We''re too tough for that," Ayesha did not even seem to mind the question, however, as she even smiled and flexed her muscles, "But do you know who is even tougher?"


    No one really needed to answer Ayesha''s question as they all just looked at Rhys, who did not seem to know what to do as Keh was practically sprawling on the floor like a worm in tantrums.


    "So, who''s gonna save the recruit?"


    "Let me," Lina could really only sigh as she approached Keh and crouched on the floor, "They said you''re the guild master of the Laughing Bronze, right?"


    "Yes," Keh quickly stopped squirming as he looked Lina in the eyes.


    "Let me guess, you were trying to scout Rhys because he would bring all sorts of attention to your guild," Lina smirked, "Your guild is also famous for just primarily focusing on celebrity Explorers. And Rhys? How much money would that bring your guild if he was there?"


    "Finally, someone with vision," Keh''s eyes brightened up as he suddenly stood up while spinning in ce, almost causing Lina to fall on her butt if it wasn''t for Rhys catching her,


    "Imagine it, the rise of the strongest Lowborn. Dregs to riches ¡ª how much revenue we would get just from the ads alone," Keh started hugging himself as he danced.


    "...You Surface people are weird," Ayesha took a step back, "Can we just kill him?"


    "No," Katarina whispered as she nced at Ayesha, before ring back at Keh, "Not here."


    "How about a partnership?" Lina interrupted Keh''s glee, "Our guild is just newly established and we don''t have ess to Holes yet."


    "Oh," Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Lina ¡ª as expected of a veteran.


    "I''m listening," Keh squinted.


    "You know that the number of Rhys''s followers and subscribers are increasing even as we speak," Lina showed the abnormal statistics of Rhys''s socials, causing his entire body to shiver, "We will do a cob."


    "Hm¡­"


    "But you get to go live and we won''t be uploading any videos about the Exploration for a week."


    "!!!" Keh almost bit his lips; his legs weakening to the point he had to lift himself up using the counter.


    "On one condition," Lina raised her finger, "We get to keep everything we farm from the Hole."


    "Deal," Keh quickly shook Lina''s hand as a grin crawled onto his face. Whatever they get from the Hole is irrelevant ¡ª add to the fact there were only four of them and Keh did not even know them, whatever they get would be minimal,


    "You will not regret this deal, Mr. Wilder. You have a very fine Vice Guildmaster here."


    And without even waiting for anyone to say anything, Keh quickly left the building.


    "You guys hear that?" A confident smirk grew on Lina''s face as she looked at Ayesha and Katarina, "I''m the Vice Guildmaster. And I already secured us a Hole."


    "You''re still the weakest," Ayesha just shrugged.


    "W¡ªI''m strong!" Lina''s eyebrows instantly lowered as she rushed back toward the two, "At¡­ at least stronger than her!"


    "Woman¡­" Ayesha just let out a chuckle as Lina pointed at Katarina, "...This titty monster will kill you in your sleep. You think she''s a Healer? Just from the curvature of her muscles alone, she''s obviously an as¡ª"


    "Why don''t we just start preparing what we need!?" Katarina raised her voice and quickly pulled Rhys away, "We don''t know when that weird guy will call us."


    "Did you just say¡­" Lina''s eyes glistened as she looked at Katarina,


    "...Shopping?"

 Chapter 103 Rhys The Monster Magnet

    "I don''t really like this. I should have stayed home."


    "...Don''t tell me the strongest Commoner in the world is afraid of crowds?"


    "No. I just hate people with no balls."


    "...Why does every conversation with you lead to balls?"


    Rhys, Ayesha, Katarina, and Lina were currently on their way to another city; with Rhys riding shotgun, and Ayesha and Lina in the backseat.


    "I mean, look at this disgusting road."


    Katarina was currently driving on the Skyway, a long stretch of elevated roads that connected one city to the next if they were near enough. Built between its foundations below was also a road, walled for protection against the Danger Zone; most people actually took the road beneath, as they did not want to pay the exorbitantly high toll fees of the Skyway.


    "While we are fighting for our lives down there, you Surface people build ridiculous and unnecessary infrastructures up here," Ayesha scoffed as she looked at the scenery outside the window, "And why make a road this high? One tap on the foundations and you cut off the quickest ess to the nearby city."


    "..." Rhys subtly nced at Ayesha as he heard that.


    "Can''t argue with that," Lina sighed, "I heard there were protests when this was being built. But that was before my time¡­


    ¡­maybe Kat knows?"


    "I''m not that old!"


    ***


    "That''s it. The Domed City of Mankappan."


    "The city with no balls."


    "Can you stop it with the balls!?"


    After a good hour of peacefully traversing across the Skyway, Rhys and the others were finally seeing their destination in the distance ¡ª the Domed City of Mankappan.


    And as its name suggests, it was covered by arge ss dome, 10 meters thick. Braced and reinforced by metals from the Underworld, serving as its frame.


    "Look at it," Ayesha lowered her window to lean her head out, "Just one look and you know the people living there have not even gotten their hands dirty even once. Are you sure we''re getting what we need there, Doc?"


    "Yes," Katarina nodded, "Everything we need to buy will be there."


    "...Can''t we just order online? That''s the trend right now in the Surface, right?"


    "...Are you a caveman?" Lina could not help but raise an eyebrow as she nced at Ayesha, "Trading arms and weapons online is illegal. If you want state-of-the-art clothing and weapons, Mankappan is the way to go ¡ª it''s not called the City of Explorers for nothing."


    "Why do you guys even need weapons?" Ayesha sat back in her seat, "You''re Explorers ¡ª use your abilities. Have you seen the Recruit fight?"


    "Oh, I''ve seen him fight in more ways than one," Lina grinned, "Only Kat is left out."


    "...Why even go there?" Katarina shook her head as she slowed down for the toll, "We''re going to visit the Explorer Mall, they should have discounts right now."


    "Pft, discounts," Ayesha scoffed, "You guys have fun¡­


    ¡­I''m not gonna buy anything."


    ***


    "Recruit, look at this! What in the¡ªLet''s buy this! You get a pair too."


    "...What happened to not buying anything?"


    The group was now roaming around the so-called Explorer Mall, with Ayesha pushing 2 shopping carts that were already almost full in each hand.


    "Are you not getting anything, Rhys?" Katarina ced some sort of empty vial in the cart, "We''re¡­ the only ones picking."


    "Oh¡­" Rhys started to look around the almost endless rows of shelves, filled with all sorts of stuff that all just looked the same to him. The Explorer Mall truly had everything they needed; guns, swords, armor, state-of-the-art tech, potions, and everything else one could imagine ¡ª they were even selling all-terrain vehicles built for the Underworld.


    It was practically a supermarket for Explorer goods,


    "...If I see something I like."


    "You don''t need to worry about money, Rhys," Katarina sighed, "Just buy anything you like, I''ll pay for it. But don''t buy anything from the shelves, I know specialized shops that¡ª"


    "What!? Why didn''t you say so?" Ayesha quickly let go of the cart she was pushing, "I almost bought inferior goods."


    "...You''re the one who started grabbing everything," Lina giggled, "We''re not even in the mall yet, this is just general goods."


    "Maybe you can finally buy something not to attract monsters, Recruit," Ayesha pped Rhys''s back, causing him to take a few steps forward.


    "Attract¡­ monsters?" Katarina raised an eyebrow, "What does she mean, Rhys?"


    "It''s nothing," Rhys just sighed and shook his head, "I''m¡­ just known for being unlucky and always encountering monsters."


    "Well, no. No, no," Ayesha clicked her tongue several times, "It happening three times is unlucky, Recruit. It happens to you every time without fail. Whether you''re trekking, in the car, or just resting in camp, monsters always¡ªWhat in the hot diggity dog is that!?"


    Ayesha''s eyes widened in shock and raised her voice as soon as they stepped out of the general goods market. How could they not, when a Hole was now reflecting her eyes?


    A Hole right in the center of the mall.


    It wasn''t only her, even Rhys could not help but blinked a couple of times as he saw this. The view almost seemed surreal.


    The center of the mall looked like a za, with esctors on the side to ess the upper floors and other shops. Palm trees to decorate the surroundings.


    No one was even guarding the Hole, and people were just either casually walking around it, or just outright diving in it.


    "Why is something like that inside the mall?" Ayesha did not know whether to smile or not, "You Surface people are crazy."


    "Can you stop calling us Surface people?" Lina sighed, "The mall dug that Hole so that their customers could test whatever they bought in this ce."


    "...You mean they dug the Hole themselves? Yup, insane," Ayesha breathed out and shook her head, "I was wrong, these people have balls."


    "There are monsters down there?" Rhys asked.


    "Some questions are better left unanswered," Lina started pushing the three as she stepped forward,


    "Enough staring, it''s time to shop!"


    Suffice it to say, Rhys found himself being dragged by the three. He did not even need to buy anything, as they were practically picking for him.


    In fact, Rhys actually found himself almostpletely idle ever since Ayesha joined the fray; with the three women doing everything for him, mostly Lina and Katarina. He did not need to do anything in the house, and now that he was thinking about it¡­


    ¡­he hasn''t paid for anything.


    "Uh, guys¡­" And as the three were busy arguing what armor would fit Rhys, he took a step back and gently pushed all the armor they were trying on him away,


    "...I am really grateful for all of this, but I''m starting to feel like a child. You don''t need to buy me all these things."


    "Stop being a pussy, Recruit," Ayesha gave the thick metal armor she was holding to the salesperson next to her, almost causing his arm to brake from how heavy the equipment was, "And besides, I''m not the one buying this for you ¡ª I don''t have money."


    "...But you already bought us something," Rhys turned to look at therge box sitting at the entrance.


    "Oh, I swiped the Doc''s card for that."


    "Wait, what?" Katarina almost dropped the hide armor she was holding as she heard Ayesha''s words, "What do you mean you swiped my card¡­?"


    "I swiped your card," Ayesha shrugged, "The scrawny girl with a big butt also did the same."


    "What!?" Katarina quickly turned to look at Lina, who instantly avoided her eyes.


    "I¡­ I used all my savings when I bought the apartment next to Rhys," Lina forced out a chuckle, "I¡­ I''ll pay you back, I promise."


    "Do the two of you think I have infinite money or something!? And Ayesha, you''re the Commander of the Underworld Corps!"


    "I''m¡­ 7 billion in debt."


    "...What? How is that even¡ª"


    [!!!]


    Unfortunately for Katarina, her plea waspletely interrupted as a loud horn started to reverberate through the entire store.


    "I didn''t steal anything yet!" Ayesha quickly raised both her hands up as the horn continued to bombard their ears.


    "...Yet?" Katarina squinted her eyes at Ayesha, before turning her attention outside the store, "It''s not you. Something is probably happening outside."


    "It''s a Monster Storm! We need to close shop!" The salesperson started running around the store, grabbing everything they scattered, and started hiding them back on the shelves, "Are you people going to stay here or what!?"


    "A monster storm¡­?" Lina quickly rushed out of the store, "Right when we are here!? How does that even happen?"


    "Welp," Ayesha shrugged as she followed Lina out; her eyes, looking at all the Explorers that were gathering around the Hole like ants, "I did tell you Surface dwellers about Rhys and his capacity to attract monsters. I''m sure that''s not rted at all."


    "Ssh," Katarina gestured to Ayesha to keep quiet, "Don''t let anyone hear you. They might think you''re actually not joking."


    "I''m not, though," Ayesha nced at Rhys, who was thest to exit the shop, "The Recruit really is a monster ma. Probably shouldn''t let my old man know."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the Hole, "...If there''s a monster storm, what do you think happened to all the Explorers that were down there?"


    "Good question, Recruit," Ayesha crossed her arms as she stared at the Hole and chuckled, "You think they''re all dead? Guess they bought the wrong things."


    "...The three of you get to safety," Rhys then grabbed his drone camera from his trusty utility belt,


    "I got this."

 Chapter 104 Black Skinhead

    "...I got this."


    "Rhys, we¡ª"


    "Let the Recruit do what he wants."


    Both Lina and Katarina were about to follow Rhys as he leaped from the 2nd floor, but Ayesha quickly held both of them back. Lina did not really contest much, as she just sighed and took a step back¡­ before grabbing her phone and recording whatever it was that was about to happen.


    As for Katarina, the only thing she could really do was stare ¡ª truly hoping nothing bad happened to Rhys.


    As for the sole focus of their eyes, Rhys was now standing along with the other Explorers who were waiting for the monsters to rain up from the Hole. He was initially going to dive down but opted not to do so as he would have a better audience here in the mall.


    What he wanted was to gain influence, and people seeing him through their screens was not enough for that ¡ª he needed a live audience, and the Explorer Mall was giving him just that.


    "Why don''t you just vault the Hole!?"


    "The monsters that have escaped their confinement are Threat Level 3! They will be able to survive the fall unscathed and will be able to dig through the sides!" The guards and staff of the mall were trying their best to calm and gather all the Explorers they could, but some of the Explorers were giving them a hard time.


    "Then open the doors! We want to leave the mall before the monsterse!"


    "I''m sorry! But we can''t open the mall until all the monsters are cleared!"


    "What the¡­ I just wanted new shoes, and you give me monsters!?"


    "You don''t have the right to force us fight!"


    Most of the Explorers wereining, not caring that some of their fellow explorers were actually streaming and recording the situation ¡ª and that is including Rhys, whose viewers were currently turning crazy from the weird turn of events.


    "3 minutes!" And as the guards yelled those words, most of the Explorers who were surrounding the Hole all ran away, leaving only those who were interested in actually fighting and protecting everyone.


    "Look, it''s him ¡ª Rhys Wilder."


    "Who¡­?"


    "What do you mean who!? Do you live in a cave!?"


    And with their numbers dwindled, everyone could now see Rhys sticking out like a sore thumb; his height and disheveled ck hair, causing him to stand out even further.


    "That''s a Lowborn¡­ Is he like the janitor of the mall?"


    "Shh! Stupid. If his fans hear you, you''ll be canceled. Didn''t you hear about Ezra Niller? He called him the D word and he was immediately canceled by Rhys''s fans."


    "...Who?"


    "Now you''re just trying to act cool."


    "You''re Rhys Wilder, right?" And as everyone was waiting for the monsters to arrive, one of the guards approached Rhys, "Is that your drone? Turn it off."


    "...Why would I do that, Sir?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "We can''t have you recording any of this."


    "I think it''s already toote for that, Sir," Rhys turned to look at all the other Explorers who had their cameras out, "If you wanted to do damage control, you shouldn''t have dug a Hole in the center of the city."


    "...Damn it," the guard could really only click his tongue as he looked at all the cameras, "Just try not to die."


    "What''s the status below, Sir?"


    The guard was about to step away, but Rhys suddenly asked him a question.


    "...You really did serve in the military," the guard curiously stared at Rhys for a few seconds, before shaking his head and moving close to him, "The monsters that were being locked in confinement started acting wild an hour ago. The people down under managed to kill most of them, but they had to hide themselves when they were overwhelmed."


    "...And now all the monsters that are left all dived into the Hole," Rhys sighed as he looked at therge Hole in front of him. They started going wild an hour ago? That¡­ should be about the time that he and the others arrived at the mall.


    He and Ayesha were just joking around about him being a monster ma¡­ but could it be there''s actually some truth in that? After all, he also couldn''t dismiss the fact that Arachnea actively came to find him.


    ¡­Then when a Hole opened up right inside Old York High, could it be possible that it was his fault?


    "15 seconds!" The guard let out a roar as a shield made of ice materialized from his arm, "Get ready! We are detecting more than 50 hostiles, all Level 3!"


    But as the monsters drew near, Rhys quickly shook his head off of the thoughts he was having, and focused on the Hole as the monsters'' cries started seeping out from it. And soon, they arrived.


    Bodies at least 3 meters long and 2 meters tall; their four legs, as thick as three trunks ¡ª the horns at the end of their snout, even thicker and almost as long as their bodies; their skin, even darker and shinier than Rhys''s hair, imprable even againstrge rounds.


    ck Rhornus, 10 of them.


    "Loose!" The guard raised his hand, and as he did so, several drilling spikes suddenly shot out from the edges of the Hole.


    "Hroon!" All the ck rhorni roared in pain as the colossal drills mmed through their bodies. mmed, as the drills were not actually able to prate through their hard flesh and thick skin, the only thing it did was st and scatter them away to different sides of the mall''s za.


    "S¡­Shit!" The guard could really only hold his breath as all the spikes were renderedpletely unusable; their tips, now jagged beyond repair, "T¡­Trigger the 2nd¡ª!!!"


    And before the head guard could finish his words, some sort of projectile suddenly flew straight toward his head ¡ª digging through his skull¡­ but just for a single millimeter as it was caught by Rhys.


    "Tell your men to set up a perimeter in the upper levels," Rhys ordered the head guard, "Secure the higher ground."


    "Who are you to order¡­" The head guard quickly leaned his head back to look at therge green spike in Rhys''s hand. He then quickly turned to look at the Hole, only to see severalrge lizards gliding out of it ¡ª their long tails, shooting out the green spikes toward everyone their sleepy and droopy eyes could see,


    "...The Dragonarrows also escaped!? We need to alert the Rescue Team immediately and¡ª"


    And once again, the head guard''s words were interrupted as he watched as one of the gliding dragonarrows was shot by their own spikes, pinning it to the wall. The head guard very slowly turned to look at where the spike came from, only to realize it was Rhys who threw the spike he just caught.


    "Secure the higher ground," Rhys repeated his words, before suddenly flying away¡ªno. He did not exactly fly, but the threads in his hand were attached to one of the ck rhorni, which caused him to be instantly but casually flung away into the air. Rhys used his wind abilities to bnce himself, however, sting him toward the pir and standing horizontally on it.


    "Kh¡­" He gritted his teeth while pulling his hand, causing the ck rhorni to be yanked from the ground. Rhys wasn''t done, however, as he leaped away from the pir, dragging the ck rhornus that was still airborne¡­ and using his own momentum to throw it straight toward the dragonarrows that were gliding around in circles ¡ª practically killing more than 5 of them in one move.


    Rhys was still not done, however, as he sted himself up again, spinning in the air as the ck rhornus followed his momentum. And with a breath, he swung the ck rhornus back into the Hole.


    "Lowborn, watch out!"


    As soon as Rhysnded on his feet again, a ck rhornus was already heading toward him; itsrge and thick horn, threatening to make minced meat out of Rhys. Rhys, however, only looked at it and closed his fist.


    He stared at the ck rhornus stomping its way toward him, before gritting his teeth and smiling.


    "Heh¡­" And with a small breath escaping his smile, Rhys rushed toward the ck rhornus; his only fist, meeting the rushing rhino head-on.


    "!!!"


    The marbled floor beneath Rhys''s feet instantly shattered as he was pushed back by the heavy rhornus ¡ª it did notst long, however, as the rhornus'' legs just instantly went limp; its body, just dropping to the floor like a sack of potatoes.


    The remaining ck rhorni that were running and rampaging around the mall all quickly halted their march as their ck eyes turned to Rhys. And as monsters that were locked in cages for most of their lives, their instincts all activated at the same time¡­


    ¡­and they all just started diving back to the Underworld one by one.


    "T¡­ Secure the upper floors! Kill the remaining dragonarrows!" The head guard immediately ordered all of his men ¡ª and it wasn''t only them, the other explorers that remained to fight also all climbed to the upper floor so that they could eradicate the monsters.


    The dragonarrows were of Threat Level 3, not only due to their numbers and ability to strike at long distances, but they were also fast individually. But s, they were in an Explorer Mall ¡ª with the other Explorers joining the fight, the dragonarrows were instantly overwhelmed and defeated.


    But, suffice it to say¡­


    ¡­everyone knew who the actual reason was for this swift victory that could have imed a lot of lives.


    Everyone.

 Chapter 105 Because I Can

    "A lot of lives would have been lost if it wasn''t for you, Mr. Wilder."


    "I just did what I had to, Sir."


    The situation inside the mall has already started to calm down, with the security of the mall throwing all the monster corpses back into the Hole. After all, they were still mall property ¡ª but of course, the management had already told Rhys and the others who had helped in clearing out the monsters that they would be heavilypensated for what they did, heavily.


    "No, you had no obligation to help us," the head guard has not left Rhys''s side even once, making sure he wasfortable and that no one was bothering him. The two of them were seated on one of the benches, while the doors of the mall were still barred shut from the outside world.


    "I was here, Sir. That is more than enough reason to help," Rhys did not seem to mind thepany, however, as he just subtly nced at his drone camera that was circling around him. He still has not stopped recording what was happening¡­ making sure that everyone could hear what he was saying,


    "And you will bepensating me for my troubles, so it all works out in the end."


    "A lot of explorers are here, and most of them hid," the head guard forced out a chuckle before standing up, "We''ll be opening the doors in a bit ¡ª and yourdies seem to be waiting for you already."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys nodded as he also stood up. Before suddenly looking up and pretending to be slightly surprised as he saw the drone still recording. He then raised his hand to call the drone; letting out a small sigh as he caught it,


    "...I forgot to turn this off," he whispered before stopping the stream and storing the drone camera back to his trusty utility belt.


    "What? You finish having fun showing off, Recruit?"


    "...Everyone," Rhys let out a sigh as the three women in his life approached him. He had actually known they were already looking at him since earlier, but were being forced by Katarina to help those who were wounded during the monster storm,


    "Sorry, I went off on my own like that."


    "Pft, you think we were worried, sugar?" Ayesha chuckled, "I''ve seen you fight monsters stronger than those fat ck balls with feet and flying green scrotums, you think I''ll be worried?"


    "Sir¡­ I promised myself I wouldn''t ask, but¡­" Lina looked at Rhys from head to toe, "...Just how exactly did you suddenly get stronger like that? Or were you always? And that¡­ you were using the same wind abilities that I have."


    "I''ll¡­" Rhys returned Lina''s gaze, "...tell all of you when the timees."


    "Hm¡­" Lina squinted her eyes at Rhys, before just casually shrugging and wrapping her arms around his only remaining arm, "...Okay. In exchange for not telling us, how about we don''t pay for the things we bought?"


    "Oh, good idea," Ayesha pointed at Lina.


    "Wait, why are you guys deciding that!?" Katarina, who was just keeping quiet on the side and observing Rhys, could not help but raise an eyebrow as she heard the two, "I''m the one paying for everything!"


    "Psh, don''t be too stressed, Doc. It''s only money. If you worry too much, your face is going to look like an old man''s balls from all your wrinkles."


    "Katarina," and before the three could just start bickering and arguing with each other, Rhys let out a loud sigh and looked at Katarina, "I¡­ don''t really know how much I''m earning from the stream, but I will pay you back."


    "N¡­no, you don''t really need to," Katarina immediately shook her head.


    "Oh, gods¡­ you''re so obvious, Kat," Lina, who was leaning on Rhys''s arm, let out a small giggle as she heard Katarina''s stuttering.


    "I owe Ayesha a lot of money anyway, so¡­"


    "By the gods, you owe me the world, Recruit," Ayesha also started chuckling as she grabbed Rhys''s shoulder.


    Suffice it to say, those who were looking at them could not help but wonder just what sort of luck Rhys had in life ¡ª to be surrounded by 3 beautiful women ofpletely different¡­ variety, and they seemed like they were enjoying each other''spany too.


    Soon, however, as the doors of the mall were finally opened¡­ all of them were weed by a different kind ofpany ¡ª the kind that would put a camera right on your face, the media.


    "What the¡ªWho let them in!?"


    Everyone could really only watch as the head guard got dragged by the onught of media people; some of them were already being kicked by the guards, but they did not mind as they acted like a wave of zombies hungry for flesh.


    The Explorers inside the mall quickly fixed their hair and patted their clothes as the shes of light got closer and closer to them. The media were practically taking photos and videos of each corner of the mall ¡ª with some of them even diving straight into the Hole, no questions asked.


    "S¡­ shit, do you think they are going to interview us?"


    "...Why would they interview you? You did nothing. I bet they are all here for¡ªYup, there they go."


    And like pebbles on the ground, the other Explorers were justpletely ignored; some of them even pushed to the side as the wave of people all just rushed straight toward Rhys. And as a matter of course, both Katarina and Lina quickly covered Rhys from all the lenses that were being pointed at him.


    "Mr. Wilder! Please look here!"


    "We only have a few questions! Is it true that you are dying your hair ck to look like a Lowborn!?"


    "Do you have anything to say to those who have doubted the authenticity of your streams!? All of us clearly saw¡­"


    "Everyone, please! Rhys Wilder is not in the mood to answer questions right now!" Katarina raised her palm to cover one of the cameras aggressively pointing at Rhys. She nced back at him, only to see his head slightly lowered and looking to the floor, "He''s not¡ª"


    "You''re Dr. Katarina Lopez, right? You''re the local physician in Rhys''s High School? Is it true that the two of you have an illicit rtionship even back when he was a minor!?"


    "What¡ªwho said that? That''s¡­ that''s not true."


    "Oi!" Lina was not as soft as Katarina, as she practically grabbed and smashed the camera in front of her face, "Stop it, we can''t see anything from all the light!"


    "You''re Lte Marie Churchill, right? Is it true you migrated from Elnd to be with Rhys!?"


    "...How the fuck do you guys know my full name!?" Lina quickly searched the crowd of media people for the one who asked that question.


    "Commander Ayesha! Is it true you were kicked out of the Underworld Corps because you got pregnant by Rhys?"


    "Oh," Ayesha only let out an awkward chuckle as she slightly covered her face, "Being knocked up by the Recruit. Now, ain''t that something?"


    "Mr. Rhys Wilder, some people are iming you''re actually a Noble!? Is there any truth to that!?"


    "Mr. Rhys Wilder, how much did you earn during your first stream!?"


    "What do you think about the rumors that your sister and Ss have started dating!?"


    "Your sister seemed to be ming you for what happened, what can you say about that!?"


    "Rhys, is it true that¡ªHey, watch it!"


    Try as they might to rile up Rhys with their increasingly personal and sensitive questions, he remainedpletely quiet. It came to the point that the media slightly became frustrated and started pushing each other ¡ª and soon, one of them was forcefully pushed to the front; his camera almost shattered if it wasn''t for him using his own face to cushion the blow.


    "You''re¡­ bleeding," Katarina quickly saw the blood profusely flowing from the man''s nose, and almost instantly, even with him wearing a hat, Katarina realized that the man was the same as Rhys, a Lowborn. After all, a fall like that would be nothing to a Commoner, "Everyone, back up and¡ª"


    And before Katarina could finish her words, Rhys finally moved from his spot; very gently pushing her and Lina aside as he helped the reporter up.


    "Everyone."


    And as Rhys finally opened his mouth, all the reporters shut their mouths and pointed their cameras at him. Rhys, however, was only looking at the Lowborn reporter; even gesturing to him to start filming. Suffice it to say, the Lowborn reporter quickly raised his camera at Rhys.


    "I would appreciate it if you don''t ask me and my friends such personal questions," Rhys then said as he looked directly at the lens of the Lowborn reporter, "We are only here to shop¡­ to prepare for our first Exploration as a guild."


    "..A guild?"


    "So, it''s true that he already created a guild?"


    "But¡­ you just received your license not even a month ago, how are you able to create a guild?"


    "I took the test again and was evaluated higher," Rhys quickly answered the Lowborn reporter''s question, and only his, "I can''t answer when or where our first Exploration would be, you would have to ask the Laughing Bronze for that as we are going on a shared Exploration with them. That''s the only thing I can say on the matter."


    "Why did you create your own guild!?" The Lowborn reporter asked.


    "Because¡­" Rhys answered without any hesitation as he once again looked right at the camera, "...I can. And¡­


    ¡­all of you can join me too."


    "...What?"

 Chapter 106 Just Me

    [Why did you create a guild!?]


    [Because¡­ I can. And all of you can join me too.]


    [...What?]


    With the news of Rhys being interviewed for the first time on national TV, everyone who had time to watch, and perhaps even those who did not, had no choice but to see Rhys''s face as even the diners switched their channels to see him.


    How could they not, when this was unprecedented news ¡ª a Lowborn, not being interviewed because hemitted a crime or was a victim of it, but rather, he was being interviewed because he saved people¡­ saved Commoners.


    "Kobe, look. It''s a Lowborn like you!"


    "..." Even the Lowborns of the Surface, who usually just keep their heads down and just do their jobs without being noticed by people, were now looking up as they watched as one of their own was currently being¡­ revered.


    [The guild that I created¡­ it is for everyone who wishes to belong somewhere, but can not find a ce anywhere.]


    Although Rhys was seemingly addressing everyone, it was quite obvious for some people who he actually was saying those words to ¡ª and Kobe knew, he knew that Rhys was talking to him.


    [Whether you are a Lowborn, a Commoner, or even a Noble. Whether you are rich, or poor ¡ª all of those mean nothing. We will all be equals, untainted by the views of the world and unperturbed by the notions of the past¡­]


    "Look at this guy, cringe. Does he think he is running for president or something?"


    And while most jeered at Rhys''s words and waved their hands at him, there were also those who kept their eyes staring at him.


    [It does not matter if you can''t fight, if you can''t crush a stone with your hand, you will have a ce in my guild¡­


    ¡­you will have a purpose.]


    "!!!" Kobe''s eyes widened, almost letting go of the mop he was holding as soon as Rhys''s words whispered into his ears. He was already being scolded, but he could hear nothing else but the man on the screen.


    [I do not need status, I do not need individuals. What I need are equals; as you follow my orders, I will also follow yours. What I need¡­


    ¡­are soldiers.]


    [When¡­ when are you opening up applications!? Can¡­ Can I also join?] The Lowborn reporter tried his best not to get excited, but everyone could hear his voice fail him.


    [If you are notfortable with your job anymore, I do not see why not,] Rhys let out a small chuckle, [We will be opening applications soon. But for now, please watch our coboration with the Laughing Bronze on their stream. That''s all.]


    [One more question, Mr. Wilder ¡ª Ss West and your sister, do you have any opinions about the rumors of them dating?]


    [I hope they enjoy their time together¡­


    ¡­as long as itsts.]


    ***


    "So¡­ are we not going to talk about the obvious here?"


    "That the Doc is in love with the Recruit like a rabbit in heat wanting to gobble its mate''s balls?"


    "Can''t I just drive in peace without my name being dragged to whatever this is we''re about to talk about?"


    Back on the way home, Katarina''s car was currently filled with all sorts of bags and boxes; carried by Rhys, Lina, and Ayesha on theirps as they could not fit everything they bought in the trunk.


    "No, I mean ¡ª the monsters," Lina leaned her head to the side so everyone could hear her from all the boxes covering him, "Don''t you guys think it''s just so¡­ convenient that they just happen to run amok right when we¡ªwhen Rhys was there?"


    "Zeus, woman. You are dense," Ayesha let out a small chuckle, "I already told you people, it''s Rhys. His dingy ma dog attracts some wild things."


    "For real? What do you think about that, Kat?"


    "Well¡­" Katarina nced at Rhys, who was also ncing at her and waiting for her answer, "...Won''t it be better to just test that theory instead of guessing it? Based on everything I''ve seen so far, your¡­ blood seems to be the most likely suspect."


    "My blood¡­" Rhys quickly recalled the moment when Arachnea licked his blood, "...We can test it during the exploration with the Laughing Bronze."


    "I''ll bring a syringe," Katarina nodded.


    "You know, Sir¡­" Lina tried leaning to the front seat, pushing all the bags and boxes away as she held Rhys''s shoulder, "...I don''t know if you''re fucking aware or not, but you''re the most famous person in the country at the moment."


    "...I don''t really feel it, Ma''am," Rhys nced at Lina.


    "Of course, you won''t!" Lina groaned in frustration as she struggled to get her phone from her pocket, "You don''t even bother to check thements or look at the stats of your channels! I''m the one doing all the checking!"


    "That''s¡­ sorry," Rhys scratched his chin and chuckled, "I''ll try to learn how to navigate my way through it."


    "What? No, I don''t mind," Lina scoffed as she started fidgeting with her phone, "Look, look at this ¡ª you''re currently the most searched individual in¡­ wait, not just in our country, but the entire world!"


    "Seriously?" Katarina tried ncing at Lina''s phone while she drove, "You''re famous, Rhys¡ªno. You''re more than famous."


    "That makes you a high-value target, Recruit," Ayesha looked out the window and smirked, "People are going to be after you."


    "..." Rhys squinted his eyes at Ayesha''s words, before letting out a small but very deep sigh a few seconds after, "People already are."


    "What!?" Katarina almost stepped on the brakes as she quickly turned to look at Rhys; her grip on the steering wheel, causing a small squeak to whisper in the air, "What do you mean!?"


    It wasn''t only Katarina, both Lina and Ayesha''s eyebrows were alsopletely lowered as they waited for Rhys to say something. Rhys truly was going to keep what happened during the Exploration Test a secret from Katarina and the others, but it felt like he had to tell. Unbeknownst to him, however, Katarina was actually just pretending not to know, and Ayesha also knew he was attacked.


    Out of the three, only Lina waspletely unaware of what happened. Rhys also told them about how he met Ss and Emilia a week prior.


    "All of that¡­ happened?" Lina leaned back in her seat and sighed, "I guess Ss and the Cerberus guild are the only suspects, right?"


    "You Surface people seem to be underestimating how many people don''t want Lowborns to rise up in life," Ayesha scoffed.


    "Maybe you should start disguising yourself from now on, Sir," Lina opened up, "Maybe just wear a hat to cover your hair or something. Or we can just¡­ dye your hair. It''s only illegal if you get caught."


    "His face is already all over the inte," Katarina sighed and shook her head, "He only showed it once, and it''s everywhere already."


    "With a face like that?" Ayesha once again scoffed, "Even the gods are probably cumming on his picture right now."


    "True¡­ even if you change your hair color, once they see your perfect face¡­" Lina sighed.


    "It''s fine," Rhys could really only let out a small chuckle as he heard a collective sigh from the three, "I don''t n on hiding myself from anyone. Everything I am doing will only work if they see me."


    "And what, exactly, are you trying to do, Recruit?" Ayesha''s voice suddenly turned serious, "All that talk about recruiting soldiers."


    "No," Rhys once again chuckled as he waved his hand; the smile on his face, however, slightly wavered as he looked at the view of the wastnd outside, "I was just¡­


    ¡­trying to sound cool."


    ***


    "Is this it?"


    "Ah, Rhys! Wee! Wee!"


    The day of the joint exploration between Wilder''s Harem and Laughing Bronze came, and Rhys arrived at the designated Hole along with his guild members¡­ who were only the three women in his life.


    And as soon as they stepped out of the car, Keh weed them personally ¡ª even ordering his men to assist them and bring their stuff to a tent built only for them. Suffice it to say, the setup of the Laughing Bronze was almost simr to what Rhys was seeing in the Underworld whenever he had to respond to a Dig.


    There were machinery and buildings around the Hole that he had no idea what purpose they served. But considering a lot of people were running around seemingly busy, they must be important.


    "Make yourselves and¡­ your guild membersfortable," Keh had a wide smile on his face, but it slightly twitched when his eyesnded on Ayesha and the others. Thest time he met them, he waspletely unaware of their identities and thought that they were just Rhys''s friends ¡ª after all, an insanely good-looking man like Rhys would definitely be surrounded by women.


    But when he watched Rhys''s interview, he finally realized how strong Rhys''spanions are.


    Keh agreed that Wilder''s Harem would own everything they got during the exploration, clearly a mistake on his part. It doesn''t matter now, however ¡ª because after Rhys''s interview, his poprity skyrocketed.


    And that means more views for the Laughing Bronze. The ad revenue alone would probably pay for everything he had ever spent on Rhys.


    "Can my friends stay in the tent while we''re exploring?"


    "Hm? What do you mean?" Kh could not help but blink a couple of times as he looked at Rhys.


    "The Exploration, they won''t be participating¡­


    ¡­It will just be me on our side."

 Chapter 107 Collab with the Laughing Bronze

    "...Alone?"


    A hint of confusion started to grow on Keh''s face as he heard Rhys''s words. He did not really know whether to be happy or sad about that statement. On one hand, he would lose the Commander of the Underworld Corps from his stream, but on the other, it would also remove the risk of Ayesha just blitzing through the Hole and practically erasing all the monsters and assets within the area.


    "But, didn''t all of you buy equipment just for this?" Keh could not help but be curious as he asked Rhys.


    "Well¡­" Rhys turned to look at Ayesha, who very slowly looked away as Katarina and Lina also looked at her. The women had actuallypletely finished their preparationst night, but when Ayesha decided to y and test the oversized gauntlet that she bought, Katarina and Lina opted to do the same.


    They allid out all the protective clothes and armor they bought in a park and ced them on mannequins, where Ayesha tested their durability with the gauntlet. But s, Ayesha did not seem to fully understand what the two meant, as she destroyed everything including her gauntlets. To be fair to her, Rhys had the same notion as Ayesha.


    How could they understand that the two meant to just test them to their lower limits, when they did not say anything at all? And so, just like that, 95% of everything they bought from the mall was destroyed.


    That was also when Rhys realized that it wouldn''t make sense to bring any of the three with him to the Exploration. Not even counting Katarina and Lina, Ayesha alone would dominate the entire exploration as he knew exactly how strong she truly was.


    He had already decided to recruit more people into the guild, and he told the world they should watch the stream so he could show them what he was capable of ¡ª bringing the three would undermine that. His goal by bing an Explorer was to gain enough influence that could allow him to make a wave in the world.


    He was already starting to do that, but if he truly wanted to make the wave as big as possible¡­


    ¡­the world needed to see what he was capable of. He and him alone.


    "...They are only here to support and cheer me on," Rhys smiled.


    "Wow¡­ well," Keh looked at the three women one by one; his eyes, batting several times, "I don''t really know how we can all be as lucky as you."


    "Pft, fill your balls first and talk," Ayesha scoffed as she looked at Keh, "Try being broken all your life and have people stepping on your shattered body parts, tell us again how lucky the Recruit is."


    "That¡ª"


    "No," the smile on Rhys''s face did not disappear as he looked at Ayesha, Lina, and Katarina, "He''s right. I''m¡­ very lucky to have the three of you in my life. You''re the three reasons why what I''m doing even matters."


    "Stop it, gods¡­" Ayesha quickly walked away and started waving her hand, "...I''ll just rest in the tent until this is over."


    "Just call us during the stream if you need us," Lina also waved her hand as she also headed to the tent.


    "Be careful down there, okay?" Katarina looked Rhys in the eyes for a few seconds, before just nodding and following the two.


    "Wilder''s Harem¡­" Keh let out a very long and deep sigh as he ced his hand on Rhys''s shoulder, "...No wonder you named your guild like that."


    "I¡­ didn''t name it."


    "Even better," Keh wiped the imaginary sweat on his forehead as he gently pushed Rhys forward, "Quick, I''ll introduce you to the team."


    Keh then gestured to Rhys to follow him as he walked toward the tent on the other side of the Hole. The Hole wasn''t necessarily that big, around the length of a bus.


    "Guys,e out!" Keh then pped his hands as he reached the front of the tent, raising his eyebrows excitedly at Rhys as he did so. And soon, six people starteding out of the tent ¡ª all of them, wearing a small camera attached to their left shoulder.


    All the cameras seemed to be operated remotely, however, as Rhys could see them moving on their own and pointing at him.


    "Mr. Wilder, let me introduce you¡­" Keh gestured to the six to approach Rhys, "...That''s Audrey, Ben, Hans, Rowan, Eimi, she''s from Nihon if you didn''t realize, and thenstly, Seth. They''re all level 3 Explorers like you, and they are also part of my mom''s entertainment agency."


    "...They''re not from your guild?"


    "They are. All my members are streamers," Keh chuckled, "These guys are our mid-tier streamers, and we''re hoping the number of their subscribers intes during this cob with you."


    "I¡­ see," Rhys could not help but be impressed with how transparent Keh was being with him. Some of his members, however, did not seem to appreciate that as they scoffed and clicked their tongues.


    "We don''t need him to increase our views, Keh," Seth, the tallest man in the group, who was also wearing a bulky metallic armor, shook his head and whispered loudly, "We''re getting enough views already."


    "Not enough, and you''re out," Keh gestured to Seth to go away.


    "Wait¡­ what!? What do you mean!?" Seth approached Keh. But as soon as he did so, several of Keh''s bodyguards who had been subtly following him since earlier all blocked Seth''s path.


    "I don''t want you destroying the synergy in the group," Keh closed his eyes and took in a deep breath, "I can feel your disruptive aura, that means the viewers will too and I don''t want them thinking bad of the Laughing Bronze. Take this guy away."


    "Wait, but¡ª" And before Seth could even say a word, Keh''s guards literally carried him away there and then; even covering his mouth so he would not be able to speak.


    "Getting bad vibes from that guy, am I the only one?" Keh asked his streamers, and they all just immediately nodded their heads in fear of being fired.


    Of course, the three remaining men were also not feeling Rhys ¡ª but they were not stupid enough to actually voice them out. There was also the fact that Rhys would truly increase the number of their viewers by a ton. Even now, people are joining their channel waiting to see Rhys¡­


    ¡­not knowing they were going to see more than they bargained for.


    Bens, Hans, and Rowan all looked at each other; subtly nodding to themselves as they had actually already nned something for this stream. Their views would already balloon with Rhys just being there¡­ but what more if something happens to him?


    They were sure of it ever since it was revealed that the Commander of the Underworld Corps was his friend, everything that Rhys had done¡­ was because she was helping him. They were initially going to separate Rhys from his guild members, but now that they know Ayesha wasn''t participating, it made their goal easier.


    The three could not help but just constrain themselves fromughing as they imagined all the views they could get if Rhys fails.


    "You guys get ready," Keh then patted Rhys''s shoulder and stepped away, "We''re live at 5."


    "I''ll just wait here, I already prepared in the car," Rhys nodded at Keh. He was about to check out the Hole, but not even 3 stepster, he felt a hand moving toward him from behind. He quickly moved to the side and turned around to see who it was, only to see the women from the Laughing Bronze''s side,


    "Can¡­ I help you?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at Audrey. But as his eyes turned to Eimi, he quickly widened his eyes in fear of being used of mocking her small eyes.


    "I know you get this a lot, but you''re really tall," Audrey brushed her hair and tucked it between her ear; her eyes, looking up directly at Rhys''s face; obviously wanting to take a peek behind his hair, "How tall are you?"


    "I''m 6''6"," Rhys tried his best not to sigh, "There¡­ are still a lot of people taller than me. Like basketball yers."


    "Pft, you''re funny too," Eimi let out a small giggle; her voice incredibly high-pitched.


    "...Thank you," Rhys could really only smile in response. By all means, these two women were already incredibly beautiful; but Rhys found himself somewhat numb after spending all his time with Katarina, Lina, and Ayesha. The only thing he was truly looking at were the hearts floating above their heads.


    And for some reason, 3 out of 5 were already filled up.


    ''Show me your cock.'' ''I want to touch you.''


    "Kh."


    "Are you alright!?"


    "Do you need water?"


    "No, I''m¡­ I''m fine," Rhys almost swallowed his own tongue as he heard Audrey and Eimi''s thoughts respectively. He already knew this from Ayesha and Lina, but women truly are frightening creatures; the way they could just hide their thoughts¡­


    ¡­unlike the three men they were with who had been staring at him with an obvious look of annoyance on their faces. Rhys thought that if no one else was here, the three would have already stabbed him in the face a thousand times.


    "Remember to stick with us, okay?" Audrey let out a sigh of relief as she smiled at Rhys, "This is your first time doing a cob, so we''ll teach you how it goes."


    "That¡­ will be very helpful. Thank you, Ma''am."


    "Please, I feel old when you call me that. Why don''t you just call me¡­ your girlfriend?"


    "Oh," Rhys blinked.


    "Audrey! Why are you flirting with him!?" Eimi almost gasped as gently pushed Audrey away, "I''m sorry about¡ª"


    "Okay, everyone ready!?"


    Fortunately for Rhys, Keh returned and pped his hands to save him from the sudden situation he found himself in. Keh then started waving his hands like a conductor as he looked at his guild members, "Turn on your cameras¡­


    ¡­and let''s make some money!"

 Chapter 108 The Negative Light

    "Oh god, it''s so hard to breathe."


    The Underworld was split into several regions ¡ª regions that did not follow logic at all. There could be a frost region, and then just a few meters away, there will be an infernal region. Of course, the scientists have also hypothesized a reason for that, but the people just chucked it up to magic.


    A Desert region, a Frost region, an Infernal region, a Swamp region, a Forest region, a Meadow region, and a Rocky region. These were the main regions of the Underworld, and one might look calmer than the rest, but all were actually equally dangerous. And sometimes, these regions meld together, creating a chaotic ecosystem that results in an even harsher environment.


    And the region where the Laughing Bronze''s Hole was situated was a Melded region ¡ª a mix of a Swamp and Desert regions. One might be confused about how that worked, but put the worst things about the two regions together, and that is what Rhys was currently stepping on. A soft, mushy ground that hindered each of his steps.


    He was in a wet desert filled with moss, where each step might lead him to a quicksand. There were trees, but they were far and few in between. The quicksands were not even the worst part of all of this, it was the air.


    Extremely heavy and humid to the point that it felt like they were actually breathing in water filled with sand. Fortunately for Rhys and the other explorers he was with, all of them were wearing hydrophobic clothing and armor ¡ª with Rhys really only wearing a more casual and non-camouge version of his Underworld Corps uniform.


    "Kya, I think I stepped on something!"


    "..." Rhys could really only catch Audrey as she suddenly leaped toward him and wrapped her arms around his neck; her face, so awfully close to his that Rhys could already feel her breathing down his cheek.


    "T¡­ thank you, Rhys¡­" Audrey whispered into his ear, "...I really thought something was grabbing my foot."


    "Hm," Rhys only nodded in response as he quickly but still very gently let go of Audrey, "Please be careful next time, Ma''am. We don''t know how deep or soft the ground is."


    "Oh¡­ so dependable," Audrey patted Riley''s chest one final time before Rhys continued to walk.


    "Instead of trying to flirt with the Low¡ªwith the newbie, why don''t you scout ahead?" Rowan, who was still walking beside Ben and Hans, could not help but scoff as he saw Audrey''s tant flirting, "If you have time to be a hoe, then scout ahead. That''s literally one of your abilities."


    "...Excuse me?" Audrey quickly turned around, making sure the camera on her shoulder was pointing at Rowan, "Did you just call me a hoe? What''s your problem?"


    "You! It''s literally your job to find us something, anything!" Rowan raised his voice, "We have been walking for an entire hour. At this point, we''re going to pass our jurisdiction!"


    "..." Although Rowan was clearly frustrated, Rhys actually thought he had a point. Holes that are bought from the government do not really have a jurisdiction ¡ª- after all, Holes are just entrances, people are buying an entrance to the Underworld. There is, however, a phantom jurisdiction.


    It was practically just a reminder that one should not pass carelessly across the jurisdiction as whatever was beyond was already uncharted territory.


    Of course, the whole point of an Exploration was to explore the Underworld, but out of the six of them, Rhys was probably the only one equipped for that as he had everything he needed inside his trusty utility belt.


    "What makes you think I''m not doing my job? Because I''m a woman?" Audrey raised an eyebrow.


    "What does you being a woman have to do with anything!?"


    "FYI, I am already scouting," Audrey rolled her eyes, "I will tell you if I am detecting any monsters. But so far, there is nothing interesting within 50 meters from us."


    "Then why are you jumping onto his arms when you know nothing is actually there!?" Rowan pointed at Rhys.


    "Oh, so that is what this is all about," Audrey then turned to look up at the drone that was following them, "Everyone, Rowan''s jealous."


    "That''s not¡ª" Rowan was about to say something, but Ben and Hans stopped him.


    "What are you doing, man?" Hans whispered, "Don''t attract too much attention yet or all the viewers'' eyes will be on us and we won''t be able to do anything to the Lowborn."


    "..." Rowan looked at both his friends, before just sighing and nodding his head.


    And once again, of course, their malicious gazes and breaths did not escape Rhys''s eyes. They might as well be telling Rhys what they were nning to do with the way they were looking at him. But even after another hour, the three have not done anything, because there truly was no chance to do so.


    "This is a bust," Audrey let out a loud sigh as she stopped walking, "I think thest group might have overcleared the monsters to the point they left the area. I still haven''t detected any signs of life besides us, not even insects."


    "...Not even insects?" Eimi, who had been keeping quiet the entire time and just quietly observing Rhys, broke her silence as she looked Audrey in the eyes, "That''s¡­ not right. This particr area should be filled with all sorts of insects and small creatures."


    "Well, shit. They might have died or something," Audrey shrugged, "How about we just y a game? You tell me something about yourself, and I will tell you something about myself?"


    "Hm?" Rhys slightly backed away as Audrey once again approached him.


    "I am sure the viewers are bored out of their minds right now and we need to give them something, so¡­ tell us something about yourself," Audrey gave a flirting smile at Rhys, "I''ll go first¡­ I just shaved down there."


    "That¡­" Rhys once again blinked a couple of times as he subtly turned to look at all the cameras around them. Was¡­ she that kind of streamer?


    "Ah!"


    Fortunately for Rhys, before he could be forced to join the game, Eimi once again raised her voice while she was scanning her phone.


    "I think we''re actually about to have fun in this Exploration ¡ª it says here that when there are no signs of life in this specific region, it means the Alpha is currently feeding," Eimi showed her phone to the others, specifically Rhys.


    "An Alpha¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes. He had really only encountered a single Alpha during his stay in the Underworld Corps, and they all had to retreat since that was before he received a portion of Ayesha''s abilities. Alpha, as their name already suggests, is the one standing on top of the food chain of a specific region; feeding on everything,


    "...Should we retreat?" Rhys suggested.


    "Ha!" And as soon as he did so, the three men finally saw their chance and they immediately approached Rhys and pointed at him.


    "Retreat? What for?" Rowan was once again the first to instigate, "This is a Level 3 Hole, we are all registered as Level 3 and there are 6 of us. Don''t tell us you''re actually scared?"


    "Are you fucking stupid, Rowan?" Audrey rolled her eyes, "Didn''t you see the video of him literally punching a ck rhornus head-on?"


    "Could be fake," Rowan shrugged and smirked, "If it wasn''t, why would a guy capable of doing that suggest we retreat?"


    "Maybe because he thinks you''re weak?" Eimi joined in on the conversation as she looked disappointingly at Rowan, "Rhys is a sergeant of the Underworld Corps, he has probably already assessed you to be incapable."


    "He''s only a sergeant because he has an illicit rtionship with his Commander," Ben scoffed as he took to Rowan''s defense, "Come on, you guys can''t actually believe he''s capable of doing all of that, right?"


    "You¡­"


    And soon, the Exploration turned into a whole debate regarding Rhys. As for the main topic of the debate, Rhys could really only sigh as he was hearing all sorts of things about him.


    He had already shown what he was capable of numerous times in front of a camera, and even to other people. And yet it would seem the stigma about Lowborns was even stronger than he thought. Of course, it wasn''t anyone''s fault.


    Lowborns truly are the weakest, Rhys admits that ¡ª he was just a special case, and probably will be the only one.


    But what exactly can he do to fully erase everyone''s doubts? He can''t ask for a bigger audience, because there is none; this was it. ording to Lina, he was currently the most talked about individual in the world. But that wasn''t enough¡­


    ¡­He needed them to believe. And he will take all the chances he could get to reach that point. But how?


    "Just say you''re jealous and¡ªSsh! I sense something."


    "Wh¡ª"


    "There."


    All the debates and arguments instantly stopped as everyone turned to look in the direction Audrey was pointing to. And with that, one of the chances that Rhys was waiting for has finallye¡­ in the form of a fish.


    A fish with legs.


    "Iing!"


    Everyone quickly separated into different directions as a fish the size of a car with grasshopper legs flew toward their direction, everyone except Rhys ¡ª who had finally thought of something.


    All the news about him had been in a positive light, and perhaps that was the reason why people had a hard time believing it. After all, more so than thinking that all Lowborns are weak, everyone thinks that Lowborns are bad and incapable of doing anything good.


    That they are the worst of the worst, and perhaps¡­


    ¡­it was time for Rhys to fuck things up a little.

 Chapter 109 What The People Wanted To See

    "Rhys, watch out!"


    Rhys did watch, but he absolutely did not watch out as he just stood there staring at the monster lunging toward him.


    The Raknaeel. Although they look like a giant eel with legs, their physiology is more simr to that of a seal ¡ª- they are mammals. Their sharp teeth which practically filled their entire mouth and more were capable of shredding steel in just seconds; they were also incredibly fast innd, water, and even muddy water and could reach a speed of 150 kilometers per hour in just 3 seconds.


    The only reason why their Threat Level was not higher than 3¡­ is because they could really only go in one direction once they start moving due to the way their joints are formed. They need to stop in order to turn; that means once you see them, they are extremely easy to dodge.


    But Rhys just stood there staring at it.


    Rowan, Ben, and Hans could really only smile as they made sure their cameras were up and pointed to what was about toe next.


    "Dodge it!" Eimi screamed as she saw Rhys just stretch his hand on the iing projectile monster, "That thing will cut you into pieces, Rhys!"


    "It''s fine," Rhys quickly said as he even removed his eyes from the raknaeel and turned to look at the cameras attached to the group''s shoulders. Eimi and Audrey could really only cover their eyes as the raknaeel made contact with Rhys''s body, swallowing his only remaining arm whole and probably shredding it into thousands of pieces.


    But with the size of the raknaeel and its mouth, it wasn''t only his arm that was swallowed; everyone watched as raknaeel began twisting and turning its huge body violently,pletely wrapping Rhys into its blender of a mouth.


    "I knew it!" Rowan pointed at the drone flying above their heads, "Did you all see that!? I knew that fucking Lowborn was faking it!"


    "Pft," Ben alsoughed as a steel rod materialized from his hand, "I was already expecting that, everyone. Now, do you want to see how real Explorers dispatch a Region''s Alpha? Hans!"


    Ben then threw the steel rod in his hand, with hands just pointing his palm at it as it flew by him. And as he did so, the tip of the steel rod sharpened and it began spinning as it elerated straight toward the tossing raknaeel.


    "Why would you do that!?" Audrey screamed, "Rhys might still be alive inside there!"


    "...You think someone would be alive after being¡ª!!!"


    And before Ben could finish his words, the spear he threw at the monster stopped before it could pierce through its slimy and smooth skin. And it wasn''t only the spear that froze, even the raknaeel itselfpletely stopped moving.


    "What is¡­" Eimi squinted her already small eyes as she focused her attention on the spear, only to see a hand poking out from the raknaeel''s flesh, grabbing the spear from the inside. And there, everyone watched as the hand began moving ¡ª tearing the raknaeel''s stomach from the inside.


    No, at this point, the raknaeel was being shredded as they watched as Rhys emerged from its stomach; his clothes,pletely tattered and ripped. There were guts hanging and sticking on every part of his body, but he did not mind as he just stepped out of the raknaeel; just letting the blood trail across his chest and arms which were now fully visible for everyone to see.


    He then pushed his hair back, showing his face as he looked Eimi and Audrey in the eyes.


    "!!!" And with his silver eyes staring at them, the two women felt a certain pulse travel across their body before collecting between their thighs ¡ª the 5 Hearts floating above their head, now suddenly almost filled up with only one heart remaining gray.


    Rhys''s gaze at them did notst long, however, as he suddenly turned to look at Ben, who quickly flinched as he saw Rhys looking at him. Rhys then suddenly ced his hand on the muddy water, grabbing the steel spear that he caught earlier¡­


    ¡­and threw it at Ben without any hesitation.


    "Oh my god!" Audrey could really only scream as she saw Ben flying away; only stopping as the spear pierced the only tree within the area.


    "Grah!" Ben was still alive, however, as the spear really only hit him through the shoulder. Rowan and Hans were about to rush and help him, but they heard Rhys starting to approach them.


    "Why would you do that!?" Rowan let out a roar as the murky water beneath his knee started to climb up across his body; creating a sort of armor around him, "You¡ªGuh!"


    This armor, however, quickly broke apart as Rhys suddenly appeared right in front of him; Rhys''s fist, now nted on his stomach. Most of the impact seemed to have been absorbed by his armor, however, as Rowan just found himself dropping to the floor while clutching his stomach.


    Sadly for him, Rhys pushed his head down toward the muddy water before he continued to make his way to Ben. Hans did not really do anything, and just quickly helped Rowan up before he could drown.


    Ben started struggling to set himself free as he saw Rhys slowly approaching him, but the pain from his fractured cor shredding his flesh prevented him from fully pulling the spear out.


    "S¡­ stop! Why are you doing this!?" Ben stretched his hand toward Rhys, summoning another steel rod and throwing it at him as strong as he could. But s, it only bounced off of Rhys''s muscr chest. Sadly for Ben, Rhys caught the steel rod and stabbed his thigh with it as soon as he got near.


    And with the rod not really having a sharp tip, it just practically crushed his flesh and bones.


    "Graah!" Ben cried out, but not for long as Rhys covered his mouth.


    "You ask me why I am doing this?" Rhys whispered, making sure that the camera attached to Ben''s shoulder could hear him, "Because you''ve been looking at me the entire time like you wanted to kill me, and you did try. I already told the party that my skin is harder than steel, you knew full well that I could survive being swallowed by the fish."


    "!?" Ben could really only look at Rhys, wondering when he ever told that to them.


    "And yet¡­" Rhys then let go of Ben''s mouth and twisted the rod pierced through his thigh, causing Ben''s head to tremble violently; his loud screams, clearly being heard by all the viewers watching his personal stream, "...You threw this thing at me."


    Rhys then flicked the spear on Ben''s shoulder, causing the fracture on his corbone to worsen as the steel spear began to vibrate.


    "All of you seem to be misunderstanding something about me¡­" Rhys once again covered Ben''s mouth, "...You and I, we''ve livedpletely different lives. All my life, people have been aiming at me ¡ª and the luckiest thing that happened to me was my mother being murdered in cold blood in front of the entire world.


    At least when that happened, the government made sure I remained silent¡­ they gave me everything."


    "..." Ben''s tears started to trail down his face as Rhys continued to stare at him in the eyes.


    "Even then, I was beaten up every day. They burned me, forced me to swallow their filth, and broke my bones. They tortured me every single day¡­ You think I won''t know when someone wants to hurt me?" Rhys slightly leaned back so the camera could see him and the subtle pain he was trying to show in his face,


    "All I know is pain, Sir¡­


    ¡­like this."


    "!!!"


    And without even any hesitation, Rhys began punching Ben in the face. Of course, he held himself back ¡ª but even then, the bark of the tree behind Ben''s head began cracking as his nose malformed.


    "You, stop that!" Hans finally got the courage to rush toward Rhys, but Rhys quickly pulled out the rod stuck on Ben''s thigh and threw it at him, breaking his right shin in half, "Gah!"


    "Y¡­you¡­" A whisper was able to escape Ben''s popped lips as he looked at Rhys, "You¡­ can''t get away with this. You think... the police are just going to let you go? The evidence is-"


    "I know," Rhys whispered, "That''s the only reason you''re still alive."


    That, and the fact that this was all a show for him. Rhys thought that if the only reason why people still chose not to believe everything they were seeing about him was that because everythinging out about him was good, then perhaps it was time to show the people what they wanted to see.


    A Lowborn being violent, being wrong - being what they should be.


    "Rhys, s¡­stop it!"


    And as Audrey and Eimi began to rush toward him. Rhys finally took a step back; wiping all the blood on his fist on the muddy water below as he did so.


    "I''m sorry¡­" Rhys turned to look at Eimi and Audrey as he lowered his head,


    "...I lost my cool."


    "Are you alright!?" Audrey quickly started touching Rhys to check if he had any wounds,pletely ignoring Ben who was just beaten up by the inch of his life. Even Eimi just nced at Ben, before staring at Rhys''s face.


    "Let''s¡­ let''s have you checked ASAP!" And with those words, Eimi and Audrey started dragging Rhys away.


    "What¡­" Ben struggled to speak as he watched his fellow guild members disappear with the man that just beat him up,


    "...What about me?"

 Chapter 110 Once Again, HI...U

    "That''s enough from all of you!"


    "We were the ones that got beaten up, why are you taking his side!? What bullshit is this!?"


    "I am not taking anyone''s side!"


    Rhys and the party from the Laughing Bronze were now back from the Underworld, with everyone hearing Ben screaming inside a tent as the medics were healing all of his wounds. And due to the nature of his injuries, and the level of the healers, it had already been an entire hour since they started healing him.


    Rowan and Hans, who really only received a minor injury from Rhys, were now trying to rush toward him, but were being barred by Keh and his security team from reaching him.


    As for Rhys, he was just seated on one of the supply boxes and being surrounded by Katarina and the others, as well as Eimi and Audrey.


    "Did any of you even report what he did to the authorities!?"


    "No one needs to report anything to anyone!" Keh tried his best to mediate the situation. But in truth¡­ he was actually just trying his best not to be tempted to fan the mes even stronger. This kind of drama may ultimately be bad publicity, but would create an endless stream of content leading to Rhys.


    And an endless stream of content leading to the most talked about human being right now only means one thing ¡ª an endless stream of ad revenue.


    "We still have cameras set up everywhere!" Keh then pointed at the drone flying above their heads, as well as all the cameras set up to strategically capture all the good angles. After all, Keh had quickly ordered his people to set them up as he knew this would be good,


    "Do you think the HIU aren''t on their way right now? Now just sit down, and stay. I don''t want any more drama as it is."


    "...Tch," Rowan pointed at Rhys, "You''ll get what''sing to you, you fucking dregger!"


    Keh winced at Rowan''s words. But it doesn''t matter, he could just let him go from the guild since all the footage here technically belongs to the Laughing Bronze anyway. And with the two men finally calming down, Keh was finally able to let out a sigh and approached Rhys.


    "I''m really sorry, Mr. Wilder," Keh then lowered his voice enough that Rowan wouldn''t hear him, "I didn''t expect they would do something like this ¡ª it was obvious from the start that they were up to something. But¡­ it was a little tad bit excessive, don''t you think? In another angle, it was an unprovoked attack from you."


    "No, you''re right," Rhys let out a small sigh as he stood up, removing the towel covering his body. And even though Keh didn''t swing that way, he almost instinctively touched Rhys''s explosive chest,


    "I couldn''t really stop myself. I''m ready to cooperate any way you want once this reaches to court."


    "No, no," Keh let out a nervous chuckle as he raised both his palms in the air, "It won''t reach that far, I''ll make sure no one presses charges for this."


    Keh wasn''t a fool ¡ª he had been watching all thements and the outputs of all the viewers, and although the opinions were halved, he was sure that was going to change soon in favor of Rhys. He¡­ has that effect for some reason.


    If Keh allowed anyone from Laughing Bronze to press charges, all of Rhys''s fans would start targeting them. He doesn''t know whether Rhys was aware of it or not¡­


    ¡­but a cult following was already building around him. And those people can be dangerous.


    "We''re going to pack up now and just talk about this on the way home. Could you and your members ride the bus with us instead?" Keh turned to look at Ayesha and the others, "I will have one of my guys drive your car and¡ª"


    "I don''t think any of that is happening," Katarina did not let Keh finish his words as she suddenly stood in front of Rhys. Keh wondered if there was something he said, but he did not need to wonder for long as soon, something suddenly emerged from his shadow. Well¡­ someone.


    "The woman with the unnecessaryrge breasts is right, Guildmaster Keh ¡ª Rhys ising with us."


    "You¡­!!!" Keh could really only leap to the side as a woman wearing a ck coat and tie came out of his shadow, "You''re¡­ from the HIU?"


    "Ma''am," Rhys quickly stood up straight as he quickly recognized the woman as Agent Maria, who interrogated him after the incident in Old York High.


    "Mr. Wilder," Agent Maria nodded as she nced at all the people surrounding Rhys one by one, "I see you have been busy thest we met. But to be honest, I was hoping not to see you again."


    "Why are you here?" Katarina slightly pushed Rhys back as Maria approached him.


    "I think that is self-exnatory given the situation," Maria raised a finger, waiting for another one of Ben''s screams to cry out in the air, "Your boy here is once again currently under investigation by the HIU."


    "What¡­ he did was just retaliate."


    "In what angle?" Agent Maria raised an eyebrow, "I know you fancy him, Katarina. But I still need to take him with me."


    "...Do the two of you know each other?" Lina, who had just been quietly observing from the side, could not help but squint her eyes from how seemingly familiar the two were having a conversation.


    "She was my boss," Agent Maria did not hesitate to answer as she looked Katarina in the eyes, "Who I no longer owe any favors to since I paid it back several months ago."


    "Wh¡ª"


    "Doc Titties, rx," Ayesha let out a small sigh as she ced her hand on Katarina''s shoulder, "They''ll just interrogate the Recruit and he''ll be back in no time ¡ª thankfully, he beat those pussies up down there and not here on the Surface. Because that is a whole different paperwork."


    "The former Commander is right," Agent Maria''s monotonous tone lingered even as a hint of a smile could be seen very slightly crawling onto her face, "If you keep me from doing my job, I do not know what else I could identally reveal about your past, Agent Lo¡ª"


    "It''s fine, Kat." And before Maria could finish her words, Riley let out a loud sigh as he gently grabbed Kat''s arm and stepped forward, "I''ll just¡­ see you guys home."


    "Well, where else would you find me," Ayesha shrugged, "I live on your couch."


    "That''s¡ª" Rhys could not even let out a chuckle before Maria suddenly grabbed him and he found himself sinking onto the ground. He felt his visionpletely turn ck, but he knew he was stillpletely conscious. It almost as if he was being drowned in a pool of oil, except without all the ufortable things you would feel when actually doing so.


    Fortunately for Rhys, this feeling did notst long as the dark scenery in front of him was reced by an endless blue, the sky.


    "!!!"


    "Ugh!" Rhys instinctively leaned his head back, only to hit Maria right on the nose.


    "Sorry!" Rhys almost instinctively touched Maria''s bleeding nose, but Maria just raised a finger at him before handing him a set of¡­ headphones. Rhys was confused at first, but he finally realized where he was.


    Inside a helicopter.


    Rhys then once again leaned his head out to see where he was, only to see the Hole and the people he was just with far down in the distance. He could not help but think what it would feel like if he just jumped; after all, diving down the Hole, one could only see darkness.


    "I¡­ thought you teleported all the way from your station," Rhys said as he nced at Maria. Maria, however, just tapped on the headphones she was now wearing before gesturing to Rhys to also wear one.


    "I said I thought you teleported all the way from your station!" Rhys repeated what he said as soon as he wore the headphones.


    "You do not have to shout, Mr. Wilder. And please, wear some clothes," Maria leaned her head back and sighed, "And no, I wish I was that powerful ¡ª but even if I take enhancers, I would not reach the level of a Noble like Aharon."


    "Aharon¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times, "Ranked No. 7 in the world? That''s right¡­ he has the same abilities you have."


    "Correct. The man could freely travel through the shadows if he wished," Maria nodded, "And I must say, it is impressive that you managed to get Commander Ayesha on your team ¡ª thanks to that, I managed to win a bet with my colleagues."


    "A bet?" Rhys could not help but look at Maria. Despite her expressionless face and the monotonous tone of her voice, it would seem she was quite¡­ talkative.


    "Yes," Maria looked Rhys in the eyes,


    "That you can copy other people''s abilities."

 Chapter 111 What You Wanted

    "A¡­ bet?"


    "Yes¡­ that you can copy other people''s abilities."


    And with those words, the deafening sound of the des of the helicopter that was still whispering in his ears despite the headphones he was wearingpletely disappeared. His eyes, just staring at Maria who was looking at him as if she did not just reveal something huge.


    Rhys could probably just jump from the helicopter to escape the situation, but that wouldpletely make him a fugitive considering Maria was practically police. And once again, Rhys found his mindpletely filled with thoughts and whispers of his own voice.


    Maria did not seem to mind his stupor, however, as she also just continued to awkwardly stare at his half-hidden face even after several seconds.


    But finally, after a few more silent breaths, Rhys let out a small sigh and slightly lowered his head.


    "...How did you know?" Rhys asked a question he probably knew the answer to. He wasn''t going to deny it, Maria was HIU, one of the biggest investigation units in the world.


    "It is quite obvious for anyone that has your file, Mr. Wilder," Maria finally looked away as she rxed her back on her seat, "The very first ability you showcased after you presumably awakened was to create a thread extremely simr to that of Goddess Arachnea ¡ª and our reports say you have met her the moment you awakened your bloodline."


    "...I said that in the confidence of the Underworld Corps," Rhys''s eyebrows slightly lowered.


    "And former General Banner¡­" Maria once again looked Rhys in the eyes, "...whose brother is the current acting director of the HIU. There are millions of Explorers, Mr. Wilder ¡ª but our world is small¡­ and obviously nepotism."


    "Hm¡­"


    "The other ability you have showcased is Wind Control," Maria continued to exin as she grabbed a tablet that was resting beneath her chair and started scanning Lina''s file, "Lte Marie Churchill has the same ability, albeit much stronger."


    Rhys tried to sneak a peek at her tablet, but Maria quickly tilted it away before swiping down.


    "Ayesha, Abnormal Herculean strength, which you also have but at a much lower capacity. Or at least with what you have shown," Maria then once again swiped down, "Katarina Isabel Castaneda Lopez¡­ but you do not seem to have her abilities yet."


    "That¡­" Rhys was able to get a small glimpse of Maria''s tablet before she turned off the screen, but the only thing he noticed was that Katarina''s file was filled with¡­ red fonts.


    "...Are you curious about Katarina?" Maira quickly noticed Rhys''s gaze, "But sorry, you are the one under investigation. But you don''t have to worry, you''re not under investigation because of your abilities. I am just telling you that anyone with half a brain knows. But then again, we might as well know nothing as the Rhys Wilder puzzle is not even a quarterplete."


    "...Thanks for telling me," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he nodded his head.


    "Are you not going to copy my abilities?" Maria stretched her hand to Rhys.


    "...No."


    "Are you telling me that my abilities are not worth copying?"


    "It¡­ doesn''t work that way," Rhys still could not get used to Maria''s demeanor. She waspletely stoic and the tone of her voice was almost robotic ¡ª and yet she was extremely talkative.


    "And how does it work, Mr. Wilder?" Maria looked Rhys in the eyes again.


    "Nice try," Rhys smiled and shook his head


    "Was it?" Maria retracted her hand, "I was being serious. If you are going to copy it, just tell me."


    "I¡­ will."


    "Good, get some rest," Maria looked away before wearing a pair of sunsses, "We will be there at our destination in an hour. And do not look so tense, we will probably let you go after a few questions."


    "Hm," Rhys squinted as he just stared at Maria and the 5 Gray Hearts floating above her head. Her ability to travel across some sort of shadow dimension would prove incredibly useful for him, but how exactly was Rhys going to even start approaching Maria, when the only desire she could hear from her was¡ª


    ''I want to go home.''


    Even back when they first met when she was interrogating him, Maria had the same desire. Rhys found it weird, however, as the prerequisite of him being able to read people''s desires was that it should have something to do with him; directly or not.


    But then again, he was basically Maria''s job right now.


    "Ma''am, am I permitted to ask you a question?" Rhys whispered into his mic as he stared at Maria. Maria, however, did not respond at all. Rhys was about to look away as he let himself slouch on his chair, but he heard Maria''s breath from the headphones.


    "...You''ve been asking me questions since earlier, Mr. Wilder," Maria replied without looking at Rhys, "I''m allowing you to ask one in hopes you will cooperate with uster."


    "I¡­ was already nning on fully cooperating, Ma''am," Rhys sighed, "You travel a lot in your job, do you ever miss your family?"


    "My family¡­?" Maria whispered.


    "I''m only asking since I also spent months away, but¡­ I didn''t technically have a family to go home to," Rhys rested his head back.


    "A home," Maria turned to look at the scenery outside, "I don''t have such a thing."


    "Are you one of those that consider their work as their home?"


    "You can say that."


    "Do you want to join Katarina and I for dinner soon?" Rhys nced at Maria; slightly showing his face as his head was resting back, "The two of you seem to have a lot of history together, you guys can catch up."


    "So this is what this is about," Maria let out a sigh as she removed her sunsses and once again looked Rhys in the eyes,


    "You''re not adding me to your harem, Mr. Wilder. I was raised in an Olympiant household, we do not allow multiple partners in marriage."


    "That''s not what I¡ª"


    "Come to think of it, Katarina was too," Maria shook her head, "I am starting to think you are corrupting people, Mr. Wilder. Be careful I do not add that to your file, you are already listed as a womanizer."


    "That''s¡­" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he nced at the tablet beneath Maria''s seat, "...in my file?"


    "Your guild is literally named Wilder''s Harem, Mr. Wilder."


    "I¡­


    ¡­I had no hand in that."


    The flight was rtively quiet after that part of the conversation as Rhys was now trying to be extremely careful around Maria. Rhys initially thought he was being brought to the main building of the HIU, but it turns out he was just brought to the very same police station near his old school, where he was first interrogated.


    And Maria was right, he was just asked a couple of routine questions and they ultimately just ruled it as¡­ excessive self-defense, if there was such a thing.


    Rhys, however, did still find himself inside a jail cell.


    "Make yourselffortable for the night, Mr. Wilder."


    "Right¡­" Rhys could really only look at Maria as the officer behind her locked the cell.


    "Hand."


    "Can I at least make a call?" Rhys let out a sigh as the officer removed his handcuffs.


    "What for?" Maria blinked a couple of times as she looked at the handcuffs attached to his waist, "You will be fine without your harem. It''s just a single night, Mr. Wilder. You can just talk to Mr. Johnson there."


    "That¡­" Rhys nced at his cellmate, only for Mr. Johnson with Hearts floating above his head, 2 of them already red as he smiled at him, "...Then can you at least tell Katarina that I''ll be here all night?"


    "No need. Everyone knows, Mr. Wilder," Maria waved her hand as she started walking away, "You''re not exactly here incognito. And don''t worry, I''m bailing you out tomorrow myself¡­


    ¡­we have dinner, remember?"


    And as Maria walked away, Rhys saw a very small, and slightly cheeky smile forming on her face. One of the Hearts above her head, turning red.


    Is¡­ Maria the type of person that likes to see people suffer?


    Truly, an enigma of a person.


    Nothing really happened after. But Rhys made sure not to fall asleep just in case, activating his [Arise] ability whenever he felt sleepy as he observed everything around him, particrly Mr. Johnson¡­ whose desires he could hear all night. Fortunately, he seemed to be drunk.


    "Mr. Wilder, I take it you slept well?"


    And once again, true to her words, Maria escorted him out of the jail as soon as the sun rose up.


    "I have a feeling you already know the answer to that, Ma''am," Rhys let out a small sigh as he followed Maria and headed their way out of the station, "Are you also going to take me home?"


    "That''s my job," Maria nced at Rhys with a nk expression on her face, "And also, you need me to escort you home."


    "What do you¡ª"


    And as soon as Maria opened the door to the outside world, Rhys was finally bombarded by light, not from the sun, but from all the cameras that were once again pointed at him.


    "Mr. Wilder! Can you look here for a second!?"


    "A lot of people are saying you should have been sent to prison, what do you say about that!?"


    "Ben and his family are looking into pressing charges against you, do you see any reason why the court won''t approve of it?"


    "What''s your rtionship with the guild master of the Laughing Bronze?"


    "Don''t act so surprised, Mr. Wilder¡­" Maria took a step back and whispered in Rhys''s ear,


    "...This is what you wanted to happen, isn''t it?"

 Chapter 112 Rhys, The Politician

    "I¡­ won''t be answering any questions for now."


    "Rhys! Please, right now, some of your fans are hesitating to support you. What can you say about that!?"


    "Is what we saw yesterday the real you, Mr. Wilder? Should we expect more violence!?"


    Rhys was covering his eyes from all the shes of light that were drowning him. And although he had been telling the reporters that he did not want to answer any questions for now, he had actually only taken probably less than a dozen steps from the door of the police station.


    And of course, Maria noticed exactly that. Rhys''s hesitation and uncertainty¡­ they were all an act. Maria already pushed some of the reporters to fully make way for him to walk through, but Rhys did not even take it and even took a step back as he pretended to be disturbed by the shes of light.


    And so, Maria stopped any efforts to escort Rhys out of this chaos and just stood behind him.


    "Well, Mr. Wilder¡­" Maria leaned closer to Rhys and whispered into his ear,


    "...This is what you wanted to happen, isn''t it? I won''t be part of your act any further than this."


    "What are you going on about, Ma''am?" Rhys whispered as he continued to avoid the lenses.


    "Should we just move through the shadows so we can get you out of here, then?"


    "..." Rhys did not really answer and just closed his eyes. This woman, just how perceptive is she, exactly?


    "Everyone." And as Maria truly no longer had any ns on pushing the reporters away, Rhys finally removed the hand that was covering his face as he looked at each of the lenses in front of him,


    "I am¡­ addressing those who were expecting more from me," Rhys then let out a short but very deep sigh as he shook his head, "I am truly sorry that you have to see any of that. I am not going to make any excuses¡­


    ¡­at that moment, I just wanted to hurt him."


    "!!!"


    Even with the sun already veiling them from above, the storm that came from everyone''s cameras caused everything to just turn white after Rhys''s statement ¡ª one could not even see him anymore from all the light that showered him.


    "What do you mean by that, Mr. Wilder!?"


    "Are you saying you were going to kill him!?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head again, "I know he could take it. If there is one thing I know, it''s how durable us people could really be ¡ª I went through it for years."


    "What did you go through, Mr. Wilder!? We all heard you whispering to Ben! You said you were burnt and your flesh was torn, is that true!? Some are saying you''re just making it up!"


    "Let''s¡­ not mince words anymore," Rhys forced out a small chuckle, "I''m a Lowborn, and all of you are aware of what that entails. I''m strong now, but not even a year ago, any of you could flick me on the head and I would fly. All of you have seen what happened to me when I was a child¡­ when Ss West violently murdered my mother right in front of me¡­


    ¡­and then brutalized my sister on top of her corpse."


    "...Brutalized?" All the reporters looked at each other as they heard Rhys''s words. Of course, they were aware of his story. The entire world may have chosen to forget it, but not them, they were reporters.


    "What do you mean by¡ª"


    "Raped," Rhys did not wait for anyone to finish their question, "Now tell me, how could one not be violent after witnessing all of that? And knowing I was helpless in all of it."


    "...But Ss was 12?" The reporters expressed their confusion.


    "And my sister even younger."


    "Do you have anything to say to your sister!? Which name do you prefer to call her, Chloe or Emilia!?"


    "I hope that she''s happy with all of her decisions."


    "Are all of these true!?" The reporters scrambled to make sure that their microphones were getting each and every word that came out of Rhys''s mouth, "Are you not afraid that they will be pressing charges of defamation!? He is currently the Cerberus guild''s star!"


    "Then let theme," Rhys turned to look at the camera that was right in front of him, "If there truly is justice in this world¡­


    ¡­it won''t be after me."


    ***


    "Just how many speeches are we going to allow this Rhys Wilder to tell the people!? Banner, why did you not tell your daughter to keep her dog on a leash!? I mean, why was he even allowed to leave the Underworld Corps!?"


    The secretary to the President of Amerka, Karen Jacobs, had been screaming and hitting her desk for more than an entire hour now, and in front of her was General Banner, and two other old men both with stern looks on their faces.


    "It''s a free country, Jacobs." And almost in contrast with Secretary Karen''s fuming words, General Banner''s demeanor waspletely rxed as he even lit up a smoke in her office, "Free speech and all that."


    "It''s not!" Karen once again screamed; the veins on her neck almost popping out as she pointed at General Banner, "And he''s a Lowborn!"


    "Stuff your mouth with balls, Jacobs. Someone might hear you," General Banner scoffed.


    "You know what I mean!" Karen then changed the target of her finger to therge TV on the side of the room with Rhys''s face on it, "We can''t have someone like him just running his mouth as he pleases! Have you not seen what the other countries are saying about us!?"


    "Ack, let them talk. This is the problem with your generation, you people have no balls and you let words hurt you," General Banner gestured to Karen, before pointing his fingers at the two other old gentlemen sitting beside him, "In our age, we let our fists ta¡ªNo, wait. These two have probably not even used their hands to jack off another soldier!


    I swear, why am I surrounded by a bunch of hippie doodie pussies!?"


    "...What?" Karen and the two other gentlemen could not help but feel confused. And as General Banner stood up, Karen could not help but stomp her way toward him and stop him in his tracks, "Where do you think you''re going!? We are not done here!"


    "We¡­" General Banner removed the cigarette from his mouth and puffed it out right on the secretary''s face, "...will not get anything done sitting around here."


    "Solve this, General Banner¡­" Karen did not back away, however, as she just stared the General in the eyes, "...Or I will."


    "Your lucky day, this is not my jurisdiction, Jacobs," General Banner chuckled as he walked past the secretary, "And haven''t you heard¡­


    ¡­I''m on my way to retirement, gonna get some of those benefits I fought so hard for."


    "Banner!" Karen raised her voice even further. But as General Banner just shut the door on her, the only thing she could really do was look at the two remaining old men left in the room with her, "I guess that leaves you two¡­


    ¡­control this situation before it gets worse."


    ***


    "I have already seen the details of your current address, but I did not realize it was truly this small."


    "It''s smaller now that you''re here."


    "I am your guest, Katarina. Do not be rude, I even brought all of your boyfriend, singr, back safely."


    "He''s not my boyfriend!" "Thank you for bailing him out." "You have balls, I like that."


    Katarina, Lina, and Ayesha all spoke at the same time, causing Maria to just lean back from her chair and take a sip of her coffee. The five of them were currently seated around Rhys''s small table, with Maria''s eyes just scanning each nook and cranny of Rhys''s apartment.


    Unfortunately for Maria, there wasn''t that much to inspect or observe as his apartment truly was small. Truly a reflection of Rhys himself, all the juicy stuff is inside.


    "From what I know, the two apartments beside this one are owned by both of you, right?" Maria looked at Lina and Katarina, "Why not just break down the walls?"


    "Oh, I was actually already nning that with Rhys," Lina was the one to answer, "Privacy isn''t really an issue, and with the added space, we can even make space for a bedroom. It''ll be even bigger if Kat joins."


    "That is not going to happen," Katarina shook her head.


    "Well, I guess you''re here most of the time anyway," Lina sighed.


    "And¡­" Maria turned to look at Ayesha.


    "Oh, I sleep on the couch ¡ª the bed if Rhys decides to fuck," Ayesha let out a small chuckle while Maria almost choked on her coffee.


    "That''s¡­ really alright with you?" Maria squinted her eyes as she stared at Lina.


    "Yeah," Lina shrugged, "Like how Explorers need to work in teams to defeat stronger monsters, I¡­ kinda can''t defeat Rhys on my own."


    "Does that mean¡­ the three of you have done it together?"


    "Well¡­" Lina awkwardly looked at Ayesha, "...Not yet. We''re not really that close yet."


    "Can we please stop talking about this?" Katarina stood up and lightly mmed her palm on the table, "Why are you here exactly, Maria?"


    "Didn''t Mr. Wilder tell you?" Maria took another sip of her coffee, "He invited me for dinner."


    "It''s¡­ one in the afternoon!"


    "Well, that''s okay¡­" Maria ced her coffee on the table,


    "...We can talk until then, no?"

 Chapter 113 Surrounded

    "All of that¡­ happened?"


    "Yup, the Recruit was pretty much dead then. But god damn, let me tell you this ¡ª that was probably the moment I first started having thoughts of fucking him."


    "That is too much information."


    "Well, that is what you are here for, right?"


    True to her words, Maria did stay until dinner. But since no one really wanted to cook, the group just ordered some oriental takeout¡­and beer. And instead of the table, they were eating on the sofa; with Rhys on the floor with Lina, who had her legs over hisp.


    "Stop giving her more to write in our files," Katarina let out a long and deep sigh as she took a sip of beer, "She will only use that against us."


    "What''s with you two anyway, Kat?" Lina pointed her chopsticks at Katarina, "You guys old buddies or something?"


    "Colleagues," Katarina quickly answered. Maria, on the other hand, shook her head.


    "She was my boss," Maria answered, "We were part of a select team."


    "Maria," Katarina clicked her tongue.


    "They are giving me information, K. It is only right that I reciprocate," Maria also chugged her beer before turning to look at Ayesha again, "You don''t drink?"


    "No use, I can''t get drunk anymore," Ayesha breathed out, "It''s just bitter and no fun."


    "Much like K," Maria forced out a tiny chuckle. And with her almost robotic demeanor, she just looked incredibly weird, "Let me save that information on my phone before I forget about it."


    "Ah, I get it now!" Lina pointed her bottle at Katarina, "The two of you were special ops! I''ve been thinking about what Ayesha said before she was cut off ¡ª but you guys are assassins!"


    "Oh?" Maria blinked, "That is very perceptive of you."


    "Your shadow abilities, Kat''s abnormally good knife skills and all those unnecessary scalpels," Lina''s mouth grew wider and wider, "I mean¡­ it just makes sense!"


    "Ugh¡­" Katarina could really only lower her head and cover her face as Lina kept pointing at her andughing. But after a few seconds, she nced at Rhys to see what he was thinking¡­ but he was just staring at the walls while holding his spoon.


    "Tell us more about it, quick!" Lina grabbed a beer and started chugging on it as she waited for Maria to say more.


    "No." But s, Maria just shook her head in response, "I will have to kill you if I tell you."


    "...Right," Lina''s cheery tone quickly turned into disappointment as she removed her legs from Rhys''sp, careful not to push his bowl, "You''ve been quiet since earlier, Sir. What''s up?"


    "Hm¡­?" Rhys snapped out of his stupor, only to see everyone staring at him, "Oh, I''m¡­ not really thinking of anything. I''m just¡­ happy, you know?"


    "Happy that you''re surrounded by several hot women who are all older than you?" Ayesha scooched over the sofa and leaned closer to Rhys; a cheeky grin, slowly crawling her face.


    "Yes," Rhys, however, did not hesitate to answer Ayesha''s slightly joking question, "Just a year ago, the only one I had was myself. Dr. Katarina was there, of course, but I mostly kept to myself and did not let her get near."


    "Rhys¡­" A hint of a smile crawled on Katarina''s face.


    "But now, I''m surrounded by all of you wonderful people," Rhys breathed out, "And I don''t think I really deserve it."


    "Of course, you do¡­" Katarina almost leaped to the floor as she quickly ced her hand on Rhys''s leg, "...Why would you even think that?"


    "Because of what I am," Rhys looked Katarina in the eyes, "Of the horrible things I have done and about to do."


    "Are you about to do something we won''t like, Mr. Wilder?" Maria ced her beer on the table, "Have you killed someone? Outside the Underworld and Underworld Corps?"


    "Maria," Katarina quickly red at Maria; any gentleness she had when she was talking to Rhys,pletely gone.


    "It''s fine, Doctor," Rhys held Katarina''s hand as he looked Maria in the eyes. His mind, reying the scenes, the screams and carnage of what he had done back in Old York High ¡ª the breaths of relief they gave when they opened the door, thinking they were about to be saved. But when they saw Rhys, their breaths of relief quickly became breaths of confusion¡­


    ¡­and then they were just scared. Scared as he sliced the neck of the very person who opened the door. They could have actually killed Rhys due to their numbers, but their panic got the best of them, allowing Rhys to just wreak havoc and kill them brutally one by one like grass.


    "No," Rhys then smiled and answered, "At least no one who did not deserve it."


    "You probably should not say the second part next time someone asks you that question, Mr. Wilder," Maria let out a small but very deep sigh, "Especially to strangers."


    "You''re not a stranger, Ma''am. Not anymore."


    "Hm¡­?" Maria slightly raised an eyebrow as she saw Rhys still smiling at her.


    "You''re Dr. Katarina''s friend, that automatically makes you my friend as well," Rhys breathed out, "And since Dr. Kat''s practically bought everything in this house, I feel like you''re also very wee here¡­


    ¡­in our home."


    "I''ll¡­" Maria blinked a couple of times; her hands, not knowing whether to just stay in ce or grab her beer. But after a few seconds, she just let out a sigh and took a sip of her beer,


    "...hold you on that offer, Mr. Wilder."


    "And you''ve also sort of arrested me twice now, that counts for something."


    "That''s true as well."


    "I''ll cheers to that," Lina quickly raised her bottle, "To new friends."


    "...To old friends," Katarina could really only let out a sigh as she also raised her bottle, "Who keep revealing things she shouldn''t."


    Ayesha also grabbed one of the empty bottles on the floor and raised it.


    As for Rhys, he just raised his bowl; his eyes¡­ staring at the Hearts floating above Maria''s head, 2 of them, now filled.


    "Now that we''ve all shared and revealed some personal information about ourselves," Maria ced her bottle back on the table and once again turned to look at Rhys, "I need an official statement from you, Mr. Wilder. Orders from the top."


    "...What''s this about now?" Katarina could really only roll her eyes and groan, "I feel like you''ve mixed up the order here."


    "Interrogation tactics 101; make them feelfortable to disarm them," Maria leaned back before getting her tablet from her bag, "Your rose to poprity, the influence thates with it. What are you nning to do with that, Mr. Wilder?"


    "...What kind of question is that?" Katarina raised an eyebrow.


    "Yeah, that''s weird," Lina also could not help but squint her eyes before turning to look at Ayesha, whosex demeanor was all but gone as she just stared at Maria.


    "That''s not something someone from the HIU would ask," Katarina also red at Maria.


    "I told you, orders from the top," Maria raised a finger in the air, "The top, top. Above my pay-grade top. They are very curious with Mr. Wilder."


    "...The White House?" Lina blinked a couple of times, "Why would they be interested in Rhys?"


    "Of course, they would be," Ayesha let out a very long and deep breath as she leaned her back on the sofa, "I guess the old man would be trying to contact me soon too. Fuck¡­ my balls are hurting just thinking about it."


    "Can¡­ you borate on your question, Ma''am?" Rhys let out a small hum as he stood up from the floor and sat on the sofa.


    "You are obviously trying to do something, Mr. Wilder ¡ª and the people from the top have already noticed that," Maria nodded, "You were afraid of cameras, terrified of it. And yet you overcame that phobia eerily quickly and even started streaming¡­ and speaking to the people. And you even announced the creation of your guild, obviously aimed at the other Lowborns like yourself."


    "I do not see why they would be wary of me with just that, Ma''am," Rhys sighed, "A lot of Explorers are doing the same."


    "But you are not just an Explorer, Mr. Wilder," Maria shook her head, "You are a Sergeant of the Underworld Corps, lover of the Commander of the Underworld Corps, in a rtionship with someone considered to be nobility in her home country."


    "...What?" Not only Rhys, but Ayesha and Katarina all turned their heads toward Lina, who just shrugged in response.


    "You did not know that, Mr. Wilder?" Maria let out a small hum as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "You are connected to some very powerful people. You are also connected to the mayor of this city, who is not quiet in voicing his support for Lowborns."


    "Ack, all of this because of politics," Ayesha let out another groan, "Just tell those pigs who probably haven''t even touched a single monster dick to just suck their own balls."


    "What I am trying to say, Mr. Wilder¡­" Maria then ced her tablet on the table and slid it toward Rhys,


    "...is that they are afraid of you, of what you mean to the world."


    "This is¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at the images on the tablet. And no matter what angle he looked at it, it looked like the outside of his apartment.


    "You are being watched, Mr. Wilder. That''s a live view of the building."


    "What in the balls!?" Ayesha quickly grabbed another bottle from the floor before rushing to the window. And as soon as she saw the drone flying outside, she threw the bottle toward it without any hesitation;pletely shattering both.


    "That is not going to do anything," Maria shook her head, "They are outside right now, and every other tenant in this building has been evacuated and reced by them. They are just waiting for your answer, Mr. Wilder."


    "And¡­ what are they going to do..." Rhys once again looked Maria in the eyes,


    "...If I say I''m nning to reshape the world?"

 Chapter 114 A Tree

    "...And what if I said I was nning to reshape the world?"


    And with those words escaping Rhys''s lips, silence took over the entire apartment as all the women just stared at him.


    Katarina looked incredibly concerned, Lina looked curious, while Ayesha, who was the only one standing, seemedpletely amused.


    As for Maria, she did not show any change of emotion as usual; her breaths, however, did get noticeably heavier.


    "Are you saying you are going to topple the government, Mr. Wilder?" Maria squinted her eyes, "Can¡­ I take that as your official statement?"


    "Rhys¡­" Katarina quickly held Rhys''s hand, gripping it as tight as she could as she shook her head.


    "Because if that is your official statement, you will officially be seen as a threat and branded as a terrorist," Maria then grabbed something from her pocket ¡ª a radio.


    "You¡­ were recording us!?" Lina quickly stood up as a gust of wind quickly started dancing around her arm, "That is totally not cool, dude!"


    "None of you have to worry," Maria quickly raised her hand in surrender, "This is not transmitting or recording anything right now. It was earlier, but I made sure to only transmit those that would not make your situation worse, Mr. Wilder. To be clear, I am not on your side, and I am not on the government''s side."


    "Then which side are you on?" Ayesha crossed her arms as she looked Maria in the eyes.


    "Myself," Maria smiled, or at least she attempted to, making everyone else in the apartment extremely ufortable, "And I am only doing my job the way I feel doing it. And so, Mr. Wilder¡­


    ¡­can I take that as your official statement?"


    "Release the button, Ma''am," Rhys did not give a straight answer as he just looked at the transmitter she was holding, "You said it would start transmitting as soon as you let it go?"


    "Yes."


    "Let it go."


    "Very well, it is your funeral, Mr. Wilder," Maria then released the button and ced it on the table before nodding to Rhys.


    Rhys, however, just sat there; resting his chin on his fist as he looked at Katarina, who was still shaking her head and quietly pleading to Rhys not to say anything that would incriminate him. Rhys just looked at her, before letting out a short but very deep breath.


    "For years, my kind has been persecuted, discriminated, and bullied against by everyone," Rhys then started speaking and making sure that whoever was listening on the other side was hearing him clearly,


    "And you allughed while watching it happen. Not even a hundred years ago, Lowborns like myself were almost wiped out by a Noble. And just a hundred years before that, we were ves. And in turn, my people grew angry and started to fight back. But what could they even do, when the only thing their anger could turn into was hunger? We just¡­ die."


    "..."


    "We are forgotten, forced to shy away from society and live in the Underworld. Crime is the only thing we could do, because that is the only thing the world is allowing us to do," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh, "You ask me what I want, and what I want is justice¡­


    ¡­but I know I won''t get it, not here."


    "Be very careful with the next words you utter, Mr. Wilder," Maria also started shaking her head at Rhys.


    "Why is everyone so serious?" And all of a sudden, Rhys just let out a small chuckle and started to rx in his seat, "I am not going to do anything, Ma''am. Because everything I ever wanted is already here by my side¡­


    ¡­4 beautiful women, all listening to what I say. Maybe 5, if the one listening on the other side is a woman."


    "Hm¡­ that was unnecessary," Maria grabbed the transmitter and returned it to her pocket.


    "These government tools will probably be even more wary of you now, Recruit," Ayesha could really only let out a groan as she let herself fall onto the sofa, dropping beside Rhys and looking at him with her head upside down,


    "I guess I''m not gonna be returning to the Underworld Corps anytime soon, this is getting interesting."


    "What did they say!?" Lina quickly approached Maria and sat beside her, "Are they on their way here!? Isn''t this an abuse of authority!?"


    "They are¡­" Maria turned to look to the side as she touched her left ear, "...withdrawing."


    "What¡­ why?" Katarina blinked a couple of times.


    "That is above my pay grade to know," Maria shrugged, "The only reason they gave this task to me is that they already know I am spending some time with you, Mr. Wilder. But I am with you, K. I was expecting them to just rush inside this apartment and arrest Mr. Wilder."


    "Arrest him with what¡­?" Lina scoffed as she gestured to Rhys, "Everything he said was true. What could they even charge him with, being honest?"


    "Oh, sweet Lina¡­" Ayesha sat up from the sofa and sighed, "...You don''t seem to know the depths of what the government is willing to do to even just a speck of threat."


    "They could charge him with coup d''etat, Ms. Churchill," Maria crossed her legs before grabbing another bottle of beer, "Truthfully, even if he hasn''t said anything, just his connections alone and the abilities he has shown so far would give the government a reason to remove him."


    "Why¡­ do you think they''re letting me roam free, then?" Rhys asked.


    "As I said, above my pay grade," Maria took a small gulp of her beer before shaking her head, "Enough work, they are not even paying me for this overtime¡­


    ¡­shall we go back to just chatting casually?"


    "The nerve on this¡­" Katarina could really only adjust her sses as she red at Maria, "...just go home."


    "Oh," Maria blinked a couple of times as she looked at Rhys, "I thought you said I was wee to treat this as my home, Mr. Wilder¡­


    ¡­and I even brought my own pillow."


    ***


    "It is good that you still listen to reason, Madam Secretary."


    "You¡­ really think you could get away with this? This is the most secure building in the entire world."


    "You overestimate your country''s capabilities."


    Back in the office of the Secretary to the President, Secretary Karen was currently seated on her chair¡ªno, she was being forced to sit on the chair by therge knife floating just millimeters away from her neck. And in front of her¡­


    ¡­was the mayor of Old York.


    "I knew it, I fucking knew Rhys Wilder is some sort of nt." And even with arge knife on her neck, Karen still did not stray her eyes away from the Mayor, "You think no one is waiting for you outside that door right now as we speak!?"


    "If there are people outside your office, I suggest you withdraw them too," the mayor let out a small chuckle as he leaned his back on the chair, almost not fitting his enormous figure.


    "What is it that you want!?" Karen wanted to stand up from her seat, but as she did so, someone suddenly appeared holding the floating knife on her neck ¨C the Mayor''s assistant, Dan, whose eyesses were glimmering even though the office was dim.


    "Did you not hear what Rhys Wilder said?" The Mayor let out another hearty chuckle as he pointed at the radio on the Secretary''s desk, "Justice for the Lowborns."


    "You''re doing all of this¡­ because of your tform?" Secretary Karen raised an eyebrow, "...Are you nning to run for President!?"


    "...Why would I support the Lowborns?" The Mayor raised an eyebrow; hisrge knuckles, slightly making a noise as they started tapping his chair, "If I wanted to be president, I would cater to the Commoners more. They are, after all, the mostmon."


    "Then what?" Karen gritted her teeth, "What do you want to happen that you went through all of this just to not have us lock Rhys away?"


    "Let''s just say that I''m curious," the Mayor stood up from his seat before gesturing to Assistant Dan to let Karen go, "You say that Rhys is a nt; not at all, Madam Secretary."


    "Then¡ª"


    "Rhys is a tree," the Mayor grinned as he walked toward the window to look at the view outside, "A tree that is about to bore a fruit that billions of people will eat. Some will like him, and most will definitely hate the taste. But you can be sure¡­


    ¡­people will start fighting over him. They already are."


    ***


    "Damn it!"


    Somewhere in a tall but archaic-looking building, a blue-haired man wearing a bulky armor with the emblem of a three-headed dog adorning it was running amok. Throwing everything he could get his hands on everywhere, leaving the other people in the room with no choice but to just dodge his anger, literally.


    "This¡­ this man think he could dere war against us!?" The man let out another roar as he pointed at the shattered TV behind him. And although one could barely even see because of the cracks, it was clear just from the hair alone that the image on it was Rhys during his interview in front of the police station,


    "Does he think the Cerberus guild, my guild, is something to be taken lightly!?"


    "Ed, calm down. Please."


    "Calm down!? I am calm!" Edward, the guild master of the Cerberus guild, almost pulled out his hair as he looked at the person that just tried to speak to him,


    "Find out¡­


    ¡­find out which Hole this fucker is crawling in next!"

 Chapter 115 Wilders Harem

    "Where is Rhys Wilder!? Why can''t any of you find him!?"


    "We actually have news that he has started recruiting people into his guild today, but we are finding it hard to find more information about it for some reason."


    "I don''t fucking care about his guild! Find him! Scour every Hole you can find!"


    "His¡­ guild does not really own any Holes yet, Mr. Edward. He only established it this month."


    "Then why is it that no matter where I go, I see his fucking face!? And why is he already recruiting people when his guild doesn''t even own any Holes yet!?"


    It has been a few weeks since Rhys indirectly challenged the Cerberus guild during his interview after the incident with the Laughing Bronze, and even though Rhys has not personally shown himself or even put up a stream even once, every news and media outlet in the world was showing him.


    "Do you see this!?" Edward, the guild master of the Cerberus guild, was once again running amok inside his office as he threw a tablet to his assistant, "Look at that!"


    "I''ve¡­ seen this," Edward''s assistant looked at the tablet, only for him to quickly turn it off as his eyes reflected the horrendous statistics of the poprity of their guild ¡ª no. Their guild was more popr than ever, but their approval rating was currently moving into the negatives.


    When they recruited Ss into their guild, their approval rating also plummeted, but this was quickly fixed when Rhys''s sister joined the guild and the two reconciled in public. But now, once again, everyone was against them.


    "Honestly, Mr. Edward. You should stop caring so much about this social media thing," Edward''s assistant could really only sigh as he ced the tablet on Edward''s desk, "We are an Explorer guild, our job is to explore the Underworld and hunt some materials, then get rich in the process. Weren''t you the one who told me that?"


    "Fuck that!" Edward mmed his fist on his desk,pletely destroying it, "This is the reason why we can''t surpass Cillian''s guild!"


    "Well¡­ one could argue the Ages of Man guild has better achievements than us," Edward''s assistant sighed as he looked at the poor desk, "And they have 5 of the only 18 Noble Explorers in the country, we only have 2 ¡ª Vice Guildmaster Adam, and¡ª"


    "That brat," Edward brushed up his blue hair and finally sat down on his chair, causing him to almost hit the wall behind him as the wheels rolled and he had no desk to grab onto, "How is he performing? Does he have the potential to be as strong as Adam?"


    "He is not at the same level as most of our veterans yet," Edward''s assistant shook his head, "But the vice guildmaster said he could have the potential to surpass him if he is trained and supplied enough Enhancers."


    "As it should be, I spent a good deal to bring him to us," Edward grumbled as he looked at his assistant, "Bring him to me¡­


    ¡­and Rhys Wilder''s sister as well."


    ***


    "What¡­ is going on here, why are there so many people?"


    Somewhere on the edge of the Safe Zone epassing Old York, there was a crowd of people falling in line outside a seemingly abandoned building. The building wasn''t tall at all and probably only had 3 floors, but it was, at the very least, around 200 sqm and spacious inside.


    And although the building did look seemingly abandoned, its windows which served mostly as its walls were as clear as they could be.


    And with a big crowd gathering there, those who were just previously passing by the building could not help but be curious as to what was happening. After all, most of the buildings and infrastructures that were ced near the Danger Zone were mostly hotels, motels, restaurants, and stores that sell things one would not¡­ necessarily be allowed to sell in the proper areas of the cities.


    In short, the people who stay on the edges of the Danger Zone were suspicious and dubious individuals. Most of the buildings there were actually just temporary and just clumsily made of wood and all sorts of materials, some were even straight-out oversized trailers so that they could easily abandon or escape when a surprise mandatory inspection happened.


    The abandoned building already stood out since no one has been renting or leasing it for years. And suffice it to say, now that there was suddenly a crowd gathered in front of the building, it garnered the attention of the area''s residents and guests.


    ¡­Even more so since almost half of the people were wearing hoodies or caps.


    "Oi, can you tell me what''s going on here?" One of the locals pulled one of the men falling in front of the building, only for him to slightly back away as the man''s hoodie drooped down, revealing his extremely dark hair, ck.


    "What the fuck is a Lowborn doing all the way out here? You¡ª!!!"


    And before the local could even finish his words, he noticed that most of the people in line were now looking at him ¡ª and hiding beneath all of their caps and hoodies were hairs of ck. There were also Commoners there, but they too, were ring at the man.


    "F¡­ freaks!" The local quickly backed away and returned to wherever he was moments ago, telling everyone about what he saw.


    The people falling in line in front of the building did not seem to mind, however, as they just minded their own business and continued to chat with each other.


    "When do you think they are letting us in? It''s getting hot."


    "Right¡­ we''ve been waiting here for hours. Are we sure this is even the right ce?"


    "I¡­ I spent half of my savings to get here. Please, don''t let this be a scam."


    "Are you alright, do you want some water?"


    "I don''t need a Commoner''s help! You think I''m thirsty just because I''m a Lowborn!?"


    "...Where did that evene from?"


    The crowd were starting to get agitated for having waited so long. It did not help that the climate near the Danger Zones was not really the mostfortable, as the air is humid and hot. But still, even with some of the crowdining, none of them left their spot in fear that someone else would get ahead of them.


    Fortunately, they did not have to wait long as they saw someone from the inside finally open the ss door ¡ª Lina.


    "Everyone!" Lina used her wind control to amplify her voice, quickly causing everyone to just turn toward her direction, even those who were in the back who couldn''t see her. For those who can, however, they could not help but widen their eyes as they were mesmerized by Lina, whose face almost looked like a doll; herplexion, even more amplified by the dark-gray short dress she was wearing.


    "Maintain this line as you go inside, and please, don''t push each other!"


    Nothing really happened as all of the people in line just neatly entered the building. After all, if there was something Lowborns excelled at, it was keeping their heads down and just following orders ¡ª this was nothing.


    And soon, all of them were asked to gather in rows and columns in front of a stage that was obviously just built. Most of them wondered what was happening, but soon, all of their whispers dwindled away as they finally saw the person they hade there for.


    And unlike most of his appearances on TV, the atmosphere around the entire building justpletely changed as soon as they saw him; their hearts thumping along with each of his steps. There and then, they knew that something was truly different about him.


    He was wearing a dark gray suit, with a red band tied on his right sleeve that was just iling with the wind as he walked up the stage ¡ª and although none of them could clearly see his face still since it was hidden by his hair, it did not really matter, they knew what he looked like.


    "Rhys¡­"


    "Mr. Wilder, Mr. Wilder!"


    And as Rhys finally stepped onto the stage, he quickly raised his hand before the crowd could start cheering and calling his name.


    "Please¡­" Rhys then let out a small whisper, which resounded throughout the speakers scattered across the building, "...I am not running for office."


    "Pft."


    "I didn''t know our boy''s got jokes!"


    Rhys let out a small chuckle as he scanned the crowd in front of him. And suffice it to say, almost half of them were women ¡ª all of them, with Hearts floating above their heads. And to Rhys''s surprise, or perhaps not, a good number of them already had some of their Hearts filled.


    "I know all of you havee a very long way, and I am not going to waste any more of your time," Rhys turned to look at the side of the stage, gesturing to Ayesha, who had also reced her camo pants with a dark gray one,


    "All of you are actually already wee to the guild."


    "...What!?"


    Most of the Lowborns could not help but look at each other in shock and surprise as they heard Rhys''s words.


    "Does that mean¡­ we''re in the guild?"


    "Yes," Rhys nodded his head as he slightly raised his palm, "There is just one condition you need to do."


    "Wh¡ª!!!"


    And before anyone could ask what the condition was, they saw Ayesha just stab Rhys''s hand, with the knife going through his palm and back.


    "Stab your own hand."

 Chapter 116 Isnt This... A Cult!?

    "Stab your own hand."


    "W¡­ what the fuck!?"


    The excited look on everyone''s face waspletely reced by shock as they stared at Rhys''s hand. And as Ayesha removed the knife, everyone watched as his blood started to shower everywhere on the stage.


    The people would have probably been screaming or whispering to each other right now, but their shock was too overwhelming to the point that they could truly only just stare at Rhys.


    "I have ced enough knives in front of the stage." And finally, after letting the silence linger on for a couple of seconds, Rhys spoke up and gestured to the table that was on the front of the stage¡ªand there, the crowd finally noticed the knives,


    "Stab your hand, and you will be considered part of the guild. If not, you will bepensated for all the expenses you have wasted going here."


    "This¡­ this is crazy!" And soon, people started raising their voices.


    "Who would even do something like that!? We¡­ we promised equality when¡ª" The person that opened that topic instantly shut his mouth as Rhys''s blood started to trail down the stage, "I''m¡­ I''m going home, I''m not going to be a part of whatever this¡ª!!!"


    And before the man could finish his words and anyone else couldin, one of the applicants approached the table and stabbed his hand without any hesitation.


    "Kh¡­" He was clearly in pain; tears immediately falling from his eyes. But he just gritted his teeth.


    "K¡­Kobe!?" The man''s Commoner friend, who seemed to have apanied Kobe to take the admission, could not help but rush toward him with a panicked expression on his face, "What are you doing, brother!? Are you trynna kill yourself out here!?"


    "Don''t," Kobe quickly moved his hand away from his friend as he tried to check it. And instead, he looked up at the stage and looked Rhys in the eyes, who quickly nodded his head in response before cing his hand on his chest; the blood flowing from his hand, dampening his suit.


    "...Aight," Kobe once again greeted his teeth and sucked in a deep breath before pulling the knife from his hand. And without breaking eye contact with Rhys, he also ced his hand on his chest and nodded; pulling down his hood and revealing his braided hair that was even darker than his dark brown skin.


    "This¡­ is fucked, man," Kobe''s friend shook his head, "Something ain''t right about this, I am telling you that dregga crazy. I thought we was just hanging out here and looking, man. Not getting impaled by no knife, bro. This is fucked up and we need to get that hand checked."


    "No. I''m tired of mopping them floors and getting shout at, man."


    Kobe''s friend tried pulling him away, but Kobe just remained in his spot; his eyes, not leaving Rhys at all. It wasn''t only his friend, there were a lot of people that just started leaving; mostly Commoners, but there were still some, however, who seemed reluctant to leave as they all just looked at each other.


    But soon, another grabbed a knife from the table; her hand,pletely terrified of what she was about to do. She looked up at Rhys, who was also now looking at her.


    "Please¡­" The woman whispered, "...Let this mean something."


    And with those words escaping her lips, she gritted her teeth and lowered her head as she pushed the knife through her hand.


    "Ghk," the woman wanted to scream, but settled for a high-pitched gasp as she pushed the knife further. And then, with another quiet shriek, she quickly pulled the knife and looked back at Rhys, also cing her bleeding hand on her chest while removing her cap and revealing her long ck hair.


    And very soon, more and more approached the table and started stabbing themselves. Their loud breaths, creating an orchestra of pain and blind trust.


    "Well¡­" And soon, the very first Commoner from the crowd approached the table, "...I''ve done worse for my idols. And you''re much, much better."


    The female Commoner grabbed a knife from the table and just quickly stabbed herself while looking at Rhys. And as soon as Rhys turned to look at her, she quickly removed the knife and started licking it with her unusually long tongue. She also licked her hand before cing it on her chest¡­ quite tightly.


    "Nah, you people are insane," Kobe''s friend could really only shake his head as he started backing away as more and more people approached the stage, to the point he found it hard to move through the crowd. Fortunately, after a few seconds, he was able to escape through the crowd along with the others who wanted nothing to do with whatever was going on inside.


    "My god, this is a fucking cult!"


    "You was in there too? You saw that, right!?"


    Those who did not want to stab themselves were now all at the back of the crowd, all of them, just talking to each other and watching as the others continued to mutte themselves in front of Rhys.


    "Hi guys!" And while they were still quite shocked by what was happening, Lina once again approached them with a smile on their face, "This is quite¡­ shocking, right?"


    "Shocking¡­? The fuck it is! Are you building a cult!?"


    "...A cult?" Lina could not help but let out a tiny chuckle as soon as she heard those words, "No. God, I hope not. That''s just the assessment that Rhys thought since he was sure most of the people that would join the guild are Lowborns, and it wouldn''t actually make sense to do a physical test."


    "How is stabbing yourself with a knife a test!?"


    "Well¡­" Lina just shrugged as she looked at Rhys just standing on the stage with his hand still bleeding, "...We''re about to tell you, but I doubt you would understand."


    "What do you¡ª"


    "And also, you guys should stay here for a while. We''re going to reimburse everything you spent going here," Lina smiled before just walking away. And before anyone could stop and ask her questions, Rhys''s voice once again reverberated throughout the entire building.


    [I am sorry for making you do all this,] Rhys let out a whisper as he looked at all the people in front of him; their blood, painting the floor red,


    [But I know you already understand this so I will not mince words ¡ª you are weak, that is why you are here.]


    "..." Although some of the crowd flinched upon hearing Rhys''s words, they did not stray their eyes away and just continued to listen; some of them, already crying. Whether it was because of the pain or something else, only they will truly ever know.


    [And I understand, because I was weak too ¡ª weaker than most of you. As most of you might have already researched on the, I awakened my bloodte. Before that, I was beaten daily.]


    Rhys then nced at Katarina, who had just been quietly standing on the side of the stage; her eyes, slightly dejected as she pressed on something in her hand. And as she did so, a screen projected behind Rhys, showing slides of all of Rhys''s medical records back when he was still in Old York High.


    [What I said was true,] Rhys nced back at the screen, [They burned me, tortured me, shattered my bones, and yed with my broken limbs until the shards grated the inside of my flesh ¡ª and all fully knowing what happened to me when I was just 12 years old, almost like telling me that I should always and forever suffer.]


    The people watching Rhys speak could not help but take in a small gulp as they looked at Rhys''s medical records, and there were even some photos showing his injuries.


    [And you know the reason why all of those things happened to me in the first ce?] Rhys let out a sigh, [Because of my face. I''m not boasting, but they tortured me because my face is a little better looking than theirs. Because I, someone who should be lower than them, is better than them at one thing ¡ª and they did not want that. If I did not awaken my blood when I did¡­


    ¡­I would not be standing here in front of all of you right now.]


    The people were extremely silent as they all just closed their eyes; the tears some of them had been trying to hold back, nowpletely trailing down their cheeks. Even the Commoners who stabbed their hands, who did not really go through what their Lowborn friends had gone through, could not help but shed a tear for the people beside them.


    [The reason for all of this theatrics¡­] Rhys let out a small chuckle, [...is not just a test of trust, loyalty, or knowing how to follow orders. After all, I did say that what I needed were soldiers, but no. This test¡­ is for us to share our pain. To finally feel what each and every one of us are going through¡­


    ¡­to know that we are together.]


    And what followed those words was a silence that none of them could ever imagine hearing. It was almostfortable, but at the same time¡­ sensual, deep. Like all of their breaths intertwine.


    [Wee to Wilder''s Harem, everyone.] A small smile crawled on Rhys''s face as he looked at the people in front of him, [Just to be clear, I didn''t choose the name.]


    "Pft¡­" The solemn and somber air floating in the air very slowly disappeared as everyone started letting out a chuckle.


    [And also, Dr. Katarina will actually be healing all of your hands,] Rhys then turned to Katarina once more, [You¡­ are safe with her, she is also one of the reasons why I am still standing in front of all of you right now. She more than healed me.]


    "Rhys¡­" Katarina whispered to herself as she returned Rhys''s gaze.


    [And she will more than heal all of you too. Just wait for her to¡ª]


    "Wait!"


    And before Rhys could start stepping off of the stage, one of the people that left the crowd earlier shouted.


    "Can¡­ can I still join!? I''ll stab my hand!"


    [...Of course, but you would have to wait for a few hours before we can heal your wounds.]


    "What? That''s...


    ...that''s not fair!"

 Chapter 117 I Swear, This Is Not a Cult

    "Can¡­ can I still join!? I''ll stab my hand!"


    [...Of course, but you would have to wait for a few hours before we can heal your wounds.]


    "What? That''s...


    ...that''s not fair!"


    "That''s right!"


    And in no time at all, the crowd that separated from those who willingly stabbed their hands joined forces; their voices, starting to fill the entire building as they protested. There were also actually a number of Lowborns in their group, and ironically, they were the ones with the loudest voices.


    Ayesha, who was standing beside Rhys, could not help but sigh as she stepped forward. Before she could do anything, however, Rhys stretched his arm and blocked her from interfering.


    "I''ve waited hours for this! I¡­ I took a day off and I''d probably getid off, please!"


    "I¡­ I promised my wife and children I''d be part of the guild. Please, she is already threatening to leave with my daughters!"


    "I have diabetes so I hesitated. Can you please just make an exception!?"


    The crowd started approaching the table filled with knives, but since the others who had already passed the Wilder''s Harem''s test, they were not really able to move further. There was also the fact¡­ that those who passed did not seem to want to let them through.


    "Oh, please. All of you just sound like little kids making excuses," the Commoner who licked her bleeding hand while retaining eye contact with Rhys stepped forward from the group, lightly waving her waving hand at the protestors before pointing at them.


    "What would you know!? You''re a Commoner!?"


    "And they aren''t?" The woman let out a scoff as she pointed at the Lowborns standing beside her, "As I remember, the first one who stabbed himself was a dregger too."


    "You dare call us that!?"


    "Hey, I''m just saying ¡ª I''m standing on this side, I have a pass already," the woman then softly chuckled as she nced back at Rhys and winked at him.


    Rhys, however, was slightly weirded out by the woman, not because she was quite promiscuous and aggressive with her advances¡ªno, perhaps it truly was because of that, but for a very different reason.


    Most of the women in the group that stabbed themselves all had three Hearts already filled floating above their heads. But this woman who was aggressively making her known to him¡­ only had one Heart filled up out of five.


    "I''m not making excuses! I really do have diabetes!"


    "And I have high blood sugar! I''ll stab my face if you want, please!"


    "T¡­That''s right! If I knew I was going to be healed immediately after, I would have even stabbed my eye!"


    [Then do it.]


    "Huh¡­?"


    And before any of the protestors could say anything else, Riley quickly stepped off the stage. The people who had already passed the test, also quickly making way for him as he approached the table filled with knives. He then started picking up the knives that had not been used yet before proceeding to approach the protesting crowd.


    "Stab your eye," Rhys then said as he dropped the knives on the floor. And whether or not everyone''s hair stood up from hearing the knives ng in the air, or from Rhys''s slightly deep voice, no one really thought it mattered as everyone just stared at the knives,


    "Anyone who stabs their eye from now on will be healed and let into the guild."


    "But¡­ eyes can''t regenerate if they are not healed seconds after they''re damaged!" One of the Commoners stepped forward, "Are you¡­ is the healer going to heal us as soon as we stab our eye?"


    "Maybe," Rhys did not hesitate to reply as he turned to look at Katarina, who was already making her way to him with a slightly sour and worried expression on her face.


    "Rhys, what are you doing?" Katarina quickly whispered in his ear, "This wasn''t part of the n. I thought we were going to just send them home? I can''t heal that many, and especially not something as delicate as the eyes."


    And of course, whisper as she might, the others could still hear her words, which caused some of those who had already resolved themselves to back away.


    Rhys stared at Katarina for a few seconds, before just letting out a sigh and shaking his head.


    "Ten," Rhys then said as he turned his focus back on the protesting crowd, "I will only ept ten more members, but you have to stab your right eye all at the same time."


    "Rhys!? Didn''t you hear what I just said to you!?" Katarina grabbed Rhys''s bleeding hand, "I can''t heal their eyes that fast, and you''re asking them to stab their eyes all at the same time!? They¡ª"


    "I will do it."


    And before Katarina could finish her words, a female Lowborn stepped forward and grabbed a knife from the floor. The woman then turned to look at Rhys; tears, already trailing from her eyes,


    "I¡­ I was scared before, but I am choosing to trust you now."


    "May, stop!" Her friends seemed to want to stop her, but she just broke free and remained looking at Rhys. And soon, 9 more people stepped forward ¡ª all of them women.


    The breaths of the ten women were enough to pierce everyone''s ears; their high-pitched gasps, echoing through the air as they all pointed the knives at their eyes. People could see that they were hesitating, the tip of the knives going everywhere as their hands trembled uncontrobly.


    Even then, however, they all started moving their hands closer to their eyes. And with a loud scream, they all pushed the knives through their eyes at the same time.


    "Oh my god!"


    "These people are cra¡ª"


    Or so everyone thought. Everyone was expecting to see more blood and hear cries of pain, but no¡ªthere were none of that.


    Blood still did drop to the floor, but it did note from the women''s eyes, but instead from their hands. As before the tip of the de could truly prate their soft eyes, Rhys pulled away the knives from the thread that was actually sneakily attached to the hilt of the knives.


    "Wee to Wilder''s Harem," Rhys then approached each of the crying women. One even lunged toward him and embraced him, but Rhys did not seem to mind as he just brushed the woman''s hair with his bleeding hand, "And I swear¡­


    ¡­this is not a cult."


    "Thank you¡­ thank you!" The woman cried out as she nted her face on Rhys''s chest, "They¡­ they also abused me daily and¡ª"


    "I know," Rhys whispered, "I am not going to let that happen again. From now on, it is up to you if you want to follow."


    "I''ll follow¡­ I''ll follow you," the woman whispered. And it wasn''t only her, the 9 other women also looked at Rhys¡­ as if he was some sort of deity.


    And Katarina could see that, she could see everything that was happening here and¡­ she was terrified. She was terrified of what was happening, she was terrified of what was about to happen. But all she could really do for now was to support him.


    "Katarina, please," Rhys then gently pulled away from the arms of the crying woman, gesturing to Katarina to help them and start healing all those who were injured.


    "Wait! I also¡ª!!!"


    Another Lowborn from the protesting crowd rushed to get one of the knives that was still on the floor. But before he could reach it, Rhys quickly kicked the knife away¡ªcausing it to stick and prate into the wall.


    "I''m sorry. Recruitment is paused for now. We will notify all of you if we are going to ept more members in the future, but for now¡­" Rhys turned to look back at all the members they had recruited, and their numbers probably amounted to more than 70,


    "...I think we have enough."


    "You said you were going to help us, Rhys! Was that a lie!?" The protesting crowd seemed to truly not want to leave.


    "I am," Rhys started to walk away, "Please, just wait and watch."


    "But I don''t want to watch! I also want to be a part of this, I also want to help! I''m¡­ I''m tired of just waiting."


    "Brother¡­" Rhys let out another small sigh as he ced his hand on the man''s shoulder, "...You are a part of this, you have been from the start."


    "I¡­ I am?" The man''s voice trembled as he saw Rhys''s bright silver eyes looking at him beneath his hair.


    "All of you are," Rhys then turned to look at the crowd, "Just because you''re not a member of the guild, it doesn''t mean you are not a part of it. You will be called, brothers and sisters. Just¡­


    ¡­not now."


    ***


    "Fuck¡­ fuck¡­ fuck¡­"


    After themotion inside Wilder''s Harem settled down and the protesting crowd slowly dwindled as they were asked to leave, one of the Lowborns quickly hid away in the outskirts of the settlement; his steps, hasty and slightly panicking.


    He continued to jog, until he reached a pickup truck and immediately got in the car. And as soon as he was sure that he was alone¡­ he pulled down his hair and revealed his brown, slightly golden hair.


    "That¡­ that was a fucking cult," the man then quickly grabbed something from under his shirt¡ªa camera, "This¡­ this is a good scoop, fuck. Whoever my source was, thank you for¡ª!!!"


    And before the man could finish his words, he could not help but quickly curl and hide his camera as he heard a knocking from his window. He then very slowly turned his head up¡­


    ¡­only to see Rhys knocking on the window.


    "Let''s talk."

 Chapter 118 A Loyal Army

    Karl Harper. Has worked for one of Amerka''s top-leading news outlets for a few years. And although he was not yet considered to be a chief reporter at Amerka Today, he had gained enough merit that any news he brought to thepany would be put up without any questions asked.


    He had a way of digging deep and looking into sources that no one would think to even nce at. For the past few weeks, however, there was one piece of juicy scoop that has been in each and every reporter in Amerka, a scoop that eludes even him.


    He had been trying to find information about it day in and day out, but the location of the on-site recruitment of the Wilder''s Harem haspletely managed to remain covert.


    Karl had even tried to register himself through the Wilder''s Harem socials and even through their website, but he had not even gotten a single reply back. He had even paid Lowborns to do it, but they either just ran away with his money, or just refused outright to be part of whatever he was doing ¡ª already an inkling of how much influence Rhys was having on them.


    But all of a sudden, when Karl was ready to give up this scoop, one of the Lowborns he paid to register and fill up an application form sent him an email; an email containing the location of Wilder''s Harem''s recruitment site.


    And of course, without even any slight hesitation, Karl went to the site¡­


    ¡­only to find himself in some sort of cult. Rhys Wilder was saying that it was not a cult, but Karl already had experience in visiting cults to know what Rhys was building¡­ was probably worse than a cult. He was right to bring several 360-degree cameras and hide them all over his body to catch everything that has happened in that building.


    He was so excited that if he had ess to the inte right now, he would have probably gone live to broadcast the news himself.


    This wasn''t just a simple explorer report, but also a political one. This was it, this was the scoop that would let him fall into leagues of prestige¡­ or so he thought.


    Right now, Rhys Wilder was knocking on the window of his truck.


    "Let''s talk."


    Karl''s basic instincts were telling him to just drive off right now and not look back, his reporter''s instincts, however, made him open his window subconsciously.


    "Mr¡­ Mr. Wilder," Karl put up the smile he had always been using to disarm anyone he talked to, "It''s¡­ it''s a shame that I wasn''t able to join the guild. But I promise you, once you open up recruitment again, I''ll be the first one in line!"


    "May I ride with you, Sir?" Rhys said he leaned his head down, seemingly inspecting the inside of the truck, causing Karl to immediately push away and hide the ck wig he wore earlier.


    "Ride¡­ ride with me?" Karl forced out a chuckle, "Oh, is¡­ is this about the reimbursement? Please, I don''t really need it and¡ª"


    "I know who you are, Sir," Rhys let out a sigh as he started walking around the truck, gesturing to Karl to open the passenger door. And Karl, of course, opened it for Rhys, who just calmly got inside the car and sat beside him,


    "Karl Harper, reporter for Amerka Today."


    "That¡ª" Karl was going to feign ignorance more, but finally realized what had happened and could really only close his eyes and sigh, "Of course¡­ they approached you once they were in the guild."


    "No," Rhys breathed out as he shook his head, "You''re right that it was one of the people who joined the guild, but she had alreadye to find me before she even sent you that email. I asked her to send you that email."


    "You¡­ leaked the location yourself? To me¡­?" Karl took in a small gulp, not knowing whether to nce at Rhys or just run.


    "Why don''t we go for a drive, Sir?"


    Karl could not help but flinch as Rhys suddenly stretched his hand toward him, only for him to see Rhys just turn the keys to his car and start it himself.


    "Where¡­ where do you want to go?" Karl''s entire body started to tremble. He wasn''t a fool ¡ª he had heard of many news of reporters just being executed outright when they miscalcted how much they could extend their reach, and this just seemed like the kind of situation where he was about to get executed.


    "Something is going to happen very soon¡­" Rhys whispered, "...And I would like you to be in the front of it. But for now, just¡­


    ...Drive."


    ***


    "Rhys, where did you suddenly disappear to!? I''ve been looking for you for like an hour now!"


    "I¡­ was just walking around."


    "...So, you don''t know!?"


    After having a calm conversation with the reporter, Rhys returned to Wilder''s Harem, only to be weed by Lina''s slightly panicked expression. His new guild members too, were all looking at each other, before turning to look at Rhys with worries in their eyes.


    "What''s¡­ going on?" Rhys then saw both Katarina and Ayesha together, using Ayesha''s satellite phone to make calls since there was no normal cellr service at the edge of the Safe Zone.


    "The apartment it was¡ª"


    "It was ransacked and destroyed." And before Lina could even exin anything to Rhys, Maria appeared from the crowd with a tablet in hand, "We believe it was done by extremists. And judging from the timing, they probably knew you weren''t there."


    Rhys''s eyes widened as he took the tablet from Maria, only to see his apartmentpletely destroyed¡ªno. Destroyed was perhaps an understatement, as the entire floor, and above and beneath it werepletely burnt and left with nothing but debris,


    "Did anyone get hurt?" Rhys asked.


    "...Yes," Maria sighed as she retrieved the tablet back from Rhys, "The four of you are practically the only ones living in that building since the government tagged it, but there were people below when it happened and they were¡­ crushed by the rubble."


    "Wait¡­ how are you even here?" Rhys finally realized Maria''s sudden attendance in the building.


    "Because I am very good at my job, Mr. Wilder," Maria breathed out, "I know where you are at all times."


    "That¡­ is veryforting to know," Rhys did not really know what to feel from Maria''s statement, "But you said this was done by¡­ extremists? Do you have suspects?"


    "The DTL," Maria once again handed the tablet back to Rhys after fiddling with it a bit.


    "DTL¡­?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the tablet. His new guild members, who happened to hear Maria''s words, could not help but let out gasps which quickly turned into breaths of anger.


    "The Death To Lowborns targeted you, Mr. Wilder!?"


    "Death To Lowborns¡­?" Rhys could not help but raise an eyebrow as he looked at the tablet, only to see pictures of several people wearing gas masks and pointy white hats leaving his apartment building.


    "For now, I was tasked to bring you to safety, Mr. Wilder. Which, may I remind you, should not be in the scope of my job," Maria pointed at Rhys as she once again snatched her tablet from him, "So, I need you toe with me, now."


    "...How hard is it to just want to be an Explorer?" Rhys shook his head before stepping away from Maria and ncing at the members of his guild, "And I''m not going with you, Ma''am. If I''m in danger, then it''s possible they might be targeting them too."


    "But¡ª"


    "If you want to talk about safe, this is the safest ce he could be, Suit." Ayesha approached Maria before she could finish her words, "With me."


    "...Where will you even be staying?" Maria squinted her eyes.


    "Well, and here I thought you were good at your diggity god damn job, Suit," Ayesha let out a cheeky smile as she looked at Maria,


    "We leased this entire building ¡ª you are looking at Wilder''s Harem HQ. Well, the Doc leased it in her name and we put Rhys''s WeTube money as down payment. The building is pretty solid, and you could see the entire perimeter since it''s practically the tallest infrastructure on sight within 500 meters."


    "Hm¡­" Maria turned to look at Katarina, who was still busy making calls, "...Expect the government to send some security here in a few hours."


    "I thought they wanted me gone?" Rhys blinked a couple of times.


    "Whether you like it or not, Mr. Rhys Wilder¡­" Maria looked Rhys in the eyes, "...You''re a political figure now. And if you happen to die, you be a martyr and that would cause a huge revolt. Although¡­ I guess you nned that too."


    "...What?" Rhys could not help but force out a tiny chuckle as he returned Maria''s gaze.


    "And now¡­" Maria leaned her head to the side to look at the almost hundred members of the Wilder''s Harem,


    "...You have a loyal army under you."

 Chapter 119 Are You Really An Explorer, Rhys?

    "Again! Too slow!"


    A few weeks had passed, and the security around Wilder''s Harem finally dissipated as the threat against Rhys did not show even a single sign of growing. As for the members of the Wilder''s Harem, they did not waste their time at all during the past few weeks.


    Although most of them were Lowborns, they were grueled and trained by Ayesha herself inbat, specifically weaponsbat. As to how they were able to get guns and rifles, Ayesha did not really share any specifics.


    Of course, none of them were able to grab a weapon immediately, Ayesha had to break all of them first to make sure they were actually ready to hold a weapon. And after running around the Danger Zone and fainting a couple of times from exhaustion, they were now training with guns and all sorts of martial arts.


    Lina was tasked to teach them all they needed to know about Holes and the Underworld, and how to survive. She was also teaching them how to use their abilities, as no matter how meager or weak they might be, Lowborns still have abilities that could prove useful to them.


    And while the two women were actively taking action, Katarina was busy managing everything ¡ª and with 90% of the members of the guild not being Explorers and Lowborns, she had practically spent most of her time talking with the Explorer''s Association, justifying why they should not disband the guild.


    As for Rhys, well, he has once again finally journeyed down the Underworld in a Forest region ¡ª but not to explore.


    "Rhys, let''s do another one! Someone get the minotaur''s head!"


    He was currently surrounded by the dismembered heads of several High Threat monsters. There was not a hint of blood on him, however. In fact, there was not even a hint of blood anywhere.


    He was just sitting there all rxed even when surrounded by decapitated heads¡­ as they were not decapitated heads at all but just prosthetics.


    "Someone touch up his make-up!"


    "I''ll do it! Well¡­ not like there''s any need to."


    It wasn''t only the fake monster heads that surrounded Rhys, but also several people each with their own tasks. Some holding lights, one holding an obviously expensive camera, and one was rushing toward Rhys to put makeup on his face, supposedly.


    Rhys was not in the Underworld to explore but for a photoshoot for a magazine.


    "Mr. Wilder. I''m¡­ just going to remove the concealers, okay? They''re not really doing anything since¡­ since you''re so perfect already." One of the make-up artists pushed everyone away as she stood in front of Rhys and quickly clipped his hair to the side.


    "Please, Ma''am. You can just call me Rhys," Rhys slightly smiled as he raised his head so that the make-up artist wouldn''t have a hard time with him.


    "Oh, and¡­ and you can call me anything you like if you want to," the make-up artist let out a giggle as she very gently patted Rhys''s face with a soft sponge, "And the one who put all this foundation on your face should be put to prison, you don''t need any of this. I''ve worked on a lot of celebrities'' faces, some even iming to be the most handsome man in the world. And I''m telling you, Rhys¡­


    ¡­you''re different."


    "That¡­ thank you, Ma''am," Rhys breathed out.


    "Even your breath smells good," the make-up artist whispered as she leaned her face suspiciously closer to Rhys, "Are you sure you''re even an Explorer?"


    "I am, Ma''am."


    "You should just be a full-time celebrity instead," the make-up artistmented as she looked at Rhys''s face, "I''ve¡­ I''ve actually been watching your stream, but you haven''t had any action for months now."


    "That''s¡­ true," Rhys also let out a sigh. It is true that it has been a while since Rhys had really even done anything that could be considered in the jurisdiction of an Explorer. In fact, this is the first time in weeks that he had even stepped foot in the Underworld, and it is to get his photo taken.


    But then again, his main purpose for bing an Explorer was to be known, and that is exactly what he is doing now.


    "Hurry up with the make-up! We don''t want to get caught by monsters!"


    "What are you worrying for!? We are in a cleared area ¡ª no monsters are going to activelye to us unless they''re really hungry for these!"


    "These what!?"


    "Deez nuts!"


    "What the fuck!? Who said that!?" The shoot director quickly scanned his people to see who was talking to him, but everyone just feigned ignorance and did whatever task it was they were doing.


    "You should rx, boss. And they''re right ¡ª unless we have something here that could attract those monsters, they won''te here."


    "I don''t fucking care. Make-up, hurry up! And where''s the goddamn fucking minotaur head!?"


    "Done!" Rhys''s make-up artist finally leaned away as she was done removing the makeup on his face, "By the way¡­ I''m free after this, do you want to have dinner?"


    "I''m¡­" Rhys looked up at the woman''s face, specifically the 5 Hearts floating above her head, with 3 already filled up and he hadn''t even done anything yet, "...I''ll think about it."


    "Then¡ªwait, your finger is bleeding!" The make-up artist was about to leave, but she quickly noticed the blood suddenly dripping from Rhys''s finger.


    "Oh, this is nothing. I might have hit it with one of the props," Rhys forced out a chuckle as he just wiped the blood on the back of his clothes.


    "Ah, I have a napkin!"


    "It''s fine¡­" Rhys showed his finger to the make-up artist, "...See? It''s already healed."


    "That''s¡­ amazin¡ª"


    "Make-up! We don''t have all day!"


    "Alright! Fuck!" The make-up artist quickly packed up her bag and rushed away, "We have Rhys here, why are you worrying about some monsters!?"


    "Just stand by! Mr. Wilder, are you ready!?"


    "Yes. Just tell me what I need to do, Sir," Rhys said as he slightly fixed himself.


    "You don''t have to do anything, Mr. Wilder. Just sit there and be pretty¡­


    ¡­although that won''t be too hard for you."


    Rhys''s photoshootsted for another hour, before Rhys once again found himself surrounded by several people wanting to get their own photos with him. Rhys did not really mind, however, as he just smiled at everyone.


    Aside from the cameras of their phones, however, Rhys was actually also subtly ncing at the video camera that was taking all the behind-the-scenes of his photoshoot.


    "Rhys¡­ is it really true you have a girlfriend?"


    "Why are you even asking personal questions like that? Didn''t you already see his girlfriend? She''s really pretty."


    "...I think I''m prettier."


    "You¡­? Have you even seen her?"


    "She doesn''t¡ª"


    "Monsters!"


    And before the women could start fighting, a loud cry could be heard screaming in the air. Everyone turned their heads in the direction of the scream, only to see one of their staff crawling on the floor¡­ with what seemed like severalrge birds with oversized round heads and evenrger beaks carefully walking toward their group.


    "What¡ªI thought there weren''t supposed to be any monsters here!? Where are the Explorers we hired to guard¡ª"


    And before the shoot director could finish his words, one of therge birds suddenly started gagging. And there, everyone watched as it just puked out an entire man, no¡­ two men.


    Two of its flock also started doing the same, vomiting 3 more men.


    "Are¡­ are those all of our guards!?" The shoot director could not help but just scream and run. Even then, however, he did not let go of his camera and even started taking photos of the birds, "Everyone, just¡­ just run, leave everything and¡ª"


    And before the shoot director could even take three steps, he saw Rhys run past him.


    "Mr. Wilder!? What are you doing!? You should just run and¡ª" And once again, the shoot director''s words were interrupted as he quickly stopped running and started taking photos of what was happening in front of him. How could he not, when the photos he was taking now were worth more than everything they had already taken beforehand?


    Rhys, fighting and saving them from monsters. It did notst long, however, as Rhys was able to quickly dispatch the birds in no time at all ¡ª and except for the Explorers that the studio hired, no one else died.


    "...Hm."


    And there, everyone just watched as Rhys neatly arranged the Explorers'' corpses; not even minding that their bodies were filled with all sorts of dirt and goop. And of course, the shoot director did not let this chance pass as he took several professional photos that they could use in the magazine.


    As for everyone else, they could not help but just continue to stare at Rhys, admiring him for his actions¡­


    ¡­not even knowing that it was Rhys who actually led the monsters here.


    "...Ayesha and Katarina are right," Rhys stared at his finger that he knowingly cut earlier. He then turned to look at all the dead Explorers heid down before letting out a very long and deep sigh,


    "I''m sorry¡­ I thought you guys would be stronger."


    "Mr¡­ Mr. Wilder, more monsters!"


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just nodded his head onest time at the dead Explorers before turning around and looking at the monsters approaching their group again,


    "...Don''t worry, I''ll save you¡­


    ¡­I''ll save all of you."


    ***


    "What the fuck is this!?" Back in the office of the guild master of the Cerberus Guild, Edward was once again throwing everything he could get his hands on, "He was gone for several weeks and all of a sudden¡­


    ¡­he''s on the front page of a magazine!?"

 Chapter 120 Soldiers

    [What do you think of Rhys Wilder?]


    [Who?]


    [What do you think of Rhys Wilder?]


    [He calls himself an Explorer, but how many Holes has the guy actually been in?]


    [He''s not real. I think he''s just some propaganda being used by the left to integrate Lowborns back into society.]


    [That guy? You know what we and my Explorer buddies call him? Poser.]


    [If he has been in Holes as much as he has been on the news and magazines, then maybe we can talk.]


    [You heard it here first, folks! It would seem the Explorers do not really have a good impression of Rhys¡ª]


    "Hm," Rhys did not let the video finish as he just turned his phone off. It would seem that even after all that he has done in public, there are still a lot of people who want to put him down.


    But judging by all thements as well as the number of downvotes on the video, most of the masses were on his side now ¡ª it doesn''t matter now, however, as Wilder''s Harem would be giving the people something else to talk about very soon.


    "Alright!"


    And as Rhys heard Ayesha''s voice almost piercing his ears, he quickly hid his phone away and turned to look at her as she stood up from her chair, almost causing the bus they were on to bounce from how excited she seemed.


    Rhys''s ears were already ringing from how loud Ayesha suddenly screamed, he could really only imagine just how much more the other members of the guild sitting close to her were feeling as they covered their ears.


    "I am going to just say this, you low lives!" Ayesha ced her hand behind her back, "Some of you might die with what we are about to do, but trust me, this is the greatest moment of your pathetic lives and nothing will ever top it!


    People will sneer at you, people will push you, people will talk shit about you and pull your balls and gargle it ¡ª and there really is only one thing you need to say¡­"


    And as Ayesha suddenly became quiet and started looking at the people in front and beside her, no one really said anything as they all just had their heads turned down.


    "Well, hot diggity dog. That''s right!" Ayesha scoffed as she started walking toward Rhys, who was seated at the backmost seat of the bus, "You say nothing."


    "How ready are they¡­?" Rhys asked as soon as Ayesha sat beside her, pushing him further to the side beforezily lying down and resting her head on hisp.


    "Like moths to a me, Recruit. But you don''t have to worry, they won''t lose entire limbs like you," Ayesha breathed out as she yawned, "How many other guilds are participating in this again?"


    "4, including us," Rhys closed his eyes and sighed, before turning to look at the back of the heads of his guild members; most of them, sporting the symbol of Lowborns, ck hair.


    "Tell me why we are renting a Hole again and not just outright buying one?" Ayesha raised an eyebrow as she looked at Rhys''s face, slightly adjusting her head on hisp, "What happened to all the WeTube money and endorsements you''re receiving?"


    "Monthly for the building, this bus, everyone''s allowance, renovation for our apartment," Rhys once again sighed, "And Level 1 Holes are¡­ disgustingly expensive since they know it''s for beginner Explorers."


    "You guys are still repairing that house?"


    "Just to sell."


    "Lina said¡­ the wrong type of people would."


    "...Oh, you don''t have to tell me twice, Recruit," Ayesha snorted as she saw the somewhat dejected look on Rhys''s face, "You''re gaining some weird fans. Anyway, we''ll be there in 5 minutes or so¡­ so¡­"


    "!!!" Rhys could not help but widen his eyes as Ayesha adjusted herself again and suddenly unzipped his pants and forcefully pushed his underwear to the side.


    "You better keep quiet, Recruit¡­" Ayesha breathed out as she pulled Rhys''s thing, ncing at him as she ced it beside her cheek,


    "...You don''t want to set a bad example for your men."


    ***


    "That''s it! That''s Wilder''s Harem''s bus!"


    "What the¡­ they''re really here?"


    "I think they''re also training their new members."


    "But¡­ aren''t they all Lowborns?"


    Somewhere in the Danger Zone, 3 other buses were already within the Level 1 Hole''s perimeter, with the other guilds already set up, with one even building up a tent.


    Unlike Rhys''s previous Explorations, there was an unusually high number of Explorers around the Hole, despite it just being a Level 1 Hole. And the reason for this is the very same reason why the Wilder''s Harem also chose the Hole ¡ª it was a true beginner''s area.


    It was a Meadow region with a lot of monsters, but all were far and apart from each other. And due to this very nature, most of the guilds use it to test and train their new members.


    "Are the people from the Association truly allowing this? I''m not being ssist or anything, but Lowborns are just¡­ weak. What if they die down there?"


    "Worry about yourself, this is also your first time diving."


    "Yeah, but I''m a Commoner, I at least have¡ªwhat the fuck is that?"


    And before the other guilds could continue to gossip, all of them shut their mouths as soon as the members of the Wilder''s Harem started stepping off their bus. How could they not, when everyone was wearing the same clothes?


    All of them were wearing a dark gray shirt, suit, and pants ¡ª even the women. They all even had matching red bands tied around their left arm. But they wouldn''t have beenpletely silent and shocked if it was just that, as some guilds actually have uniforms¡ªbut no. All the members of the Wilder''s Harem¡­


    ¡­were wearing ck masks.


    And before anyone couldment anything about all of this, their mouths were once again shut tight as more and more members just kepting out of the bus ¡ª just from their estimate, there should at least be more than 60 of them.


    And once again, before they couldment anything, Wilder''s Harem did something none of them expected. They expertly and neatly formed into rows and columns beside their bus.


    "Do¡­ do they think they are soldiers or something?" One of the onlookers was about tough, but before he could do so, a loud thump reverberated in the air as all the members of the Wilder''s Harem stomped their foot on the ground all at the same time before cing their left hand on their chests.


    And as soon as they did so, Rhys stepped off the bus along with Ayesha. And although he was just walking, the others could feel as if the very air itself suddenly became heavier ¡ª is this what it felt like to meet a celebrity that you have been seeing on TV almost every day for the past few months?


    "Everyone, at ease," Ayesha said, making all their members lower their hands all at the same time, "Get your weapons on the bus and rx until we''re called."


    "Yes, Ma''am!" And with those words, the members of Wilder''s Harem neatly walked toward the side of the bus one by one, retrieving the rifles that they had kept safely in thepartment. And as soon as they all had their weapons, they all just started casually talking to each other; some even groaning andining about the long ride.


    As for Rhys, he walked to the tent that should be owned by the samepany that owns the Hole.


    "Rhys Wilder, I''m here to confirm my guild''s attendance."


    "Huh¡­?"


    Rhys introduced himself, but the person seated at the table in front of the tent could not help but just look back and forth between him and his guild members.


    "Rhys Wilder, Wilder''s Harem."


    "Ah, yes. Of course!" The Hole manager blinked a couple of times, before just telling Rhys to sign something, "Are those¡­ all your guild members? You paid for all of them?"


    "All of them are paid, Sir," Rhys nodded, "Just advise us when we are diving."


    "You are actually just right on time, we will be opening up the Hole in, uh¡­ 30 seconds," the manager said as he looked at his watch. Of course, the Hole was already open, it was just an expression everyone uses for moments like these.


    "I see. I''ll tell my men to get ready, then," Rhys bowed his head at the manager before just returning to his guild. He did not even need to say anything and just looked at Ayesha, who immediately pped her hands.


    And as soon as she did so, the members of the WIlder''s Harem that were previously just talking to each other once again all lined up.


    "Everyone, get ready to dive in 10!"


    And as soon as Ayesha said that, the members of the Wilder''s Harem tried their best not to look at each other and show their anxiety. All they could really do was breathe in, because they were sure¡ªwhatever monster was down there¡­


    ¡­can notpare to Ayesha.


    "Dive, dive!"


    And with those words roaring in the air, they all just dived down the Hole, row by row.


    "Damn, I''m suddenly missing the corps," Ayesha breathed out as she stood next to Rhys to watch the members of the Wilder''s Harem disappear one by one.


    "I am actually nning to contact some of them, see if they want to join the guild," Rhys nced at Ayesha.


    "Those guys? They won''t even think twice. They''ll cut their balls for you, Recruit," Ayesha let out a cheeky grin as she turned around and walked backward toward the Hole, "Also¡­


    ¡­do you think they smelled your cum in my mouth? I made sure to swallow."


    "Wh¡ª"


    And with those words, Ayesha just casually let herself fall into the Hole, not even caring if the other people that were present could hear her.


    As for Rhys, he was about to dive into the Hole, before another bus suddenly approached from the distance - a ck bus, with the head of 3 dogs adorning its windshield.


    "...Cerberus guild."

 Chapter 121 Welcome, The Dogs

    There are 3 guilds in Amerka that could be considered to be able to contend with the rest of the world; Cerberus guild, Ages of Man, and Stoneheart.


    Amongst the 3, Stoneheart is indisputably the strongest guild in Amerka and there was no contest at all regarding that as their very own guild master holds the spot for the No. 2 most powerful Explorer in the world, Esme Jordan.


    The second one, undoubtedly, is the Ages of Man. Their guild boasts the most number of members, even having different sub-branches so that they would finely and smoothly run things despite them numbering more than a thousand members ¡ª they also beat Stoneheart in terms of the number of Noble Explorers they have, with Stoneheart only having 2, and the Ages of Man 5.


    With the 5 they have, however, no one was capable enough to be considered in the Top 15 strongest Explorer in the world.


    Cerberus holds thest spot, with their Vice Guildmaster, Adam Armstrong, holding the No. 10 spot. But with the addition of Ss West, there were people that have been specting that it would only be a matter of time until Cerberus overtakes Ages of Man¡­ that is if Ss West brings more benefit to their guild than trouble.


    They have already been ostracized when they supported Ss West while he was still in prison, and even more so when they invited him to their guild. But Cerberus did not have a ster reputation from the start in the first ce, as they were known for recruiting people that could be considered¡­ mild-mannered.


    For Cerberus, only strength mattered ¡ª and judging by the design of their bus, they did not shy away from that notion.


    Everyone who was still on the Surface could not help but just stare at this mboyant bus that might as well be an oversized rat rod. Painted in a t ck with a little bit of patina. And of course, the three giant dog heads adorning its hood.


    The bus wasn''t modern at all, and the smell of petrol and the thundering noise reverberating in the air as they approached the Hole cemented that.


    "Wait¡­ they are going to hit Wilder''s Harem''s bus!"


    ¡­And they did not seem to show any signs of stopping.


    And as Rhys saw this, the only thing he could really do was let out a sigh before casually walking to the back of his bus and standing there; his eyes, just staring at the iing vehicle of death.


    One of the people from the other guilds was about to shout and tell him to get out of there, but they quickly remembered how Rhys just tanked a rhorni head-on without even sustaining any damage. And so, those who still have not dived down the Underworld all could not help but be excited as to what was about to happen.


    And soon, the sound of wheels locking whistled in the air as the Cerberus bus finally hit its brakes. The onlookers either widened or squinted their eyes to witness what was about to happen, but s ¡ª the bus fully stopped a meter before it could actually hit Rhys and the Wilder''s Harem''s bus.


    The smoke they created, however, lingered on as the people inside the bus started stepping out.


    "Ack, I couldn''t even fall asleep because someone was snoring loudly!"


    "Who''s that? Not me, definitely."


    "Of course, it''s not you. You drove the bus, you stupid fuck. She was talking about Michael!"


    "Jeez, rx. What''s gotten into your knickers, mate? Wade here was just having a little joke. Ain''t you, Wadey? Wadey¡­?"


    10 men got off the bus of the Cerberus guild, with all of them just seemingly rxed and not even acknowledging the presence of the other people around the Hole. Well, that is, until, the one who drove their bus, Wade, started to approach Rhys who was just about to walk away, blocking him between the two buses.


    "Why did you do that? Did you really think I was going to hit your bus?" Wade said as he looked at Rhys, and as Wade was also as tall or maybe even taller than Rhys, he was slightly tiptoeing and raising his chin so that it might seem he was looking down on Rhys,


    "Do you think I''m a bad driver or something?"


    "...No," Rhys could not help but just blink a couple of times as he looked at Wade, thinking that his red hair was quite a fit for his¡­ confronting personality, "I just bought this bus and did not want to take the risk, Sir."


    "Sir? Do I look that old to you?" Wade''s eyebrows began to lower, "And you did think I''m a bad driver."


    "...You were going too fast."


    "You think I don''t know how strong the brakes are on my bus? I changed this beast''s oil myself," Wade patted the front of their bus, "How about you? Ever changed the oil of that modern junk of yours?"


    "...It''s new," Rhys did not really know what this guy wanted with him. But he did not really need to specte as all he needed to know was they were from the Cerberus guild. Rhys was actually quite surprised it took them this long to start messing with him ever since he provoked them.


    "Oi, Wadey! Enough of that! We still need to have ourselves registered, ey!?"


    "This is not over," Wade stared Rhys straight in the eyes before just very slowly backing away. If it wasn''t for his other guildmates pulling him away, he would have probably walked back all the way to the Hole manager.


    As for Rhys, he could really only just shrug before making his way to the Hole to follow Ayesha and the others¡­ or so he thought.


    He could not even take 3 steps before another person stepped out of the bus.


    "...Rhys."


    It was his sister; her orange hair, slightly being blown by the wind that suddenly breezed through the wastnd of the Danger Zone. There was a weird glint in Emilia''s eyes that Rhys could not really discern what, but if one thing is true, is that her eyes seemed to want something from him.


    ¡­But Rhys did not want to have anything to do with his sister anymore.


    "Rhys, wait!"


    And as Rhyspletely ignored Emilia and just started walking toward the Hole, Emilia quickly ran and blocked his path, even stretching her arms to the side as she looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "Rhys, can we please¡­ just talk?" Emilia breathed out, "For fuck''s sake, you and I are adults now. Can''t we just have a conversation, please?"


    "...You''re 16, Emi," Rhys could only sigh as he shook his head.


    "17, it was my birthdayst week," Emilia''s voice turned meek as she looked down, "I¡­ I sent you an invitation and¡ª"


    "And you have made your choice when you started dating the person who killed our mother."


    "That''s¡ªhe''s changed. But please, just let me exin and maybe we can¡ª"


    "Oi, are you bothering our boss?"


    And before Emilia could finish her words, all her guildmates started moving between them; obviously sizing up Rhys and trying to start something with him.


    "Guys," Emilia could not help but groan as she started pushing the others away, "I''m talking to my brother, can you just¡ª"


    "That guy is your brother? What¡­? Plot twist."


    "You stupid cunt, everyone knows they are siblings."


    "Rhys!" Emilia quickly turned to look at where her guildmate was pointing, only to see Rhys already near the Hole.


    "Both of us are busy with our lives, Emi," Rhys nced back and smiled, "But, I''ll see you around."


    "Wait, brother!" Emilia shouted, "I''m just training these newbies, but maybe we can talkter!?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head before just walking to the wall and letting himself fall; using his wind abilities as well as pushing himself down the wall to increase his speed. Shaking his head and making sure the violent wind hitting him on the face was washing away any thoughts he was having of reconciling with his sister.


    Of course, he knew that her sister also went through a lot of trauma, perhaps maybe even more than him. But Emilia had the choice to move on from all of that, she was given a new life, new friends, a new name ¡ª and she chose toe crawling back. Rhys¡­ Rhys did not really escape the hell he found himself in, and his only light in that hell was Emilia¡­


    ¡­but she chose to shut down that light.


    "Is he really your brother? The two of you don''t really look alike other than the fact that you''re both lookers."


    "...Where did they even find you guys?" Emilia could really only let out a loud sigh as she just walked toward the Hole, "Just prepare your things and follow me ¡ª and don''t start any trouble or I will make sure none of you are staying in the guild after this."


    And with those words, Emilia just dived down the Hole, not even waiting for her new guildmates.


    "Well, you heard the woman¡­" Wade shrugged before standing in front of the other members of the Cerberus guild, "...But remember, you follow my orders."


    "That''s what we were hired for," one of the members shrugged, "But let me be clear, we just need to make it look like an ident, right?"


    "Shouldn''t be too hard¡­


    ¡­most of their people are Lowborns."


    Unbeknownst to Emilia, however, the people she was with were not newbies at all--no. Aside from Wade, they were not a part of the Cerberus guild in the first ce.

 Chapter 122 Rhyss Right Arm

    "There ain''t enough for all of you so just suck your own balls and see what hatches from it! Fire!"


    "Are¡­ they really an Explorer guild?"


    An hour has passed since all the guilds arrived in the Underworld, and even though there were a lot of them, the Meadow region ensured that there was plenty of space for everyone. An hour has passed, that is true ¡ª and yet the other guilds could not really proceed to train their new members as all of them were being distracted by Wilder''s Harem.


    They could afford to be distracted, however, as the monsters in the Meadow region were something Rhys was closely familiar with, red orthros. These two-headed dogs were one of the weakest creatures of the Underworld, and perfect for beginners ¡ª and since there were more than 5 guilds hunting them, their pack and numbers were meaningless.


    Truly, the perfect ce for guilds to train their new Explorers forbat. For most of them, the strategy was either to surround the monsters, or try to separate them from their pack and hunt them one by one ¡ª and that was easy since the Meadow region was just one big field of grass.


    And yet, none of them could seem to kill or hunt anything as the loud roars of the members of the Wilder''s Harem, partnered by the thunder exploding from their rifles caused everyone to just stare at them.


    But perhaps even if they were quiet, it would still be hard not to be distracted by them since all of them were always in formation, changing from time to time depending on how many orthros were around them. And for some reason unbeknownst to them, the number of orthros moving around the Wilder''s Harem were a lot morepared to their areas.


    But of course, there were was plenty for everyone.


    "Front reloading, switch!" And with their formation once again changing, Wilder''s Harem was once again able to riddle a pack of orthros in front of them with bullets. They did not really need to reload that much, however, as their rifles hadrge magazines; Ayesha, however, ordered them to spend as many bullets as they could for some reason; turning the pack of orthros into a pack of ground meat.


    No one was even using their god-given abilities, even the ones who were clearly not Lowborns.


    But of course, the Wilder''s Harem were not actually the only ones who were not wasting their time in the Underworld.


    Even with every other guild distracted with them, the members of the Cerberus guild werepletely minding their own business ¡ª with Emilia taking the lead as she taught the so-called newbies of their guild.


    Despite beingpletely dedicated to her role as a senior member of the guild, however, Emilia was actually also taking small nces at Wilder''s Harem; not at their soldier-like members, but at her brother.


    How could she not, when Rhys was also looking at her?


    Or so she thought.


    Rhys was actually not looking at her at all, but instead at her other guildmates. Rhys had been observing them for quite a while now ever since they set foot in the Underworld. And at first, like most of the other guilds, the Cerberus guild was in their own spot and respecting everybody else''s space ¡ª it wasn''t that hard, after all, since the Meadow region was an open-ranged area.


    But Rhys could not help but notice that they were actually inching closer to them bit by bit. And their movements, try as they might to seem like amateurs, they did not resemble that of someone who actually needs to be trained in a Beginner''s area unlike most of the other people from the other guilds.


    "Ayesha¡­"


    "I noticed."


    Rhys did not even need to say anything else to Ayesha, as she just immediately nodded while ncing at the members of the Cerberus guild, "Want me to break their balls?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head and just focused his attention on his guild members, "If they do something, it will be a good test for our people. Just let them do whatever they want."


    "Well, alright," Ayesha shrugged, "Live training it is, then."


    Several more minutes passed, and the members of the Cerberus guild were now even closer than before.


    Rhys started observing his sister, but he didn''t know whether he was pretending or not, but she seemedpletely clueless about what was happening ¡ª not to mention her guildmates were now actively trying to block her sight by strategically positioning themselves while obviously pretending to struggle fighting a red orthros.


    And soon, Rhys finally knows how they were nning to cause trouble.


    The Cerberus guild was currently pretending to struggle to fight a single red orthros as they got closer and closer ¡ª and soon, as the orthros lunged onto one of them, the person was suddenly able to swiftly dodge the dog''s attack as he stepped to the side.


    No, the Explorer did not just step to the side, he sneakily grabbed the orthros and increased its momentum by throwing it straight toward the newbies of the Wilder''s Harem, who were in the midst of changing their positions.


    Ayesha was about to rush toward the lunging orthros, but Rhys grabbed her arm.


    "Let''s see how they deal with it first," Rhys whispered as the orthros practically mmed its body on one of the Lowborns,pletely breaking their formation.


    The newbies of the Wilder''s Harem quickly panicked as they all tried to get as far away from the orthros as possible ¡ª but as soon as they saw one of them was struggling, the ones nearest to the orthros immediately switched to their knives and started ganking it all at the same time, even in the risk of having their flesh being torn away.


    And while they were massacring this single orthros, another group helped the one who was mmed by the orthros. But of course, they still had to deal with the pack they were initially hunting ¡ª but it wasn''t really a problem at all due to them having individual squads within the toon.


    Their moves were precise, almost clinical. But of course, it doesn''t mean they weren''t scared ¡ª they were. But with the masks covering their faces, they were free to cry or do whatever they wanted without affecting anyone else''s morale.


    They each have an identity behind the masks, but together, they move as one.


    Ayesha practically trained them the same way the soldiers of the Underworld Corps are trained. The other guilds were right, Wilder''s Harem might as well be a military unit ¡ª they were already dressed as one.


    "Good job, squirts, that deserves a rest." And as Ayesha was proud of what she had just seen, she decided to help the crew and started kicking away the orthros like they were just pebbles on the ground.


    "Wait, wait a minute!"


    But s, before the members of the Wilder''s Harem could rx and drop their heavy rifles, the Explorers from the Cerberus guild started approaching them; their voices as loud as they could possibly be.


    "That monster was supposed to be ours!" One of the explorers pointed at the mangled corpse of the orthros they obviously threw toward the soldiers of Wilder''s Harem, "Do you really think you can just do that here!?"


    "Guys, what are you¡ª" Emilia was about to see what was going on, but she could not even approach the brewingmotion as Wade and the other explorers deliberately but subtly blocked her path.


    "Do you see using onto your side and stealing your monsters!?"


    "That''s right! Just because there are a lot of you, you think you can bully us!?"


    "What''s¡­ going on?"


    And as the Cerberus guild made sure that everyone heard them, the other guilds once again found themselves distracted as their curiosities forcefully turned their heads to watch whatever it was that was about to happen.


    All they could really hear were the members of the Cerberus guild shouting, however, as the side of Wilder''s Harem remainedpletely quiet, with all of them just looking at the Cerberus guild; their masks, making it hard to see what they were thinking.


    Soon, however, Rhys started to move and stand between the two camps, and as soon as he did so, Wade also stepped forward.


    "Is this how Wilder''s Harem does¡ª"


    "Snipers," before Wade could finish his words, however, Rhys suddenly raised his hand. And as soon as he did so, most of the soldiers of Wilder''s Harem all kneeled, except for 6 men who had arger rifle strapped on them,


    "Shoot down all the drones except ours."


    And without even questioning his words, the 6 started aiming and shooting down all the camera drones of everyone unfortunate enough to be streaming or recording; they missed, of course, but it did not really matter as they fired again and again until no drone was left hovering in the air.


    "Iste the Cerberus guild."


    "Wh¡ª"


    And before anyone could even react, the 50+ members of the Wilder''s Harem swiftly separated and started surrounding the Cerberus guild. The soldiers of Wilder''s Harem then raised their rifles and aimed it at the feet of the Cerberus guild ¡ª a way to avoid friendly fire just in case Rhys did order them to shoot.


    And they will shoot.


    The other guilds were right, the members of Wilder''s Harem were not Explorers at all ¡ª they are Rhys''s right arm, and they will follow whatever it is he orders them to do.


    "What in¡ªdo you think you can get away with this, you fucking dregga!?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head,


    "Can you?"

 Chapter 123 How?

    "Immobilize them."


    "!!!"


    The other guilds could not see what was happening as the soldiers of the Wilder''s Harem had the explorers of the Cerberus guildpletely surrounded, but the thundering roars that cracked from their rifles repeatedly were enough for everyone to draw their own conclusions.


    "Did¡­ Wilder''s Harem just massacred them!?"


    Commoners are a lot stronger than Lowborns, who could really only bepared to the humans of old who werepletely powerless. But of course, Lowborns did have abilities, but they were nothingpared to Commoners.


    But of course, even with them being a lot stronger than Lowborns, most of them were not actually bulletproof. Perhaps all of them could be, but they need a lot of Enhancers if they want to increase their strength and durability permanently ¡ª and it''s not even a guarantee, as Enhancers have different effects depending on what type of abilities one has.


    But most importantly, Enhancers are expensive and more often than not, limited. They were made from Adamantine, and the process of turning them into Enhancers that could improve one''s strength is costly, very much so.


    Of course, themon people actually had no idea what the process actually is ¡ª the only thing they know, is that the guilds won''t waste their time in actually using Enhancers to all of their members, only those who actually show promise.


    And the so-called newbies of the Cerberus guild? None of them were probably bulletproof. Too bad, however, as all the other guilds could really do was specte ¡ª not to mention they did not even notice their drones missing from the air.


    Soon, however, they heard a roaring cry; giving them proof of life, lives.


    "Are you crazy!?"


    Even Emilia, who had been trying her best to calm the situation down, could not help but be shocked as she instinctively crouched on the floor to protect herself. She quickly checked her body for any injuries, and fortunately it would seem she wasn''t hit at all ¡ª her guildmates were not offered the same luck, however.


    As she watched some of her guildmates groveling on the ground and holding their legs, the only thing she could really think of was that¡­


    ¡­her brother ordered to shoot her down without even any hesitation. This thought did notst long, however, as she noticed a shadow actually protected her from the bullets.


    "...Brother," she whispered as she squinted her eyes at the silhouette.


    "Nope." But it wasn''t Rhys, however, but Ayesha who protected her, "Your brother must really hate your balls for him to shoot you along with these retards, kid. What did you even do?"


    "I''m¡ª"


    "Were you truly trying to kill us!?"


    It would seem it wasn''t only Emilia who managed to not have her feet shot at, however. As Wade''s body waspletely covered in some sort of crystal which tanked all the bullets; unfortunately for those that were closest to him, the bullets that were supposed to be for him bounced toward them.


    Ayesha just nced at Emilia onest time, before just casually returning to Rhys''s side. Emilia looked at Rhys to see if he was going to say something to her, but he just remainedpletely stoic as Wade threw all sorts of profanities onto his face.


    "If I was trying to kill all of you, then all of you would have been dead," Rhys then finally lowered his hand, making all the members of the Wilder''s Harem lower their weapons, "I was merely dealing with a threat the fastest way possible without killing."


    "...Threat!? We were just minding our own business! You¡ª"


    And before Wade could finish his words, Rhys once again raised his hand, causing him to strengthen the crystal armor wrapping around his entire body. His tension was unnecessary, however, as Rhys was actually just pointing at the drone floating above their heads.


    "Our drone has actually been focusing on your guild from the start," Rhys breathed out, "If we ask the HIU to review the footage, they would clearly see your guild slowly getting closer to us and deliberately throwing an orthros at us ¡ª what we did was self-defense. Excessive, sure, but this is the Underworld."


    "You¡­ you''ve been getting on my fucking nerves from the start," Wade gritted his teeth as he stepped forward. Even as he did so, however, the soldiers of Wilder''s Harem remainedpletely still, "You do nothing but talk, and talk. Your face is everywhere, and you haven''t actually achieved anything."


    "Is that why your group decided to kill my people?" Rhys turned to look at Ayesha, "Doesn''t this mean that we could actually kill them?"


    "Pretty much," Ayesha shrugged, "This is the Underworld, boys ¡ª rules are different here."


    "Y¡ª"


    "W¡­ wait, brother. Please!" Emilia decided to intervene before Wade could even make the situation worse, "I''m¡­ I''m sure they didn''t mean to do what they did. It was an ident!"


    "As your brother, Emilia ¡ª I am going to give you onest piece of advice," Rhys sighed, "These people are using you. Leave while you still can."


    "These people weed me, Rhys!" Emilia gritted her teeth as she stood in front of Wade.


    "You don''t even know these people."


    "And I don''t even know you," Emilia looked Rhys in the eyes as tears started to trail down her cheek.


    "You could have," Rhys, on the other hand, only smiled before turning around, "Everyone¡­


    ¡­Pack up. We''re done here for today."


    ***


    "What¡­ what is this!? We instigated the situation!? It was my guild that got shot at!"


    "Edward, calm down."


    "I am fucking calm!"


    A day after the situation in the Underworld, the guild master of the Cerberus Guild, Edward, was once again reading an article from his tablet. The poor tablet, hanging on to its dear life as Edward''s fingers were very slowly threatening to crush it into pieces.


    "What is this!?" Edward repeated his words as he pointed at the article, "Why is it saying that what that Lowborn did was justified!? What the fuck is this!? He had been targeting our guild for months and taunting us, and it''s our fault!?"


    "Well¡­" The vice guild master, Adam, was theplete contrast to Edward. Even with Edward throwing everything he could get his hands on, he was just seated on his chair while elegantly sipping a cup of coffee ¡ª but judging from the bags beneath his eyes, he probably truly needed that coffee.


    Of course, the bags of his eyes would not be the first one people would notice, it was his bright green hair that was almost showing a bright glimmer, the symbol of a Noble. The stronger the glow of a Noble''s hair, the stronger the blood running through their veins ¡ª but they weren''t necessarily stronger.


    The purest Noble in the history of the world, Valeria Valeryevich, whose blood was rated at 79.6%; was stated to have hair that almost lit up the room. But she wasn''t a fighter or an Explorer, however, and chose to live her life in istion until she died of old age. And currently, her descendant holds the No. 1 spot of the one considered to be the strongest in the world, Sorokin Valeryevich.


    Adam''s hair, however, only had a hint of a glow in it.


    "...This situation is sort of our fault, Adam," Adam sighed as he ced his cup of tea on the desk in front of him, only for the desk to be thrown away as Edward once again showed his rage.


    "How!?"


    "You recruited the man that killed his mother. And you also recruited his sister."


    "You''re the one who told me to recruit his sister!" Edward pointed at Adam.


    "Well, if we did not, we would have even been more ostracized by the people," Adam stood up, "And also, if this goes to court, Cerberus guild will take a hit. We could have¡­ but if they find out you recruited mercenaries to pretend to be one of us ¡ª we''re done."


    "Damn it!" Edward kneeled on the floor in frustration as he roared; thumping his chest like a gori and causing all the ss in the room to vibrate, "This fucking Lowborn is bing a thorn in our ass!"


    "Just leave them be," Adam once again let out a sigh as he walked away, "You should just focus on the guild, Ed. All this stress is doing nothing for your already receding hairline¡­


    ¡­I''ll find a way to deal with the Lowborn."


    ***


    "You seem to be getting in more and more troubletely, Mr. Wilder."


    "Ma''am."


    "But I didn''t call you here for any interrogation whatsoever, so¡­


    ¡­what exactly are you doing in my house?"


    "...Dinner."


    Somewhere on the outskirts of Old York City, just a few kilometers from a designated Danger Zone, Maria came home to find Rhys waiting for her inside her house.


    "You deactivated my cameras, Mr. Wilder ¡ª you could have just called if you wanted my attention," Maria let out a small sigh as she ced the gun she was holding on top of the shoe cab before just calmly stepping further into the house, "And...


    ...how did you even get my address?"

 Chapter 124 Conquering Wall Maria (Gone Wrong, Gone Bad)

    "How did Ayesha even tell you my address? Last I checked she''s restricted from essing all of her military privileges."


    "She¡­ has her ways."


    "Like you have yours. Coffee?"


    "I¡­ don''t drink coffee."


    Although Rhys intruded Maria''s house out of nowhere, her stoic nature surprisingly still prevailed, as she was now calmly preparing some refreshments for her uninvited guest.


    As for Rhys, he just sat at the counter and casually scanned Maria''s apartment ¡ª which was a lot bigger than the apartment the military gave him.


    She barely had any furniture, and although there was obviously enough space for a dining table, there was none. She did not even have a TV or a sofa.


    "I have no use for them," Maria said as she ced a soda in front of Rhys, and a cup of coffee for her, "This apartment is solely for me to eat, sleep, and all the other private stuff I need to do that is none of your concern."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys let out a soft chuckle as he nced at Maria, or more specifically, the 5 Hearts floating above her head; 2 of them, already filled up. Throughout his meeting with Maria, Rhys had always found her abilities extremely fascinating; to be able to move through the shadows was an ability he was sure he would have a lot of use for.


    Currently, he has Arise, which gives him practically unlimited stamina in all aspects but mental, Affection Meter, Selective¡­ Desire Reading, Web Production, Ultra Reflex, Wind Control, and Ayesha''s Herculean strength.


    Being able to move through the shadows would surely amplify all of this. The only problem now was filling all of Maria''s Hearts.


    Through the weeks he had spent with the soldiers of Wilder''s Harem, Rhys had learned that the 5 Hearts did not necessarily represent love ¡ª it is called an Affection Meter, after all, not a Love Meter.


    Most of the women of Wilder''s Harem had at least 3 of their Hearts filled up, and Rhys was sure they did not have a crush on him at all, but instead adored him in a way that¡­ people adore politicians, idols, or maybe even gods.


    For Maria, Rhys had no idea how he was even going to start making her like him. The first Heart filled up when she saw Rhys being locked up in jail, the second one was when he invited her to have dinner with the others.


    But now, try as Rhys might, he could not even hear a speck of her desires.


    "Chronic overthinker, check," Maria tapped the counter as she leaned closer to Rhys, looking him straight in the eyes. Rhys just returned her stare, looking at her face that was probably less than two feet away from his.


    Maria was good-looking, mature. Her brown hair that split to the sides and only reached her shoulder, seemingly not moving even if she moved her head, almost cementing the fact that she almost talked robotically. But in a way, a good way, it adds to her charm.


    "I know I am beautiful, Mr. Wilder," Maria let out a tiny sigh as she leaned away, "But you do not need to stare that much."


    "You are, Ma''am," Rhys softly chuckled as he looked down, "You are very beautiful."


    "...Is that how you get them?" Maria squinted her eyes, "Womanizer, check."


    "That¡­ I don''t think I am."


    "You have three women in your life, Mr. Wilder," Maria crossed her arms, "Granted, Katarina may not be with you sexually just yet, but I assure you, her feelings for you are not tonic."


    "Well¡­" Rhys took a gulp of the soda Maria offered her, "...Don''t womanizers usually only have temporary partners? I don''t really know how our situation came to be, but I assure you, Ma''am ¡ª I treat both Ayesha and Lina the same way, I''m not¡­ just going to abandon or leave them. Believe it or not, they truly are precious to me."


    "Congrattions, you are an evolved womanizer," Maria shook her head, "Precious, yes ¡ª but do you even love¡ª"


    "I do," Rhys answered without any hesitation, "I do love them, that''s never been a question."


    "Greedy," Maria pointed at Rhys as she took a sip of her coffee, "Can''t say I don''t like that ¡ª you''ll really make a fine politician, Mr. Wilder. Although, considering everything you have been doing so far, that is exactly where I think you are heading."


    "I''m not interested in politics."


    "Don''t lie," Maria scoffed, "Everything about you practically screams politics, Mr. Wilder. Mysteriously charismatic, rtes to the most oppressed demographic in the entire world, highly maniptive, and most importantly¡­


    ¡­you are a walking, functioning bundle of mental illnesses rolled into one. If that doesn''t describe a politician, I do not know what does."


    "...Maniptive?" Rhys blinked.


    "It''s apliment, Mr. Wilder." And once again, Rhys saw a somewhat cheeky smile crawling on Maria''s face, "And you are highly maniptive, extremely so¡­


    ¡­to the point that you told several Lowborns to blow up your own apartment and dress up like a group of extremists."


    "...What?" Rhys could not help but let out a small scoff, slightly leaning away from Maria in disbelief as he heard her words, "What are you saying?"


    "Oh, Mr. Wilder," Maria clicked her tongue several times while shaking her head, "The others may not have discovered it, but I, who had spent several hours in your apartment, would."


    "W¡ª"


    "The lock installed in all of your doors is military," Maria did not let Rhys say anything as she started walking around toward him; her fingers trailing across the counter, "That means, no one is going toe in there without a key or a passcode. The only other way is topletely break the door from the outside¡­ perhaps a small miscalction, but that''s alright¡­


    ¡­you can just say you are unlucky that the door was almostpletely unscathed."


    "You''re¡­ saying I let someone in to nt a bomb in my own apartment?" Rhys softly chuckled.


    "The type of bomb used was a Demolition type;pletely non-mmable so the damage would be controlled, a C4 that happens to also be issued to the military. Common, sure¡­" The smile on Maria''s face grew wider as she stood right beside Rhys, whispering into his ear,


    "...But for someone who could get information on an HIU agent like me? I bet it is as easy as snapping their fingers to get an IED like that."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys could really only close his eyes as he felt Maria''s breaths crawling down his neck, figuratively and literally, "Have you shared this¡­ story of yours to someone else?"


    "No, of course not," Maria tilted her head to the side to look at Rhys''s face, "As you said, it''s just a story. But I am curious, though¡­ if there is something else to this story?"


    Rhys opened his eyes and once again returned Maria''s gaze, which now seemed highly¡­ obsessive for some reason,


    "What type of stowy aw¡­" And as Rhys opened his mouth, he suddenly found himself slurring his words for some reason.


    "Do you want to hear my story, Mr. Wilder?" The smile on Maria''s face did not disappear, turning wider along with her eyes as she nced at the soda she gave Rhys, "I put enough sedatives there to even down several rhornus."


    "Oh¡­" Rhys turned to look at Maria onest time, before he felt his vision just suddenly fade away,"You¡­


    ¡­you shouldn''t have done that."


    "You''re going to tell me everything, Mr. Wilder¡­" Maria whispered into his ear as she caught him before he could fall, "...And if I like what I hear, I''m joining your harem."


    "No¡­ you shouldn''t have done that," Rhys whispered, a small, but incredibly maniacalughter very slowly escaping his lips, "Call¡­


    ¡­Call Katarina."


    ***


    "Rhys, stop! Please¡­ stop it! Damn it!"


    "Don''t touch the Recruit! The two of you just check on the Suit and see if she''s fine!"


    "Okay¡­ just make sure he breathes this in! He needs to fully wake up!"


    "Gods damn it, wake up or I am gonna crush your balls, Recruit! You done did something this time!"


    "Huh¡­?" Rhys found himself repeatedly blinking several times; his vision, slowly recovering with each bat of his eyes. And soon, his consciousness returned to him, weing him to a scenery that could only be described as chaotic.


    Rhys then turned to look at the woman holding him, only to see Ayesha doubling in his vision.


    "Zeus fucking Bolt, Recruit," Ayesha quickly pped Rhys''s face with both hands, grasping his face tight, "Remind me not to get you drunk."


    "What¡­" Rhys breathed out as he noticed several scratches already healing on his arms. He then turned to look at the room he was in, only to see not a single part of it not ruined; the walls were either cracked, or there was a print of a hand embedded through it¡­ all left hand.


    "What did I¡­" Rhys then turned his head toward the other voices he was hearing in the room, only to see Katarina and Lina there¡­ with Maria curled up in the corner of the room, wearing some sort of¡­tex suit. She seemed to be crying¡­ but also smiling at the same time as she embraced herself,


    "...What did I do?" Rhys could not help but whisper. But he could not really focus on anything else, however, as his eyes werepletely fixated on the Large Gray Heart floating above Maria''s head, "What¡­


    ¡­did I do?"


    And just like that, Rhys was able to conquer Maria¡­ not knowing exactly how or why.

 Chapter 125 What Rhyses in the Shadows

    "Have some more water so you could fully flush the drugs out of your system."


    "I¡­ think it''s been flush several liters ago, Katarina."


    "Drink it."


    "...Roger that."


    Rhys had already forgotten how many sses of water he had gulped down. But s, the only thing he could really do was gulp down another one as Katarina red at him like it was the 1800s. And as he felt his stomach almost threatening to burst out on him, he just focused his attention elsewhere to distract himself.


    Specifically, the Large Gray Heart floating above Maria''s head ¡ª a sign that he was able to fill up the initial 5 Hearts floating above her head. But¡­ how exactly? And why was she wearing atex suit?


    Rhys had also noticed a whip earlier ¡ª and just from those things alone, several thoughts entered Rhys''s mind, but none he wanted to linger there. No, perhaps deliberating what she did to him should only be his second concern ¡ª what he did to her, now that is something he must find out.


    "You don''t need to worry about her," Katarina noticed Rhys staring at Maria, who was now being grilled by both Ayesha and Lina at her counter, "How are you? Are you feeling fine now?"


    "I''m¡­ fine, Doc," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he gently held Katarina''s hand before she could start wiping his non-existent sweat from his face again, "Shouldn''t you¡­ check on Maria first? What if I hurt her or¡ª"


    "Hurt her?" Katarina rolled her eyes as she nced at Maria, "You need to stay very far away from that woman, Rhys ¡ª she has¡­ very different hobbies than most people. She deserves whatever happened to her for drugging you like that, and truth be told? She probably enjoyed whatever you did to her anyway while you were high up on sedatives."


    "What¡­ did I do?" Rhys asked as he once again took a glimpse of Maria''s room, which waspletely ruined by him, "I didn''t¡­ do anything crazy, right?"


    "If you''re asking if you assaulted her or anything¡­" Katarina let out a short but very deep sigh as she shook her head, "...you probably didn''t. She''s stillpletely clothed so you could get that out of your conscience."


    "Right¡­" Rhys closed his eyes and also let out a sigh of relief as she heard Katarina''s words, "...But you said she enjoyed whatever I did to her? You''re the only other person that has seen the effect of sedatives on me, Doc. Is that¡­ really something someone would enjoy witnessing? Didn''t you tell me I grew extremely violent and aggressive? And that I hurt myself?"


    "Rhys, she''s a sadomasochist," Katarina finally worded out as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "There, I said it."


    "Ow, shit. For real?" Ayesha seemed to have been just right on time as she heard Katarina''s words while making her way toward them, "Well, hot damn, Recruit. Whatever you did to her, it was probably porn to her. I mean, she''s trembling and as cold as balls even now."


    "What? What did Rhys do to her?" Lina also joined them, "Did¡­ did anything sexual happen? She was dressed like a dominatrix and¡ª"


    "Please, I would prefer you not to talk about me within earshot."


    "You, stay away from Rhys!" And as Katarina saw Maria also approaching them, she could not help but just block Rhys from Maria''s sight and violently point at her, "Did you seriously think you could just drug someone like that and get away with it!? You''re lucky he''s not nning on pressing any charges!"


    "Well, you could also say he''s lucky I''m not reporting him right now." Although there was still an obvious tremble in Maria''s legs and voice, she waspletely back to her old monotonous tone as she tilted her head to the side to get a look at Rhys,


    "Everything he told me while he was pouncing on me like a gori in heat, it was¡­


    ¡­beautiful."


    "That¡­" Rhys could not help but feel all the ends of his hair stand up as he saw a smile crawling on Maria''s face.


    "All of his ns, everything he will do to the world, everything he will do to all of us," Maria covered her mouth; her hand, violently trembling as her face becamepletely flushed red, "I''m¡­ I''m feeling weak just thinking about it."


    "...You''re disgusting, you know that?" Katarina stood right in front of Maria; herrge breasts, almost pushing her away.


    "I know why you''re so obsessed with the boy now, K," Maria, however, just smirked at her, "All this time I thought you were a predator, but you''ve been raising the predator hiding in the shadows the entire time."


    "Why is everyone saying I groomed¡ª"


    "Wait."


    And before Katarina could even start to defend herself, Rhys suddenly grabbed her shoulder and very gently pushed her to the side as he stood in front of Maria and looked her in the eyes.


    "...What exactly did I tell you?" Rhys''s voice slightly turned deep.


    "Everything," Maria did not shy away from Rhys''s re; her breaths, even slightly trembling from¡­ excitement, "You told me everything, Mr. Wilder. You¡­ confessed."


    Rhys stared at Maria''s eyes for a couple of seconds, before subtly ncing at Ayesha. And as soon as he did so, Ayesha quickly rushed behind Maria and locked her neck around her muscr arm.


    "Ayesha!?" Both Katarina and Lina could not help but gasp. But before they could do anything to help Maria, Rhys moved closer to Maria; his face, only just a few inches away from hers.


    "And what exactly will you do with that information, Agent Maria?" Rhys''s voice was incredibly low, but everyone in the apartment could still hear the assertive tone of his voice. Katarina and Lina were confused, they wanted to stop Ayesha from strangling Maria, but they were also incredibly curious as to what exactly this was all about.


    There was also the fact that it was Rhys who visited Maria''s ce first. Just¡­ what exactly was he nning?


    "Well¡­" Maria once again smiled even though she was being choked out; her eyes, just staring at Rhys with an almost¡­ perverse look, "...What do you want me to do with it, Mr. Wilder?"


    "Hm?"


    "I did tell you before you started ravaging like a hungry gori that if I like what I hear from you¡­" Maria let out a soft but monotonous chuckle, "...I''m joining your little harem."


    Maria then stretched her hands to the side, causing Ayesha to be slightly weirded out,


    "I''m already yours, Mr. Wilder. Choke me, p me, humiliate me ¡ª do whatever you want with me, and I''ll just dly submit to you."


    "Fuck¡­" Lina could not help but slightly take a step back, "...This bitch is scary."


    "And how can I know I can actually trust you?" Rhys also took a step back as he looked Maria in the eyes.


    "That''s the fun part," Maria smiled, "You don''t."


    Well, that is where Maria is wrong ¡ª Rhys does know, the truth was already floating above her head. The Large Gray Heart was proof enough that Rhys could actually trust Maria with anything now.


    "There it is again," Maria then pointed at Rhys''s eyes, "You nced at the top of my head again. You have been doing that ever since I met you, Mr. Wilder¡­


    ¡­you are seeing something there, aren''t you? Something we can''t see."


    "You¡­" Rhys returned Maria''s gaze, before a small smile just crawled on his face and he gestured to Ayesha to let her go,


    "...I suppose you already guessed how I can copy other people''s abilities?"


    "That depends if you already have my powers," Maria held her neck. She was going to say something else, but before she could do so, Rhys suddenly sunk into the floor.


    "!!!"


    Both Lina and Katarina could not help but once again gasped as Rhys suddenly disappeared. They were about to me Maria, but Rhys very slowly emerged from Lina''s shadow.


    "I¡­ suppose it''s about time I tell this," Rhys then let out a sigh as he looked at Katarina and Lina, "Ayesha already knows, and I''ve been deliberating on whether or not I should tell the two of you."


    "...Ayesha knows?" Katarina raised an eyebrow as she looked at Ayesha, "Know what?"


    "Wait¡­ I don''t care whatever it is you''re going to tell us¡­" Lina blinked a couple of times as she seemed visibly hurt, "...but you told her first?"


    "Hierarchy, I guess," Ayesha just shrugged.


    "...Excuse me?" Lina scoffed, "I''m the first girlfriend! I took his virginity!"


    "Can we stop talking about sex just once!" Katarina raised her voice, "What are you talking about, Rhys? I mean, I sort of already realized that you could copy abilities¡­


    ¡­but what else are you hiding from us? What n?"


    "I didn''t want to involve you two since¡­ you were civilians. But¡­" Rhys closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath,


    "...I n to conquer the world."


    "Pft¡­" Lina snorted as soon as she heard Rhys''s words. But when she realized that Rhys was not changing his expression at all, the only thing she could do was wipe the smile off of her face,


    "Wait¡­


    ¡­are you being serious right now?"


    ***


    "And there we go¡­"


    Back in the mayor''s office, the mayor was talking to himself while reading arge book. But in his hands, it almost just seemed like a normal textbook. And as he closed the book, several screams of agony could be heard whispering in the air; a hint of smoke, fuming from the pages.


    "I have paid my debt to you by paving this road¡­


    ¡­Eros."

 Chapter 126 Rhys the Colonizer

    [Have you heard of the Wilder''s Harem?]


    [A guild filled with, you guessed it, Lowborns. They¡­]


    [4 months ago now, Wilder''s Harem was created¡­]


    [...More than 200 members, some say amassing soldiers¡­]


    From all over the world, Rhys has been making his name known just by simply existing. A lot of people are wondering why he grew to fame almost overnight, but that was easily answered by one simple fact ¡ª there is no one else like him in the world, past or present, and he may even be thatst.


    A being that defies all logic, that defies everything the world has ever known.


    Daily, perhaps even hourly, one would not be able to check their socials without encountering a single post about Rhys Wilder ¡ª one could not even escape him even if they were watching a movie, as he had recently done a cameo and was in talks of actually fullymitting to a minor role.


    Rhys, by all definitions of the word, was the man of the hour.


    [The Lowborn streamer known as Rhys Wilder¡­]


    [In just less than half a year, he managed to take over the entire streamingmunity¡­]


    [Everyone is asking¡­


    ¡­what will he do next?]


    "Are you sure about doing this, Recruit? The Doc''s alreadyining that we are overspending."


    "...I earned $600,000st month."


    "You what?"


    Ayesha and Rhys were currently riding shotgun in arge-capacity truck together, with the driver just quietly sitting beside Rhys. The truck driver seemed to be taking short nces at Rhys from time to time, but it was hard to see what she was actually thinking since she was wearing a ck mask.


    One thing was for sure, however, she seemed as shocked as Ayesha upon hearing Rhys''s casual ie reveal.


    "I earned $600,000st month," Rhys let out a sigh as he repeated his words, "And that is from Shudder alone, and not counting all the gifts and donations."


    "From¡­ Shudder? That streaming tform for Explorers?" Ayesha could really only take in a small gulp as she nced at Rhys, "What about your WeTube earnings¡­?"


    "Lina''s doing a really good job setting up clips and highlights¡­" Rhys seemed a little hesitant to say more as he nced at the driver, who quickly looked away and pretended to have her focus solely on the rough road ahead of them,


    "...More or less a million or so."


    "A million¡ªYou!" The truck bounced from the ground as Ayesha almost jumped from her seat, "You''re pinching my balls right now, Recruit. What?"


    "...And there''s also all the endorsements I did the past few months."


    "Wait, hold on a darn diggity sec, Recruit," Ayesha squinted her eyes, "You''re telling me you are earning all of that¡­ and yet you have failed to pay me a single cent of what you owe me? You owe me billions of dors, Recruit."


    "...You eat the most out of all of us, Ayesha," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he shook his head, "And you also destroyed several of the new training equipment."


    "You don''t have to attack me, Recruit¡­" Ayesha clicked her tongue before just crossing her arms and looking at the road,


    "...But gods be damned and Nobles be fucked, you''re earning 2 mil in a month? Can I also start that streaming thing?"


    "You could talk to Lina ¡ª she''s also earning a lot of money," Rhys smiled.


    "Wait, and she didn''t tell me!? What!?"


    And once again, the truck lost control as Ayesha mmed her palm on her knee, causing the truck to almost sway to the side from having its front wheels locked. Fortunately for the driver, she did not really have to maneuver or avoid any other cars as they were the only vehicles in a mile radius, or perhaps several more miles¡­


    ¡­as they were actually in the Underworld.


    The driver just continued to go straight for several more kilometers, only swaying whenever Ayesha got shocked about something. There were several monsters here and there, but with Ayesha in the truck, only a few could really be considered any threat¡ªno, the biggest threat for the truck was perhaps Ayesha herself.


    Fortunately for the truck driver, she did not have to suffer for long as they arrived at their destination.


    A city in the Underworld, arge settlement only protected by sheets of metal and barbed wires ¡ª the very first city that Riley saw in the Underworld back when he was still serving in the Underworld Corps.


    "Rhys Wilder."


    "Rhizz, rhizzy."


    And almost immediately as Rhys stepped out of the truck, he was weed by a bald man, and a man with slick back golden hair ¡ª the first two people he had befriended in the Underworld Corps, James and Erik.


    "It is an honor to see a friend again after all this time," James saluted, "And I have to say, I quite like the suit you''re wearing. The design and color are just impable."


    "I''ve been hearing all sorts of things about you up there," Erik''s eyebrows wiggled several times as he saluted, "You and the big boss seem to be doing it every¡ªBig Boss!"


    And before James and Erik could rx, Ayesha also stepped out of the truck, causing their entire bodies to be stiff as they fixed their salute.


    "At ease your nutsacks, you retards," Ayesha groaned and just waved her hand, "I haven''t been yourmander for more than half a year now. I''ll leave you three psychos and stretch my legs a little bit."


    "Where¡ª" And before Rhys could even say anything, Ayesha suddenly threw something soft at him, "You¡­ brought Mr. Teddy?"


    "Hold onto it for a bit since you have the fancy jacket," Ayesha winked as she just casually entered the city, yawning as she waved her hand and left Rhys and the others.


    "...Phew, I thought she was gonna stay with us," Erik wiped away his imaginary sweat as he walked closer to Rhys, before turning to check on their truck, "Anyway, are you sure about this, Rhizzy boy? I''m telling you, these people are nuts. I mean, you paid us, so I''m just warning you."


    "For once, I agree with the nipoop," James nodded his bald head, "Unlike¡­ the people on the Surface, these people have already been hardened by the Underworld ¡ª there is no saying what will happen."


    "Can''t hurt to try," Rhys let out a short but very deep breath as he started walking to the city, "Where are they gathering?"


    "They should be in the city hall," James and Erik followed behind Rhys, "But¡­ there''s just one tiny teeny problem, Rhys Wilder."


    "And what''s that?"


    "Well¡­ you can just see for yourself."


    The reason why Rhys and Ayesha were back in the Underworld is just for one very simple reason ¡ª Rhys wanted to bring the Lowborns from the Underworld back to the Surface and recruit them to the guild, because it is as James said, the Lowborns have the Underworld have already been hardened.


    He had even started making arrangements for everyone''s living situation; buying the lots around Wilder''s Harem''s HQ. And since it was situated on the border of the Danger Zone, Rhys was able to just make a deposit at a very low cost; some of the members of Wilder''s Harem were actually already building their own houses there.


    And as Rhys was thinking of more ways to improve their headquarters, they finally arrived in the city hall¡­


    ¡­only to find absolutely no one there.


    "And here lies the problem, Rhys Wilder," James stood in front of Rhys; his bald head, perhaps the only thing shining in the city hall, "No one seems to be interested in joining your guild, despite all the benefits."


    "Which is crazy AF," Erik clicked his tongue several times, "Because I would join your guild if you just actually invited me."


    "I share the same sentiment," James nodded, "At least you wouldn''t waste the truck you brought."


    "No one is interested¡­?" Rhys could not help but just stare at the empty hall, "But why? I''m offering them jobs."


    "Because they don''t want to work, Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    And as Rhys, James, and Erik were filling the entire hall with sighs of contemtion, a man suddenly entered from the other entrance; carrying a wide smile on his face as he looked at Rhys, his fat cheeks bouncing up and down as he walked.


    "It is truly a fine honor that someone as prestigious and famous as you take the time to visit our humble city, Mr. Rhys Wilder," the fat man let out a hearty chuckle as he pped, "But I am afraid you should have note here."


    "That''s Mayor Gordon," Erik whispered, "He''s a bad egg."


    "It''s nice to meet you too, Sir," Rhys stood up straight, "I hope you don''t mind, but is it possible for me to just go around and talk to some of your residents? I''m¡ª"


    "Well, you should ask them yourself."


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, several more people started entering the hall ¡ª Lowborns, with all of them carrying random weapons, some even equipped with rifles.


    "Get... get out of ournd, you colonizer!"


    "...Seriously?"

 Chapter 127 Rhys the Liberator

    "Get out of our city, colonizer!"


    "You think you can juste in here and take our homes!? Our children!? We won''t allow you!"


    "...Take their homes?"


    Rhys was not really making an effort to exin himself just yet, as he knew his voice would just get drowned by the raging crowd. Instead, he turned his focus on Mayor Gordon, who had an obvious smirk on his face as he watched him slowly being surrounded by his own kind.


    "I¡­ I think they might be misunderstanding your purpose for being here, Rhizzy," Erik raised both his hands in surrender.


    "No," James, on the other hand, just shook his head as a rifle started to materialize in his hands, "I don''t think anyone is misunderstanding anything. The mayor obviously told them a different story."


    "Lower your weapon, James ¡ª they are not a threat."


    "For you, maybe. You''re a brute," James scoffed as he heard Rhys''s words, "They lower their weapons, and I lower my weapon."


    "You are right with us being set up," Rhys sighed, "There are cameras ced everywhere."


    "...Cameras?" James quickly lowered his weapon as he started looking at the ceiling, only to realize that there were indeed a lot of cameras on the ceiling; all suspiciously pointed at them, "I guess someone wants to besmirch your image, Rhys Wilder. Getting caught attacking other Lowborns would undermine everything you have done. How did you even see the cameras?"


    "I¡­ have a six sense when ites to detecting cameras."


    "Why are you guys even discussing this?" Erik whispered loudly, "Just shoot the cameras!"


    "Once I fire, all these civilians with weapons would start panicking and start shooting us," James shook his head before the rifle in his hand disappeared, "Either way, we are royally fucked whatever we do. So, what do you want to do, Rhys Wilder?"


    "Do your thing, Rhizzy! Talk no jutsu, go!"


    "...No," Rhys let out a small breath as he once again focused on the mayor, who was already hidden in the crowd as he seemingly urged and instigated the citizens to attack. Fortunately, the crowd still seemed sensible enough to not actually attack them, "These people are probably just trying to scare us. If so¡­ then I will be returning the favor."


    "There are cameras, Rhys Wilder," James nced at Rhys before taking a step back. The crowd surrounding them, slowly getting closer and closer.


    "Then I hope it captures everything I am about to do."


    "Wh¡ª" And before James and Erik could even ask what Rhys meant, they suddenly saw him disappearing into the floor, being swallowed by their shadows. And before they could even react to what just happened, they heard a loud, high-pitched scream wailing throughout the entire hall.


    It wasn''t only them, even the angry mob surrounding them could not help but halt their steps as they all turned to look at whoever it was that was screaming, only to see Mayor Gordon''s fat cheeks trembling.


    "!!!" The people near Mayor Gordon quickly moved away from him as they noticed Rhys suddenly standing behind him; gripping his shoulder tight to the point his fingers were already stabbing through the mayor''s flesh.


    "W¡­ why are all of you useless fucks just watching!?" Gordon shrieked as he looked at the people backing away, "H¡­ help me! I''m¡ªUrkh!"


    Rhys lightly kicked the back of Gordon''s knee, causing him to kneel on the floor. Sadly for Gordon, due to all the fat surrounding his legs, itpletely pushed his joints apart and dislocated both his knees.


    "You¡­ you broke my legs!"


    "I''m about to break more, Sir," Rhys whispered right into his ear as he once again tightened his grip on his shoulder, "Unless you tell all these good people the real reason why I''m here. They obviously listen to you."


    "Y¡­you''re fucked, you fucking Lowborn scum," Gordon wheezed as he forced out augh, "You¡­ you just attacked someone unarmed. You¡ª!!!"


    And before Gordon could finish his words, Rhys suddenly grabbed his arm¡­ beforepletely tearing it away. And as soon as the mob saw this, they all could not help but just scream and drop whatever weapon it was they were holding.


    Their screams, however, werepletely drowned by Gordon''s wails as Rhys continued to hold his wound, grinding it with his fingers and not letting Gordon''s adrenaline filter out the pain.


    "You don''t seem to understand what is happening to you now, Sir," Rhys sighed as he once again whispered into Gordon''s ear, "You are being tortured. And by the end of this, I will kill you if you don''t start talking soon ¡ª and don''t think I am going to stop with just you."


    "Kh¡­" Gordon can''t really say anything due to the point, and could really only nce at Rhys.


    "You have spent a very long time with Lowborns like myself. Your city is filled with us," Rhys whispered, "Tell me, what do you think I''ll do to your family? You know who I am, right? What I''m capable of? Whoever told you to set me up may be able to stop me, but could they stop me before I massacre your friends, your family?"


    "I''m¡­" Gordon could really only shudder as he heard Rhys''s voice continue to lower. And soon, he let out another scream,


    "M¡­Mr. Rhys Wilder is not here to take your homes!"


    "...Huh?"


    And as soon as the crowd heard that, they all quickly looked at each other in confusion.


    "What do you mean!? You told us they are taking our homes and taking our children away from us!"


    "N¡­ No!" Gordon screamed as Rhys once again ground his flesh, "He¡­ He is here to offer you a job in his guild. And¡­ and a house on the Surface!"


    "Good job," Rhys whispered as he pushed Gordon away, causing the crowd to once again split. James and Erik quickly rushed toward Gordon, tying up his arm so that he wouldn''t bleed to death.


    "F¡­fuck¡­" Erik awkwardly chuckled, "I know the Faceless Crew said you were crazy, but not this crazy."


    "You¡ªyou think you can get away with this, Mr. Wilder!?" Gordon started screaming again as soon as Rhys was no longer holding him, "I''m¡­ I''m protected by the Cerberus guild, you hear me! The Cerberus guild!"


    "...Oh," Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he started looking at the cameras, "Did the Cerberus guild pay you to do this?"


    "That¡ª" Gordon''s eyes widened as he realized what he just said.


    "You''ve done yourself a shitty, mate," James did not know whether tough or pity Gordon, "I hope for your sake, those cameras aren''t streaming live."


    "T¡­" Gordon nervously turned to look at James.


    "Oh." And the look in Gordon''s eyes was enough for James to know that the cameras are indeed, streaming live, "Well, tough luck."


    "Everyone, please¡­ Lower your weapons!"


    And as the crowd was slowly realizing that the mayor lied to them, Rhys took this chance to finally speak to them, raising his voice just enough so that everyone could hear him. He did not get up on the stage even though he could, and just stayed on the same level as everyone else.


    "Your mayor lied to you," Rhys sighed as he started walking and looking at each of the people in their eyes, "I am not here to take your homes, or to take you from your homes. I am here to offer you a new one¡­


    ¡­a better one."


    "Oh¡­ look, look," Erik quickly tapped James several times, "Talk no Jutsu."


    "Shut up," James shook his head.


    "When was thest time some of you have seen the moon? Slept in its embrace," Rhys continued to talk, even crouching on the floor to speak to a child, "I own a guild, and most of the members are of our kind, Lowborns. The world has told us that we could never amount to anything, that you are just meant to clean up after the rest of the world, to wipe their floors ¡ª but not them¡­


    ¡­some of them have even managed to be Explorers."


    "!!!"


    And as soon as they heard Rhys''s words, most of the men and children in the crowd gasped. The shock in their faces, very slowly turning into smiles.


    "It will be hard, of course," Rhys''s words became quiet, "You will have to reset your lives, start again. My guild will help you and train you, but the efforts will all be yours. But ask yourselves¡­


    ¡­are you not already living a hard life down here? Up there, your hardships would actually have meaning. You¡­ you will have purpose."


    "Can¡­ can my son also join!?"


    Rhys quickly turned to look at the woman who spoke, only to see her carrying an emaciated boy, perhaps not even a teenager. Rhys''s expression, however, did not falter as he nodded in response.


    "Of course," Rhys smiled, "We will turn him into an Explorer."


    "Did¡­ did you hear that!?" The crowd once again started looking at each other.


    "There will be a truck waiting outside the city," Rhys then started walking away, gesturing to Erik and James to carry the mayor out, "If you are interested in having a new home, in having a new life, a better life¡­


    ¡­the truck will be waiting for you."


    ***


    "Yo, Recruit. How did it go? And who''s the fatso?"


    Ayesha was already back in the truck, quickly stepping out as soon as she saw Rhys returning with James and Erik¡­ dragging an unconscious fat man bleeding from his arm.


    "It''s the mayor," Rhys sighed.


    "...I guess it didn''t go as nned? Are we making an escape?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head before turning to look back, only to see probably hundreds of people stepping out of the city, all carrying their bags with them.


    "...We''re going to need a bigger truck."

 Chapter 128 Happy Birthday Again, Rhys Wilder

    "How¡­ many of them are there, Rhys? Are you sure we could even take care of all of them?"


    "Doc. When I told you my ns, you said that the only way for you to stay is that I help more people than I destroy ¡ª I am helping people."


    "Are you truly¡­ helping them?"


    Rhys was back in the Wilder''s Harem HQ, standing on the roof of the building; his eyes, reflecting the slowly evolvingmunity that they started ¡ª no. With their current number, they might as well be a city now.


    When Rhys found this small building being sold, he had actually already thought of creating a settlement around it; after all, thend is incredibly cheap due to it being on the border of the Danger Zone.


    Never did he think that 6 months after, however, his thoughts would already be a reality as he watched houses being built by the hands of his own people. Of course, there were some issues here and there since Rhys also had Commoner members in the guild, but it did not reallyst long as they were now all working together.


    "They are helping themselves, Kat," Rhys could really only sigh as he nced at Katarina; the 5 Hearts floating above her head, only 2 of them were filled up. It was three previously, but after Rhys had told her his n, one of the hearts slowly drained its color. Rhys had thought he would be losing Katarina there and then, but she still remained by his side.


    Her desires, however, still remained the same.


    ''I want you to be okay.''


    For him to be ''okay''. Rhys was okay, he had never been this okay in his life ¡ª so what could Katarina actually mean by that? Of course, Rhys was not actually trying to conquer Katarina, that is the one thing he promised himself when he realized the potential of his abilities; whatever happens, he would just let it happen naturally.


    "Why did you even be an Explorer, Rhys?" Katarina let out a tiny sigh as she also watched the people moving about. The area was once just filled with all sorts of trailers and tents, but now there seems to be a new house and a new road being built every day,


    "I will support you, I have always supported your wish to be an Explorer. I even supported you when you revealed to me you''re going to the Underworld Corps. But Rhys, when was thest time you''ve actually done something as an Explorer?"


    "But isn''t this more important?" Rhys gestured to the growing city.


    "Do you remember when you told me that you wanted to explore the Underworld?" Katarina shook her head, "That you will create a map no one has ever drawn? I''ve never thought you could actually smile like that ¡ª that was the only time I have actually seen you happy despite everything that has happened to you."


    "I was a child then, Kat."


    "You don''t even know what today is, do you?" Katarina closed her eyes.


    "Today? Do I have a schedule somewhere?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he quickly checked his phone.


    "It''s your birthday, Rhys," Katarina took in a deep breath as she looked at Rhys, wrapping her arms around him and resting her head on his chest, "Happy birthday."


    "My¡­ birthday?" Rhys''s eyes widened as he instinctively returned Katarina''s embrace, "Wait¡­ doesn''t that mean your birthday also passed? When¡ª"


    "Can you, for once, just think about yourself?" Katarina tightened her embrace, causing Rhys to almost gasp from how heavy her arms were. Fortunately, her gigantic breasts served as a cushion and prevented Rhys''s ribs from shattering there and then.


    "Did¡­ Did I ever tell you that you''re unusually strong for a doctor?" Rhys whispered as he forced out a chuckle.


    "More times than I could want," Katarina buried her face on Rhys''s chest, "Rhys, please¡­ please just promise me that you''ll be okay, okay?"


    "...Okay," Rhys nodded before just closing his eyes and letting both their warmth slowly meld together.


    "Where''s the birthday boy!?"


    Unfortunately for them, their warmth did not have a chance to meld at all as Ayesha suddenly barged to the roof; almost destroying the door on her way in. It wasn''t only her, Lina was also there; fighting for her life as Ayesha left her to carry a cake that was almost the size of her.


    "Oh!" Rhys quickly rushed to help Lina, gently grabbing the cake from her and cing the cake on a nearby bench.


    "H¡­ happy birthday, Sir," Lina gasped as she quickly jumped into Rhys''s embrace; her face, however, was currently filled with the cake''s icing.


    "...Thank you, Ma''am," Rhys, however, did not mind and even kissed away the icing on her face.


    "I''ll¡­ let you do it in the ass againter," Lina whispered.


    "I believe everyone heard that, Ms. Churchill."


    "Maria!" Lina could not help but almost jump away as Maria''s head suddenly popped out of her shadows, just casually emerging from it with a nk expression on her face.


    "If you want, I actually have some toys you could borrow to make it more fun," Maria nodded to herself as she approached Rhys, "Happy birthday, Mr. Wilder."


    "Oh, by the gods," Ayesha stood beside Katarina, "The freaks have gathered."


    "Well¡­" Katarina could really only chuckle as she watched as Maria stoically ced icing on her face, gesturing to Rhys to also lick it away without a change in her expression. As for Rhys, he really only smiled as Lina blocked Maria''s path,


    "...Aren''t we all freaks?"


    ***


    "Okay, now that we are done here ¡ª I have something to report."


    In just an hour, Rhys and the others managed to eat all of the cake. Granted, they might have yed with the cake halfway through since all of them seemed to be covered in icing, but judging from Ayesha and Maria''s almost bulging stomachs, they were the ones who devoured the cake the most.


    Ayesha waspletelyid down on the rooftop garden, but as for Maria, she was already wiping her lips as she approached Rhys, who was an inch away from puking everything he ate.


    "...Report?"


    Everyone woke up as Maria once again brought out her tablet ¡ª and nothing good usuallyes after.


    "You mean you weren''t here just for the cake, Suit?" Ayesha groaned as she struggled to even sit up.


    "No," Maria shook her head, "Mankappan is currently being overrun by monsters."


    "...What?" And almost as if all the energy returned to her, Ayesha quickly stood up and approached Maria. Even Katarina and Lina, who seemedpletely groggy from all the sugar they just consumed, could not help but stand up.


    "Mankappan? The Domed city?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he also approached Maria.


    "Where you fought off a monster storm inside a mall, yes," Maria nodded as she handed her tablet to Rhys, "And that is exactly where the monsters are rushing from again."


    "...And you''re only telling us now?" Katarina blinked a couple of times before looking at the tablet, only to see a drone''s view of several monsters leaping out from the entrance of the mall; destroying everything they could see.


    "We were having fun, I did not want to ruin the moment."


    "Wait¡­ that''s a Minitaur."


    Katarina pointed at a bipedal bull the size of a human; peach skin simr to that of a pig, pushing and throwing away all the cars parked outside the mall.


    "Why are there minitaursing out from the Hole?"


    "When the monster storm happened, I was one of the people tasked to investigate what happened," Maria shook her head as she started exining, "We had them closed down indefinitely ¡ª but of course, the mall paid a hefty sum so they could continue their operations. My team and I disagreed with the government''s decision, but it was useless."


    "...Typical," Ayesha sighed.


    "And so, the only thing the HIU could really do was to observe.


    And for some reason, a lot more monsters started to gather within the perimeter of the Hole in the Underworld, causing the monsters they were keeping in captivity be wild again," Maria swiped her tablet, "The mall ignored this, however, as they were confident that their walls and security in the Underworld could keep the wild monsters out ¡ª but I suppose they were wrong."


    "Is it possible¡­" Lina turned to look at Rhys.


    "They might have caught Mr. Wilder''s scent," Maria nodded, "After all, you did not fully kill all the monsters back then and even sent some back to the Underworld ¡ª your scent probably attached to them."


    "This¡­ is my fault?" Rhys''s eyes widened.


    "No, of course not," Maria scoffed, "We have already given many warnings to the mall, and they ignored all of them. By all means, they should not have even continued to operate after the incident."


    "And what''s the government''s response to this?" Ayesha asked.


    "They are sending out their own team, but they requested the Explorer Association to gather Explorers from the guilds," Maria looked Rhys in the eyes,


    "Wilder''s Harem is included in that list. Mandatory."

 Chapter 129 The Gathering of Guild Masters

    Rhys had only been to the domed city of Mankappan once, and although it was just a concrete jungle like Old York, it was still a surreal sight to see a more technologically advanced, and perhaps, more civilized city.


    Since it was technically built around a Danger Zone, they had to be more creative in ways to protect themselves unlike Old York, which was surrounded by smaller cities who are farther from the Danger Zone.


    They had to be more creative in protecting themselves¡­ and yet the people saw it fit to dig a Hole right at the very center of the city for their convenience.


    And now, as Rhys arrived outside the domed city, all he could see was smoke being pushed out by the air ducts; the citizens being evacuated out from the exit road; some either on a stretcher, or outright being dragged away by their own friends and families, wounded and injured.


    Although Rhys still could not see the full view of the city, it was obvious from all the smoke that it was chaos inside.


    As for the entrance road, there were already several trucks, buses, and tents there ¡ª and now the buses of Wilder''s Harem and Laughing Bronze will add to the chaos.


    "We''re here, Rhys," Keh was the first to step out of the bus, with Rhys following behind him along with the soldiers of Wilder''s Harem. Due to theck of buses of the Wilder''s Harem, Rhys had to ask a favor from the guild master of the Laughing Bronze, who quickly agreed without even a second thought.


    After all, the Laughing Bronze was also one of the guilds asked to respond to the cmity happening in Mankappan ¡ª by all means, they would have just been a minor yer in this due to several bigger guilds responding, but with him partnering with the Wilder''s Harem, well¡­ they would be at the center of it.


    Not to mention Rhys gave out all streaming rights of this rescue to Keh in return for his¡­ financial assistance. This was a win-win for both of them, as Rhys did not really want to be caught streaming a tragedy.


    "No. 1, wait beside the bus with your toon," Rhys quickly ordered one of his men to stay put.


    "Roger that, hubby dubs," the woman bowed and ced her hand on her chest¡­ quite provocatively, before she raised and started rotating her hands in the air, ordering the rest of the soldiers to rx for now.


    As for Rhys, he could really only sigh and stare at her. Every one of them was wearing a mask, and the woman even had a hat to hide the fact she was a Commonore ¡ª but her demeanor and voice were enough for Rhys to not really forget her even though he had more than 500 members under Wilder''s Harem now.


    Bettina Williams, the Commoner who stared down Rhys while licking her bleeding hand during Wilder''s Harem''s first application.


    "Rhys, the guild masters are gathered there."


    "Hm. Have you already talked to the rescue team?" Rhys quickly followed behind Keh as he called for him.


    "I tried, but he was busy and told me he''ll talk to uster," Keh groaned, "If only I could just throw money to get all of this over with."


    "...But then you won''t be able to have any content for your streamers."


    "What do you take me for, Rhys?" Keh gasped and looked incredibly offended at Rhys, but after a few seconds, he snorted and tried to stop himself fromughing, "Ack. I don''t like that you know what kind of person I am."


    "Doesn''t matter that you are doing this for views, Keh," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "You''re still helping, that counts and¡ª"


    "We finally meet, Rhys Wilder."


    Before Rhys and Keh could join the other guild masters, someone deliberately blocked Rhys''s path; causing him to slightly take a step back as it almost felt like he hit a brick wall.


    A short brick wall.


    Rhys slightly looked down, only to see a man standing in front of him; his armor, bulky and obviously heavy by the way it was almost cracking the cement.


    "Nice¡­ to meet you too¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the¡­ slightly balding man in front of him, before subtly ncing at Keh for help.


    "Edward," Keh leaned closer to Rhys and whispered in his ear, "GM of the Cerberus guild."


    "...Guild master Edward," Rhys nodded as he turned his focus back to Edward.


    "What¡­? Pretending not to know who I am?" Edward crossed his arms as he looked Rhys in the eyes; the tone of his voice, extremely confrontational, "After you have caused so many problems for my guild!?"


    "Wait, wait¡­" Keh quickly stood between Rhys and Keh, "...Thest time I checked, it was you who has been causing problems for him ¡ª we''ve all seen the recent video of the mayor from one of the Underworld''s settlements. I didn''t even know they had cities there."


    "Who even are you to interrupt our conversation!?" Edward raised his voice as he stretched his hand toward Keh. Before his hand could reach him, however, someone suddenly grabbed his wrist, and it isn''t Rhys.


    "Whenever there is noise, I know there''s a dwarf roaming loose," the man who grabbed Edward''s wrist whispered loudly; his voice, almost a hum as there was a certain slowness in it simr to Rhys''s voice¡­ except more queer.


    "Cillian! Let go of my hand!" Edward raised his voice even further, causing all the dust around him to ripple away, "And I''m not a dwarf! I''m 5''3"! It''s the two of you that are unnecessarily tall!"


    "I would¡­" Cillian tilted his head to the side, causing his smooth, silky green hair to flow from his shoulders, "...but I''m holding your wrist."


    "Who''s¡­ that?" Rhys once again whispered to Keh.


    "Guild master of the Ages Of Man," Keh whispered back as he slowly backed away from the two, "The two¡­ are sort ofpeting for the number 2 spot."


    "Cillian Scott. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Wilder," Cillian swatted Edward''s wrist away before stretching his hand toward Rhys.


    "Ah, yes. It¡ª" Rhys was about to reach for Cillian''s hand, but Keh quickly pulled him away.


    "Rude," Cillian smiled.


    "Don''t touch his hand, Rhys!" Keh quickly breathed out, "The main god flowing through his veins is Hypnos. He¡­ might seem friendly, but trust me ¡ª you''d rather be stuck in a room with Edward."


    "Tut tut tut, that''s not true at all," Cillian let out a soft chuckle as he shook his head, "Why don''t you let Mr. Wilder form his own opinion about me first, hm?"


    "It''s¡­ also nice to meet you, Sir Scott," Rhys let out a small sigh as he nodded his head. He no longer reached for Cillian''s hand, however¡­ as his thoughts were currently bombarding Rhys''s mind.


    ''Hold my hand. Hold my hand.'' Cillian''s desire was incredibly wild, and so was the flickering hearts floating above his head.


    "Hm, a shame¡­" Cillian shrugged as he retracted his hand, "...I would have liked to be your friend. Edward doesn''t like you, that means I automatically like you."


    "We could still be friends, Sir," Rhys once again sighed, "My hands are just dirty.


    "Oh¡­?" Cillian also smiled as he looked at Rhys from head to toe, before turning his focus back to Edward and sneering "A man with dirty hands, that is something you don''t see much these days. Lately, I''ve only been seeing heads going bald."


    "You fucking homo," Edward gritted his teeth as the air around him started to vibrate.


    "Oh, be careful now, my sweet little Eddy," Cillian raised an eyebrow as vines started to appear from the tip of his nails,


    "You''ve already been canceled by one minority, you don''t want to be canceled by another. That''s a life sentence for you and your¡­ sorry guild, Dwarf."


    "Call me that again, and you''ll be the one looking at me from below."


    "A challenge? Then¡ªHm?"


    Before anything could happen between Edward and Cillian, the temperature around them suddenly lowered to the point that their breaths became vapor. A buzzing sound also started to thunder in the air, causing everyone to turn their heads to the sky. And there, they saw a jet flying above them.


    And not even a secondter, they saw someone jumping for the aircraft.


    "!!!"


    The silhouettended almost instantly right between Edward and Cillian, causing a glimmer to explode as ice suddenly started cracking from the ground. Within this glimmer, however, was a woman with skin smoother than porcin; dark, almost chocte ¡ª her long, braided white hair that gave out an almost harsh glow, mysteriouslyplimenting everything about her.


    "Mrs. Jordan," Cillian quickly took a step back as he bowed his head. Edward, who was truly ready to break hands, also quickly took a step back as he just looked to the side, "I didn''t know they also called for your guild."


    "They¡­ didn''t," the Noble woman, Esme, just casually started looking around as she responded to Cillian, "It''s only me."


    "That¡­" Keh quickly retrieved his phone to record as he once again whispered to Rhys, "...That''s the guild master of Stoneheart, Esme Jordan¡­


    ¡­the strongest Explorer in Amerka. Ranked No. 2 in the entire world."


    "No. 2¡­" Keh did not actually need to introduce Esme to Rhys, as he knew who she was from all the things he had read about her on the inte. He quickly turned to look above her head¡­ only to see that no hearts were floating there.


    Unbeknownst to Rhys, however¡­


    ¡­Esme was also looking back at him.

 Chapter 130 A Calamity Before the Calamity

    Esme Jordan.


    Considered to be the strongest Explorer in the entirety of the country, and second in the entirety of the world. Not much is really known about her, other than her slightly wild and unpredictable power.


    With the blood of the goddess Demeter flowing abundantly through her veins, she had the ability topletely lower the temperature in almost a mile radius ¡ª but that wasn''t all, she also had the ability to summon and control nt life.


    The blood of Demeter flowing through her veins has a purity level of 66%, making her the third purest Noble in the world; she will not even be able to hide her prowess due to her long obnoxious glowing white hair thatpletely contrasts her dark skin.


    And right now, unbeknownst to apletely distracted and dumbfounded Lowborn, the strongest Explorer in the country was already slowly making her way toward him.


    "Is there something on my head, ck Hair?"


    "...No."


    And as Esme started touching the top of her head, Rhys finally snapped out of his stupor and noticed Esme standing right in front of him.


    "You really are quite the specimen as they say you are," Esme started looking at Rhys from head to toe; not even shying away from her expressions, even nodding to herself as she saw Rhys''s chiseled jaw, "A shame to hide it with all that hair. My name''s Esme."


    "Rhys Wilder, Ma''am," Rhys stood up straight and almost saluted as he was reminded of Ayesha. The two clearly have differences in their vernacr, but the both of them have this inclination to just say whatever they want¡­ perhaps it is just the trait of the strong?


    "And I apologize for staring at you, Ma''am ¡ª I have never really seen such beautiful hair before."


    "Really? I quite hate it," Esme grabbed a lock of her hair, "I dread them in locks so that they wouldn''t glow so much, but now I just look like a Christmas tree with strip lights¡­


    ¡­I much prefer your hair."


    "You want to be a Lowborn?" Rhys breathed out.


    "No, your people suffer too much injustice," Esme let out a soft chuckle as she waved her hand, "I just like the color of your hair and the history thates with it ¡ª the people of old who fought for and with their lives even though they were powerless. The people now tend to forget that."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys could not really help but be weirded out by Esme. This was their first meeting, and she was already talking about something this deep ¡ª and it wasn''t only him feeling her intensity. Edward, Cillian, Keh, and the other guild masters could really only keep their mouths shut and watch on the sidelines as the two just suddenly had an¡­ intriguing conversation out of nowhere.


    Unbeknownst to Rhys, however, the others perceive him how he perceives Esme ¡ª he also just suddenly talks about deep issues out of nowhere.


    "Anyway, I actually approached you for a reason," Esme started shaking her head to prevent herself from talking further, "You''ve met my sister. Well, half-sister ¡ª and I appreciate you for putting her in her ce."


    "Your sister¡­?" Rhys tried recalling if he had met anyone that even remotely resembled Esme, but no one really came to mind.


    "Cynthia Myers," Esme giggled, "You met her almost a year ago now while you were deployed by the Underworld Corps, she''s the one with the purple hair."


    "Cynthia Myers," Rhys started to recall the Noble girl he encountered before he and Ayesha dealt with the Cyclops Barbarian ¡ª and from Rhys''s memory, Cynthia had skin even whiter than Lina''s, "...She''s your sister?"


    "Half-sister. We have the same mother," Esme smiled, "That is one of the things we have inmon, no?"


    "...What are the other things?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he saw the smile on Esme''s face slowly turning into a smirk.


    "Maybe when you''re ready to hear it," Esme nodded as she started turning back, "I hope we can run into each other inside the city, ck Hair."


    [Alright, everyone listen up!]


    And almost as if on cue with her stepping away, the leader of the Rescue Team finally approached the guild masters; talking through a megaphone as he gestured to them toe near.


    [We have already evacuated 50% of the citizens of Mankappan, and that''s the Government''s margin to let you guys in! Although your main goal is topletely eradicate the monsters, I hope that you will also make it your priority to at least save all the people you can save!]


    "They should have just fucking let us in hours ago!" Edward voiced out his opinions, causing most of the guild masters to nod their heads. The others, however, shook their heads ¡ª the Rescue team is specifically that, a team of Explorers trained and specialized in rescuing people.


    It is unknown whether the presence of their guilds could have made the situation better for the Rescue team¡­ or far worse.


    [I want all of you to coordinate with each other, and the leader we chose for this Extermination is the guild master of Wilder''s Harem, Rhys Wilder.]


    "What the fuck!?" Edward once again voiced out his opinion, "Why would you even choose the greenhorn!? And a Lowborn at that!"


    This time, everyone shared Edward''s opinion as they all nodded their heads and nced at Rhys ¡ª even Rhys agreed with Edward.


    ¡­Why him?


    [Because we have received reports that¡­


    ¡­Arachnea might have been sighted in the Underworld.]


    "!!!"


    And as soon as the leader of the Rescue team said that, everyone''s eyes just widened in shock.


    "Arachnea¡­?"


    "Isn''t that a myth!? Why would a god even be in the Underworld!?"


    "Bro, of course, she''s real. We''re literally descended from gods. Who''s the stupid motherfucker that said that!?"


    "Are we really sure it''s Arachnea?"


    [Everyone, please calm down,] the sigh of the leader of the Rescue team traveled through everyone''s ears, [There is noplete confirmation, but for an optimal oue, we decided that the leader of the team will be Rhys Wilder, since he had already encountered Arachnea and survived.]


    "What the¡­ that was real?"


    "I thought that was just fake news."


    "Wait," Cillian, the leader of the Ages of Man, raised his hand, "No offense to the handsome Mr. Wilder, but Commander Ayesha was the one who fought Arachnea ¡ª he is only alive because of her."


    "That''s right!"


    [Former Commander Ayesha is already leading a team in the Underworld along with the Underworld Corps.]


    "Oh¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times ¡ª so that was why Maria insisted Ayesha and the others note.


    "I see," Cillian ced his hand on his chin as he nced at Rhys, "I still will not follow Rhys''smands ¡ª it will take away the synergy of my guild."


    "Damn right!" Edward thumped his armor, "I won''t follow a fucking greenhorn! And that guy is obviously out for me and my guild!"


    "I will also work on my own," Esme nced at Rhys, "I came here alone, I will work alone."


    [That¡ª]


    "It''s fine," Rhys raised his voice before the Rescue team leader could say anything else, "I do not really see how I can help since I was given such short notice about this ¡ª my guild will help the Rescue team instead, and I will act independently with the information you gave us, Sir."


    [...Very well,] the Rescue team leader could really only nod and sigh, [Then I will not ask any of you to coborate with Wilder''s Harem anymore ¡ª please, proceed inside the city!]


    And as soon as the Rescue team leader said that, all the guild masters all rushed inside the city with their guilds.


    Rhys also returned to his soldiers to give his orders, but before he could do so, however, Ss West suddenly approached him.


    "Rhys, can we please tal¡ª"


    Before Ss could finish his words, however, the soldiers of Wilder''s Harem all raised their rifles and pointed them at him without even any hesitation.


    "!!!" The members of the Cerberus guild that was still near Ss all came back him up as they also raised their weapons and activated their powers.


    "Stand down," Rhys, however, ordered his men to lower their weapons ¡ª and they did, even with the members of the Cerberus guild still ring at them.


    "...Why are these guys so creepy?" The members of the Cerberus guild could not help but just take in a gulp as they saw the members of Wilder''s Harem just standing there without even saying a word or moving a single muscle.


    "What do you want now?" Rhys looked Ss in the eyes.


    "...I want you to apologize for almost hurting your Emilia," Ss returned Rhys''s re; his voice, although slightly wavering as still filled with resolution, "I know¡­ I know that you loathe me for what I did. And that is totally justifiable because even I can''t forgive myself for what I did back then ¡ª but Emilia has nothing to do with that, she''s a victim¡­


    ¡­My victim. Please, don''t let her be yours."

 Chapter 131 The Calamity

    "She''s a victim¡­ My victim. I''ve already scarred her enough, please stop hurting her."


    There was absolutely no hint of mockery or derision in Ss''s tone; the sincerity in his eyes,pletely obvious for everyone to see. Rhys, however, did not care. Even if he has truly changed, the person being reflected in Rhys''s eyes will always be the person who killed his mother.


    Even if he bes a saint, even if he saves a billion people ¡ª he will always be the person who humiliated his mother; torturing her and killing her in the most brutal way possible ¡ª there was no going back from that, never.


    Even if thest and only person he ends up killing is his mother, it doesn''t matter.


    Even if he had truly be a good person, it doesn''t matter¡­ because Rhys wasn''t.


    Rhys wasn''t delusional, he knew he was not a better person than Ss, he was worse. The number of people he had killed, people only trying to survive had already stained his hands forever. And he won''t stop until he achieves his goal¡­ even if he ends up swimming through the blood of the innocent.


    And as if a whistle he didn''t know was hissing in the air stopped, Rhys let out a short but very deep breath as he looked Ss in the eyes.


    "I heard the two of you are going out?" Rhys then said as he nced at Emilia, who was just standing on the side; her face, slightly panicking as she watched what was happening.


    "That¡­no," Ss took in a small gulp as he also nced at Emilia, "It doesn''t seem right. We have gotten close, yes. And I know I don''t have the right to say this; but I do like your sister, Rhys. But out of respect to all that''s happened, out of respect to you ¡ª we''re not going out."


    "Why not? You don''t need my respect or permission," Rhys sighed, "You''ve already raped her once, you might as well go all the way."


    "Rhys!" Emilia quickly rushed at Rhys as soon as she heard those words. She was about to p him, but Ss grabbed her wrist and pulled her away.


    Rhys, on the other hand, did not even look at her and just continued to stare Ss in the eyes.


    "Rhys¡­" Ss closed his eyes as his eyebrows began to tremble. But after a few seconds, he also let out a long and very deep breath, "Very well."


    Ss then pulled Emilia closer to him; very gently embracing her as he returned Rhys''s re. Emilia did not really resist, even resting her head on Ss''s chest; her tears, slowly damping Ss''s clothes. But due to the hydrophobic nature of Ss''s coat, her tears just continued to trail down all the way to the ground.


    "You''re right Rhys¡­" Ss breathed out and nodded, "I am not going to ask for your forgiveness, I don''t deserve it. I don''t also deserve to move on, but your sister does ¡ª so I am not going to ask for your permission to try and make her happy. If you are not going to do it, then I will ¡ª I will make her the happiest she could be¡­


    ¡­because I do love her, Rhys. I do."


    "Hm," Rhys subtly nced at Emilia, who was still crying her heart out on Rhys''s shoulder, "Congrattions, it would seem the feeling was mutual. Men!"


    Rhys suddenly raised his voice, causing the soldiers of Wilder''s Harem to all stand up straight.


    "No. 1, No. 2 ¡ª take your toons. You are temporarily under themand of the Rescue team," Rhys then said as he nced at the leaders of the two toon he brought with him, "Follow their orders, but your number 1 priority is still your safety and the safety of your men."


    "Roger that, my big boss." "Copy that, Guild master." No. 1 and No. 2 both ced their hands on their chest, before ordering their men to march toward the leader of the Rescue team.


    "You guys, let''s go with them!" Keh raised his hand. And as soon as he did so, all the members of the Laughing Bronze turned on their cameras and started streaming "Let''s go save some people and earn some money!"


    "Stay safe out there, Rhys," Ss breathed out as he looked Rhys in the eyes, "I mean it, I do."


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything. He only took one final nce at his sister before turning around and walking away.


    "It would seem I was wrong."


    And as Rhys walked toward the entrance of the city, Esme suddenly walked beside her, "Your half-sister troubles seem to be far heavier than mine."


    "I''ve already cut that problem from my life," Rhys shook his head.


    "That is where you will be wrong, ck Hair," Esme also shook her head, "No matter how much we try, no matter how much we want to just move away¡­


    ¡­blood always crawls their way back to us."


    "...Right," Rhys could really only watch as Esme started chuckling as she walked away.


    "Let''s not meet in the city ¡ª because that would mean we really are facing an enemy we can''t handle. If Arachnea truly is somewhere here¡­


    ¡­then a whole lot of people are about to die," Esme waved her hand before she just suddenly disappeared; turning into a mist that flew straight toward the city.


    Twice now ¡ª Rhys had encountered two women who did not have Hearts floating above their heads. It is possible that they were lesbians and could really only feel romantic feelings with other women¡­ but Rhys had already met a lesbian, and even she had a Heart floating above her head. Or maybe she was just bisexual ¡ª Rhys was probably just thinking too much about this.


    And so, with a shake of his head, he just entered the city with everyone else.


    ***


    "This ce¡­ lookspletely different."


    Rhys was now on top of a building, surveying the area around him. He was sure he and the others passed by this area when they were shopping for random things, but now it just looked like a war zone. There were cars littered everywhere, either toppled or crashed into a wall or other cars.


    There were a lot of Explorers outside the city previously, but even their number was not enough topletely scope out the entire polis ¡ª he could not even see a single guild, and they had just previously gathered earlier.


    What his eyes did see, however, was a minitaur, perhaps the very same one he saw when Maria showed them the drone footage of the city. And as soon as he saw it was trying to pry open a car that seemed to have people in it, Rhys jumped from the tall building without any hesitation ¡ª letting himself just dive down a foot away from its walls.


    Rhys did not even blink. And even as he got nearer and nearer to the cold hard ground, he just stretched his hand toward it. And soon, his hand and the ground made contact.


    ¡­Or so that is what usually should have happened. Rhys, however, just passed through the groundpletely, or more specifically, he dived through the shadow of the building¡­


    ¡­only to appear almost instantly behind the minitaur; the momentum he had from falling down, forcefully pushing him up into the air. The threads that were already swinging from each of his fingers, quickly wrapping around the minitaur.


    Although the minitaur was much smaller than itsrger counterpart, the minotaur, its peach skin was still just as hard; the threads, only able to prate a single millimeter. It did not matter for Rhys, however, as he just used his momentum to pull the minitaur up, spinning in the air before ultimately mming the minitaur straight back onto the ground.


    Rhys then tugged and pulled on the threads again; this time, pulling both himself and the minitaur close to each other as he kicked it straight on the head;pletely shattering its jaw and separating its neck from its spine.


    The minitaurnded on its back, while Rhysnded right on its face.


    "Are you people alright?" Rhys stepped down the minitaur and approached the car it was trying to pry open, leaning down as he scanned the inside¡­ only to see the two men inside already dead. Rhys checked their pulse to confirm, but s, they truly were.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then let out a whisper as he retracted his hand out of the car, shaking his head as he once again looked around the street ¡ª and there were already a lot of corpses scattered everywhere,


    "...I suppose Esme is right, a lot of people will die if Arachnea truly is on her way here. But Ayesha and the others are in the Underworld, and all the other guilds are here. So¡­"


    Rhys then slowly lifted up his hand in front of his face¡­ before biting it and letting his blood just drop to the ground.


    "...Let''s talk."

 Chapter 132 A Shame

    "Has he just been sitting here?"


    "Guild master!"


    In one of the many abandoned buildings of the ruined city, a group of people were currently hiding in the shadows. They were previously just staring outside the window, seemingly strictly watching someone and only now turned around once when their guild master arrived.


    The guild master of the Cerberus guild, Edward; even him, however, quickly looked outside the window.


    "What''s the Lowborn even been doing there?" Edward let out a small groan as he squinted his eyes.


    "He¡­ has just been sitting there," the scout meekly said as he also nced back at the person they had actually been tailing from the start, "After killing a minitaur, he''s just been sitting on top of that car without even moving a single inch."


    "What''s¡­ he doing?" Edward whispered.


    "Tell him what we saw."


    "What? You tell him."


    "Can the two of you just fucking tell me what''s going on!?" Edward could not help but raise his voice as his men suddenly started nudging and elbowing each other, "You''re supposed to be scouts, it''s your role to report me everything!"


    "Rhys¡­" The two scouts once again stared out the window, "...He bit his hand before just sitting on top of the car. Also, there are dead people in the car."


    "...Did he kill them? Crazy son of a bitch," Edward could not help but breathe out as he shook his head, "These Lowborns are really the lowest of the lowest scum. Biting his hand is probably some sort of ritual."


    "...No, the minitaur killed them."


    "No¡ª" Edward smiled, "Rhys killed them¡­"


    Edward then raised his hand, and as soon as he did so, several more people entered the dark room¡­ more than a dozen of them.


    "...And we tried to stop it."


    ***


    Rhys has been sitting on top of the car for almost an hour now, waiting for the monsters toe.


    It was weird; based on Maria''s report, the monsters in the Underworld beneath Mankappan had not really stopped being in a frenzy ever since the incident in the mall ¡ª and he was sure he was the reason for that¡­


    ¡­and yet even after an hour of dropping a drip of his blood on the ground, there hasn''t even been a single sign of any monsters. He even made sure to hang the minitaur on the only streetmp still left standing on the street.


    Was their theory¡­ wrong? Does Rhys actually not attract monsters at all? No ¡ª there have already been enough instances to prove their theory correct.


    ¡­This could only mean that the monsters are already being obliterated before they could even reach his position.


    "Strongest Explorer in the country¡­" Rhys then turned his eyes to the western part of the city. And even though there were buildings blocking the horizon, Rhys could still see ciers and towers of ice protruding from the distance; the sky, slightly dim from the endless snow that had been raining down since earlier.


    Rhys then slightly raised his hand, catching a snowke that happened to reach andnd where he was. And as he stared at the snowke, it did not even show any signs of melting ¡ª in fact, Rhys could actually feel the minuscule snowke piercing through his palm.


    Rhys had already thought Ayesha to be the pinnacle of strength. He had actually already tested his strength by sparring with Ayesha ¡ª and that was also when he found out that he did not exactly copy 100% of someone''s powers¡­ because he was just thrown and mmed around by Ayesha like a wet towel.


    After that, he tested his wind abilities against Lina ¡ª and true enough, his was weaker.


    It most probably had something to do with the single Large Gray Heart that was now floating above their heads; slightly filled up with a red that acted like some sort of liquid.


    Ayesha''srge Gray Heart was slightly filled more than Lina''s ¡ª and although Rhys has not really measured any percentages, aside from how much they like him, he was sure the red liquid was also an indication of how much of their power he has.


    But even what he has now¡­ somehow already seems enough. Ayesha''s strength, Lina''s wind abilities, Maria''s shadow traversa, Arachnea''s threads and inhuman reflexes, and then his most useful ability ¡ª recovering all of his stamina at will.


    What he has now is enough, but he also knows that he needs more if he truly wants to topple the world upside down. If he had Esme''s ability¡­ he could probably already do whatever he wished.


    But s, as he looked at all the ciers that almost reached the top of the dome, the only thing he could really do was sigh as he dropped the chilling snowke from his palm; watching it as it very slowly danced its way to the ground¡­ slightly freezing the area around it as soon as it made contact.


    "...Hm," Rhys blinked a couple of times as he wondered about Esme''s words. She had all this power, and yet she was still afraid of meeting Arachnea.


    Just¡­ how strong are the gods, truly? Even Ayesha told him that Arachnea was just ying with her when the two of them fought.


    Arachnea also seemed to know whose blood it was that was flowing through his veins while no one else did.


    Answers ¡ª he wanted answers from the gods. Maybe then, he would be able to fully¡ª


    And before he could finish his words, his body instinctively stood up;pletely destroying the roof as he leaped into the air and crushing the corpses inside. It did not matter, however, as the car was just suddenly blown away by some sort of low-pitched st.


    Rhys squinted his eyes as he saw several silhouettes moving toward his position. And so, instead of letting himself justnd back to the ground, he threw a thread at the building near him and hung from its walls.


    Before he could make out the faces of the silhouettes, however, another st made its way toward him ¡ª causing him to just glide across the wall before gracefullynding on the hard ground.


    "No wonder you''re so hard to kill¡­


    ¡­you move like a fucking mosquito."


    "You¡­" Rhys''s eyebrows quickly lowered as he finally made out who it was ¡ª his receding hairline and short stature, a clear indication of the guild master of the Cerberus guild.


    "...You really are not going to stop until you kill me, huh?"


    "No one who messes with the Cerberus guild gets unscathed, you motherfucker."


    "Awoo! Awoo!"


    "What the¡­" Rhys could not help but almost take a step back as the people who were with Edward started barking and howling like dogs.


    "And today is the day you die, Rhys," a wide smirk crawled on Edward''s face, "And we will make sure everyone knows that you are the viin of this story."


    "You''re¡­ really persistent," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he scanned Edward''s men, "You''re the one who provoked me first by sending those assassins back in the Explorer test."


    "...What are you even talking about!?" Edward raised his voice, causing all the dust around him to be blown away in a ripple, "You started it by ndering my guild''s name!"


    "...Right," Rhys only breathed out as he was done scanning all of Edward''s men. He was trying to find out whether or not Adam was one of them, but since nobody''s hair was giving even a slight glow, it was safe to assume that he was not.


    He had actually reviewed each of the members of the Cerberus guild specifically for this kind of scenario. And aside from Edward and Ss, the only one that could truly prove to be a threat to him was Adam ¡ª the guild''s only other Noble.


    "Well, you should have nned this more," Rhys stared Edward in the eyes, "I¡ª"


    "Oh, I did," Edward scoffed before snapping his fingers. And as soon as he did so, several more people started appearing everywhere ¡ª some even on top of the building.


    Rhys started scanning for Adam again, but he was still nowhere to be found.


    "I brought half the guild here," Edward smirked as he pointed at Rhys, "You''re done, boy."


    "Hm," Rhys remainedpletely calm as he just let out a breath upon seeing their numbers. Although he could probably still win, the best thing to do here was to just escape ¡ª and he would easily just be able to do that with his shadow traversal.


    "Men! Make sure our Lowborn friend here doesn''t leave¡ª"


    "You''ve be very cheeky the time we have been separated, my lovely husband. It''s almost a shame that I have to eat you."


    "!!!"


    And before Edward could finish his words, everyone watched as somethingrge just suddenly fell from above, one of her legs,pletely piercing through the top of his head straight down his crotch.


    "Oh, disgusting¡­


    ¡­Did I just step on something?"


    "It''s¡­


    ¡­It''s Arachnea!"


    And just like that, the guild master of the Cerberus guild was dead.

 Chapter 133 The Plot brings the Plot

    "It''s¡­ Arachnea!"


    Raw chaos. That was probably the only way Rhys could exin what was going on around him right now.


    The members of the Cerberus guild seemed like they had alreadypletely forgotten about their guild master, even though he was still pretty much impaled like a whole roasted pig around one of Arachnea''s legs.


    None of them were even looking at him anymore ¡ª granted, you can''t save an obviously already dead person.


    All of them just started running away like cockroaches being exposed to the light. As for Arachnea, she could not really be bothered in chasing any of them¡ªno. She was also not even looking at them; her eyes, justpletely fixated on Rhys as a very small smile started to crawl onto her face.


    Rhys thought that something was weird, and as Arachnea started to walk toward him, he finally noticed what it was.


    She was wearing a shirt ¡ª an oversized shirt at that, whichpletely hid her figure from everyone. Even then, however, her shirt couldn''t contain the bounce and jiggle with every step she took.


    As expected of the only other female that couldpare to Katarina''s¡­ mountains.


    "Tch¡­" Out of nowhere, however, Arachnea clicked her tongue and stopped walking; her eyes, looking at all the people screaming and running away in annoyance. And her annoyance soonpletely turned into disgust as Edward''s corpse started sliding down from her leg, "These humans¡­


    ¡­always so annoying."


    "!!!"


    And with those words, Arachnea suddenly disappeared from Rhys''s sight ¡ª and even with the enhanced senses and reflexes, Rhys could not even follow Arachnea''s movements as she just started plowing through the members of the Cerberus guild like they were grass; she wasn''t even actively attacking them, she was literally just plowing through them with her body and legs.


    It wasn''t that Arachnea was truly that fast, no ¡ª she was fast in all the senses of the word, but it was her ability to just quickly change directions that made Rhys instantly lose sight of her from time to time.


    And as Rhys found himself impressed, he could not help but quickly shake his head as he realized he shouldn''t just be standing there and should perhaps search for a better position ¡ª after all, behind him was a building that might as well be a trap.


    But before he could even think of a new position, Arachnea was done ¡ª she hadpletely wiped out all the members of the Cerberus guild that was present in ambushing Rhys. Even those who were on top of the buildings around them couldn''t escape; that was how efficient Arachnea was in hunting humans¡­


    ¡­and not even once did she use her webs and threads.


    In fact, Rhys doesn''t remember Arachnea using her threads against Ayesha at all¡­ she truly was just ying with her. But then¡­


    ¡­this was not exactly the right time to think about anyone else.


    "Finally, all the insects are gone," Arachnea once againnded a few meters in front of Rhys; walking toward her like she did not just kill dozens and dozens of people, "We were interrupted thest time we met, descendant of Eros."


    "We were," Rhys tried his best to stay calm; his mind, repeating the memory of his first squad being wiped out and sliced into pieces by Arachnea. Panicking or doing anything else besides staying calm would be absolutely useless in his situation ¡ª he could probably escape using the shadows, but Arachnea could probably also pull him out before he could fully submerge himself into the darkness.


    And why would he escape? He called Arachnea here in the first ce.


    "To be absolutely certain, your friends attacked me first ¡ª their deaths are not mine to bear," Arachnea let out a small giggle as she crawled closer and closer to Rhys; each of her sharp legs, slightly prating through the hard asphalt like she was just walking across sand,


    "But I suppose that does not matter anymore, humans live too short that it does not really change anything whether they die now orter in their life. Do you not find it curious? You mortals should have the blood of us gods, and yet you live the same as a thousand years ago ¡ª ephemeral."


    "I am curious," Rhys took in a very long and deep breath as he stood his ground; his head looking up at Arachnea as she towered over him as soon as she was only just an arm''s reach away, "That is why I made it easy for you to find me and waited here."


    "I truly admire your enthusiasm, Descendant of Eros¡­" Arachnea covered her mouth as she started giggling, "...But you did not lure me here at all ¡ª I was already stalking you as soon as you entered this fragile city. I also stalked the people following you and waited for the right time to make my grand entrance; how about it, did you like it?"


    "You¡­ were already stalking me?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he looked at Arachnea from head to toe. Arachnea''s spider body was the size of a small sedan; not to mention her human parts were also bigger than normal, so¡­ "How were you even able to escape the others'' eyes?"


    "By avoiding them?" Arachnea squinted, "Stop asking questions that you already know the answer to, Descendant of Eros. Ask me more meaningful questions ¡ª like how I am going to eat you, you''ll like it."


    "I¡­ prefer not to be eaten," Rhys took a step back as Arachnea started licking her lips. Perhaps Rhys was wrong, maybe he should truly probably try finding a way out of here.


    It didn''t help that Arachnea''s desires were currently flooding his mind right now, and all he could hear was her wanting to just eat him and swallow his head whole.


    "Why not?" Arachnea suddenly moved to Rhys''s side, almost causing him to dive into the shadows there and then, "You should be honored, you will be the first man I eat in more than a thousand years."


    "I specifically remember you eating someone when I met you, Arachnea," Rhys recalled Lex''s stomach just being eviscerated by Arachnea''s teeth.


    "Oh, that waspletely different," a small smile once again crawled on Arachnea''s face as she leaned down closer to Rhys; her sharp teeth that probably numbered to a hundred, showing themselves to him, "When I start eating you¡­


    ¡­all you will feel will be pleasure."


    "...Are we still talking about the same ''eat'' here?" Rhys gulped.


    "And after you''ve experienced pleasure like you have not before¡­ I will bite through your face and burrow through your tasty brain."


    "Right¡­" Rhys sighed and nodded, "...Before you start eating me, may I ask you some questions, Ma''am?"


    "...Ma''am?" Arachnea raised an eyebrow, "You mortals truly are quite funny. Very well, ask."


    "Eros, none of the other¡­ mortals seem to know who he is," Rhys''s voice slightly turned deep as he looked at his hand, "...And I am not going to pretend to you that I still consider myself a Lowborn, not at all ¡ª it is what I am, but Eros'' gift, the ability he passed down to me is something that should only belong to Nobles. It''s¡­ monstrous."


    "Of course, they will not know who he is," Arachnea leaned away from Rhys; closing her eyes as she seemed to reminisce an age already passed,


    "The other gods have exiled Eros for his betrayal against the King of the Gods."


    "Eros¡­ betrayed Zeus?"


    "Ssh," Arachnea quickly ced a finger on her lips, "Do not let the big guy hear you;st I heard, he was still mad about that even after a thousand years had already passed."


    "A thousand years ago¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked Arachnea in the eyes, "...When the monsters dug their way up to the Surface? And the gods had toe from above?"


    "Around that time, yes. But there is one detail you are sorely mistaken about," Arachnea giggled as she wagged a finger in front of Rhys''s face, "The monsters, the gods¡­


    ¡­we all came from down there."


    "...What?" Rhys''s eyes slightly widened as he heard Arachnea''s words. Although the change of detail in history does not really affect Rhys directly or even personally. But the fact that a major detail like the godsing from the Underworld was not known to them¡­


    ¡­Rhys could not help but wonder what else in their history was wrong.


    "Then¡­ is Eros part of the Olym¡ª"


    "No."


    "No? He''s not¡ª"


    "I meant I am done answering your questions, Descendant of Eros." And as soon as those words escaped Arachnea''s lips; her spider body suddenly started convulsing out of nowhere, causing Rhys to slightly burrow an inch of his feet into the shadows,


    "It''s time for me to eat."


    Before he could actually escape, however, he found his waist suddenly wrapped in by Arachnea''s legs¡­ and not her spider legs.


    It was a pair of¡­ human legs that suddenly protruded from Arachnea''s spider body,pleting the rest of her human parts. It was slightly¡­ slimy.


    "Wh¡ª" And before Rhys could even say anything, Arachnea wrapped her arms around his neck. And like an egg hatching¡­ Arachnea''s human body separated itself from her spider body.


    And due to her size, Rhys could not help but just fall down on his back ¡ª with Arachnea sitting on top of him; her face, just inches away from his.


    "...You could do that?" Rhys''s eyes widened as he instinctively touched Arachnea''s thick but soft new legs; the slime, causing his hand to almost just glide over it.


    "Oh¡­" Arachnea opened her mouth as her unusually long tongue gently brushing across Rhys''s lips,


    "...I can do a lot of things, child."

 Chapter 134 Dance with The Spider (r-18)

    Rhys thought he was already strong, stronger than most.


    If he tried to, he could already fight against Ayesha, and perhaps even win if he utilizes all of his abilities to their max.


    But all of that illusion shattered and faded away as Arachnea now had him pinned down on the ground; her fingers, digging through that asphalt as shepletely locked Rhys down.


    Rhys could not even attempt to struggle or wriggle away, as Arachnea was probably a whole 3 feet taller than her; bigger too.


    And as Arachnea''s face was directly on top of his face, the saliva slithering down her lips started to trail down his cheek. Rhys thought her mouth would smell rotten from all the things she eat¡­ but it would seem they take dental seriously in the Underworld.


    Or if it''s just because she was a goddess that her mouth, even though incredibly menacing due to her teeth that numbered hundreds, it still smelled like mint ¡ª perhaps even fresher.


    "Oh? Not trying to resist anymore?" Arachnea finally leaned her face away as she sat up; her bare thighs, tightening their wrap around Rhys''s waist, "You were also like this before ¡ª are you still eager to die, Descendant of Eros?"


    "Well¡­" Rhys turned to look at the smoke gathered on top of the dome, causing the lighting in from above to soften and dissipate evenly everywhere; making every detail in Arachnea''s face even more pronounced ¡ª Rhys thought that Arachnea was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen the first time he saw her, and now with the soft light brightening her face, it only cemented the thought in his mind,


    "...If death looks like you, then death can have me as she wants."


    "Then I shall," a wide grin crawled on Arachnea''s face as her hand started to move. Rhys was about to try and escape into the shadows, but before he could do so¡­


    ¡­he realized that Arachnea''s hand was crawling toward his pants. And right there and then, Rhys finally realized what was going on.


    Arachnea is going to eat him, but not before whatever was going to happen now. He had read about this before, but from his knowledge, only the mantis did this kind of¡­ ritual, some sort of the female needing to feed to gain strength or something.


    And as Rhys surmised¡­ Arachnea just tore off his pants.


    So, it really was going to happen here, Rhys thought. Right in the middle of the street, surrounded by mangled corpses.


    "...Oh?" Arachnea then blinked a couple of times as she started patting the thing between Rhys''s thighs, "Why is it not hard? I know it has been a long time since Ist did this, but I am still certain that most men would already be hard just by the sight of me¡ªOh?"


    Arachnea then realized that despite her butt and thighs and whatever else was underneath waspletely exposed, she was still wearing a shirt.


    And so, with a smile on her face, she looked Rhys in the eyes while very slowly pulling up her shirt. And due to herrge breasts, the shirt slightly caught up her already perked-up nipples; pushing them up before they bountifully popped out and gave a very hearty bounce. She did not fully remove her shirt, however, only letting it hang above her breasts.


    "...So?" Arachnea then lowered her arms; pinning her breasts closer together, "Are you getting hard yet?"


    [...Arise.]


    "Eep!"


    Arachnea''s eyes turnedpletely wide as her entire body jolted up. She almost screamed, but stopped herself from doing so and only really let out a loud gasp.


    How could she not, when she truly did not expect Rhys''s sword to suddenly grow and enter right inside her? And due to all the slime wrapping her lower body, Rhys''s cock truly just inserted itself without any resistance at all; her insides, although shocked, weed him entirely.


    "That¡­" Arachnea''s voice trembled, "...It''s¡­ It''s been so long so¡­Tch."


    Arachnea clicked her tongue as she suddenly red at Rhys,


    "I''m the one that is going to eat you, Descendant of Eros, not the other way a¡­around!" Although she slightly fumbled with herst words, Arachnea still started moving her hips while stillpletely pinning Rhys down.


    But s, her lowered eyebrows could not help but just rise up as she felt Rhys''s cock growing bigger and bigger inside her ¡ª almost as if it was touching every part of her, causing her skin to just feel even the slight brush of air that happens to blow her way.


    "How¡­ how''s that?" Arachnea stuck out her tongue as she leaned back; her breasts, jiggling uncontrobly as she rode Rhys wilder and wilder; her legs, visibly trembling each time Rhys''s cock goes deeper inside her.


    The juices that were generously dripping from her vagina, trailing down her thighs and causing the once dried ground beneath her knees to bepletely wet, "Do you like that, Descendant of Eros!?"


    Arachnea''s breaths started to stutter as she continued to move her hips; even slightly rotating her hips and letting her ass dance.


    "Ah¡­ hn¡­" Arachnea''s started biting her lip as her body suddenly began to shiver, although all she was feeling was a sense of warmth that wrapped around her entire body like running silk,


    "I¡­ this¡­ this it¡­" Arachnea breathed out as she could not control her saliva from trailing down her lips; dropping straight to herrge breast and thrown away as soon as it bounced from her teat,


    "I''m¡­


    ¡­I''ming!"


    And with a scream that caused everything around them to ripple away, Arachnea''s body just dropped on top of Rhys again; her softrge breasts, damping his coat with concoction of sweat and saliva.


    Arachnea''s breaths were loud, almost like gasps as her cheek touched Rhys''s cheek. Soon, however, her heavy breaths slowly turned sinister as she started giggling.


    "And now¡­" Arachnea lifted herself up; her breasts swaying as she looked straight down at Rhys''s face. Her lips started to part; her mouth, opening wide and once again revealing her beautiful set of sharp teeth,


    "...Time for me to eat."


    "Time for you to eat?" Rhys, however, just calmly looked her in the eyes as he sighed, "But I haven''t even started yet."


    "Wh¡ª!!!"


    And before Arachnea could even say another word, her eyes almost turnedpletely up; the whites exposed as Rhys suddenly rose his hips; his cock that was still wrapped in her, now reaching even deeper and hitting something that caused all the strength in her body to be zapped away instantly.


    And once again, Arachnea found herself falling on top of Rhys.


    "Kh¡­ hn¡­ gh¡­" Arachnea could not even form words as she felt her hips moving on their own along with Rhys,


    "Ka!"


    And as Rhys suddenly pped her ass, she let out a high-pitched yelp. Her yelp, however, also stuttered as Rhys¡­ started scratching her ass.


    "Shii¡­" Arachnea''s toes quickly curled; even her fingers found themselves digging through the asphalt as she came right there and then,


    "Stop¡­ stop it!"


    Rhys, however, did not stop at all.


    "I¡­Imand you to¡ª"


    And with herpletely weakened, she found herself just being thrown around by Rhys, who pushed her away before quickly moving behind her. And as if her overpowered senses and reflexes were failing her, her long, silky hair was just pulled back by Rhys as he once again slid his cock inside her.


    "S¡­S¡­" Arachnea could really only grit her teeth as she stretched her arm forward while Rhys was ramming her from behind. And soon, her spider body that separated from her started to crawl toward her¡­ but the only thing she could really do was lift her body up and hug her spider body tight while her knees were still on the ground,


    "W¡ª"


    She was about to say something, but Rhys suddenly let go of her hair, causing her face to be buried in her spider body.


    "Hrpph!?" And almost instantly, a muffled gasp seeped from her lips as Rhys gently¡­ inserted his thumb into her ass.


    And with her vagina tightening due to Rhys''s finger, Arachnea could no longer control her own body as her juices started shooting out and flowing everywhere¡­ even her spider body seemed to react as it let out a ton of threads and webs ¡ªpletely filling the entire street with her fluids.


    "Hah¡­" And finally, as Rhys stopped thrusting inside her, Arachnea found room to breathe as she nced back at him; her eyes, just weakly staring at Rhys''s eyes as she continued to embrace her separated spider body tight. And as Rhys gently removed himself from inside her, another stuttering gasp escaped her lips; her eyes, however, did not remove themselves from Rhys as she whispered,


    "More."


    "...Hm," Rhys breathed out beforepletely recovering his stamina.


    "But this time¡­" Arachnea then weakly lifted herself up before turning around; and as she did so, her legs sunk into her spider body as she reattached herselfpletely,


    "...Do it with me, all of me."


    "...What?"

 Chapter 135 Into The Deep

    "Do it with all of me."


    "...What?"


    The only thing Rhys could really do was stare at Arachnea as her legs once again disappeared into her spider body. His mind, going to a million ces ¡ª and whether Rhys admitted it or not, the first thought he had in his mind was not to refuse¡­ but wonder what hole he was supposed to insert his sword into.


    "...How?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Arachnea from head to toe.


    "Where else¡­?" Arachnea smirked as her legs sharp legs stretched her up; slightly opening the front of her spider body and revealing her hole just beneath her waist, "The same ce you inserted it earlier."


    "...Oh," Rhys closed his eyes.


    "Wait¡­" Arachnea traced her finger on her lips as the back of her spider body began wriggling, "...Were you expecting to do it somewhere else?"


    "No," Rhys quickly answered as he slightly took a step back.


    "I do have a hole there, if you''d like," Arachnea started brushing her hands behind her, "Two ¡ª one for breathing, and one to make¡­ very special threads."


    "I''d prefer not to¡ª!!!"


    "Oh?"


    Both Rhys and Arachnea leaped back as an arrow shot toward their direction. Of course, the two wouldn''t have had topletely leap away if it was just a normal arrow ¡ª it wasn''t. It was an arrow the size of a train, made of ice.


    Fortunately for Rhys, the arrow was not meant for him as another shot toward Arachnea; giving him a chance to take off his coat, before tying it around his waist using his threads to cover his¡­ privates.


    "Rude," Arachnea let out a long deep sigh as she lowered her shirt, "The Descendant of Eros was about to brutalize mepletely. But mortals just have to ruin everything, don''t they?"


    And even though Rhys and Arachnea were now separated, the two of them looked at the woman shooting arrows at them; her glowing white hair, glistening more than the gigantic arrow of ice floating above her raised hand.


    "Esme," Rhys whispered. Esme also nced at him for a few seconds, before throwing another giant arrow toward Arachnea. This time, however, the arrow the size of a train suddenly cracked and separated into probably a million pieces.


    Arachnea, however, did not move from her spot; a smile, even forming on her face as she seemedpletely amused. She then stretched her fist toward the oing projectile, and as soon as she opened it, a wall of web instantly formed in front of him; blocking everything¡ªno.


    The icicles still continued to move toward Arachnea as the web began to stretch ¡ª but as soon as the icicles were only an inch away from hitting her, the web snapped back and shot all the icicles back toward Esme with seemingly even greater force.


    Esme did not move or dodge as well, as she just let all the icicles hit her directly. But as soon as the ice made contact with her body, it just instantly vaporized and disappearedpletely ¡ª perhaps a mistake.


    "Hm¡­" Esme''s eye slightly twitched as she looked at her arm, which now had an arrow seemingly made of spider threads pierced through it. This did not seem to bother her that much, however, as she just quickly pulled it away ¡ª but the sound it gave was not the sound of flesh tearing, no ¡ª it was a sound simr to one shoveling snow from one''s driveway.


    No blood also trailed from her wound, no; as the wound just froze before leaves and roots began forming from it. But the leaves too,pletely froze.


    Esme then began walking toward Rhys, snapping off the frozen roots and branches from her arm and revealing her wound to bepletely healed.


    "A descendant of Demeter," Arachnea then let out a small chuckle as she saw Esme standing beside Rhys, "She would be absolutely fuming if she found out that her descendants were hanging around with each other, absolutely fuming."


    "Why don''t you speak in anguage I could understand, Spider God?" Esme breathed out; her breaths, releasing vapor as she scanned the surrounding area; seeing all the corpses scattered everywhere and even spotting Edward, "The Cerberus guild, but I don''t see any of their Nobles."


    "They weren''t here," Rhys let out a sigh as he looked at Esme. It would seem one of his theories has been proven to be correct ¡ª no one else but him could understand Arachnea.


    "But you are," Esme nced at Rhys, "It would seem the rumors about you are not false ¡ª for you to even be alive in front of a god after she had already littered this ce with carnage is a feat not even the top 15 could boast; of course, Ayesha is one of them¡­ who just happens to be one of your many lovers, ck Hair."


    "That is¡ª"


    "And from what I saw while on my way here, you even had her separated from her spider body and strangled," Esme looked at Rhys from head to toe, "Just how strong are you, truly?"


    "That''s¡­ not really what was happening," Rhys could really only take in a gulp. Fortunately for him, Esme seemed to have misunderstood Arachnea and his position earlier. And of course, it was better that way,


    "I only caught her off guard." A statement not entirely false.


    "Losing you would be a detriment to humanity, ck Hair," Esme breathed out, "Our only option here is to escape, I''m not really that confident we can win against her with just the two of us. Even now, she''s just watching and speaking to herself ¡ª probably thinking of ways to y with us."


    "She is one of the gods you need to avoid, Descendant of Eros." Contrary to Esme''s guess, however, Arachnea was actually talking with Rhys, "She''s one of the Olympians who voted to exile Eros."


    "We need to escape," Esme started looking around, "But you and I both know we''re probably already trapped here."


    "We''re already dead, we just don''t know it yet," Rhys whispered.


    "What was that?" Esme raised an eyebrow.


    "Just a motto of my squad back in the Underworld Corps," Rhys shook his head as he let out a subtle chuckle, "And you are wrong, losing me wouldn''t be a detriment to humanity at all. It¡­ would be a blessing."


    "You are a pretty intense person, ck Hair. Has anyone ever told you that?" Esme scoffed; her eyes, nowpletely focused on Arachnea and observing even the tiniest of her movements.


    "But it''s true," Rhys smiled and nodded before cing his hand on Esme''s shoulder, "You, on the other hand, are needed by humanity."


    "What are¡ª!!!"


    And before Esme could even finish her words, Rhys suddenly pulled her away and threw her straight toward one of the buildings; shattering the windows before she just gracefully summoned sheets of ice around her to soften her momentum.


    She quickly ran back without any hesitation, only to see Rhys rushing toward Arachnea recklessly.


    "ck Hair, what are you doing!?"


    "Taking this fight elsewhere!" Rhys let out a roar as he leaped toward Arachnea ¡ª moving past her before tying her neck with threads.


    "...What!?" And there, Esme watched as Arachnea started moving everywhere with a speed fast enough to shatter the ground beneath her feet. Esme''s entire body then started to be wrapped around an armor of ice, but before she could do anything, however, she saw Rhys flying away and Arachnea grabbing him by the head ¡ª and then just running away and disappearing into the distance.


    "Did¡­ he just save me?" Esme blinked a couple of times as she stared nkly at where Rhys and Arachnea disappeared into. Unbeknownst to her, however, Rhys did not actually try to save her at all ¡ª he only just wanted to get more information from Arachnea.


    "Not good¡­" Esme closed her eyes as the armor of ice around her melted away before they could fully form,


    "...The Mayor is not going to like this."


    ***


    "Shit¡­ Recruit!"


    Ayesha was currently diving through a Hole ¡ª no, she was running across the walls of the Hole like some sort of tigress as she made her way to the Surface. Just a few seconds earlier, however, she was actually in the Underworld preventing any more monsters from going to the Surface.


    But as soon as she heard that Arachnea was spotted on the Surface¡­ holding Rhys in her arms, Ayesha quickly abandoned everything and dived into the Hole.


    "Faster¡­" Ayesha gritted her teeth as winds of skirt started to explode from her waist as she pushed herself down with all her might, "Fas¡ª!!!"


    Soon, however, she could not help but just stare as a silhouette brushed past hering from the Surface ¡ª Arachnea, with Rhys around her arm.


    "...Ayesha?"


    "Recruit? Recruit!" Ayesha quickly pushed herself from the wall as she pounced toward Arachnea. But s, a wall of webs suddenly blocked her path. She quickly tore it apart; not even minding that her fingers were being cut ¡ª but as she managed to tear the web and lift herself up; she was weed by another ceiling of web.


    "Fuck¡­


    ¡­Fuck!"

 Chapter 136 Ayeshas Desperation

    A crowd of people were currently inside the Hole; people from different guilds who made it their priority to clear and sweep all the monsters. In truth, with few of Amerka''s strongest explorers participating in this extermination, the only real threat was Arachnea''s presence.


    But aside from the leader of the Rescue team telling them that Arachnea was sighted somewhere, no one had really even seen a shadow of her.


    And so, the extermination has been quite uneventful for them ¡ª and it did not help that Esme practically locked a quarter of the entire city and encased it in ice, making their jobs a lot easier.


    And as they finally found themselves gathered at the very center of the monsters'' source, the Hole inside the mall, the group started to rx. They were also told that the monsters in the Underworld had also started to calm down. But before any of them could actually fully lower their arms, however, they all felt their hairs stand up on their ends at the same time ¡ª and the reason?


    Something¡ªsomeone they thought they would never see in their lifetime, a god. The god of spiders, Arachnea. The only thing they could really do was just stand there extremely, and very still; hoping that if they did so, they would learn the art of standing so incredibly still that they would be invisible to the naked eye.


    They were so busy making themselves invisible that they did not even notice Arachnea holding Rhys.


    Fortunately for them, it seemed to have worked as Arachnea did not even heed them any mind and just moved past them. They were incredibly lucky too, as none of them were was maimed by Arachnea''s sharp legs.


    It was a weird feeling ¡ª some of them were evenining about how easy the extermination was with this many people, but as soon as Arachnea entered the building, literally; the only thing in their mind was that even if a thousand more of theme, it would not be enough. But once again, fortunately for them, Arachnea just casually went down inside the Hole without actually doing anything.


    And as soon as she was gone, everyone''s breaths almost created an orchestra of utmost relief; some of them even added drums as their butts fell straight to the floor. There was someone who dived down the Hole, but none of them really saw who it was as they were all busy trying not to shit their pants there and then.


    No one really said anything for minutes on end, and right when they were about to, they heard several thunders bursting from the floor; the entire mall, almost rumbling as the thunders became louder and louder. And soon, a silhouette emerged from the Hole, causing everyone to flinch and freeze again.


    "Commander Ayesha!?"


    Fortunately for them, it was just Ayesha, who was tasked to control the monsters in the Underworld part of the mall. She seemed to be holding someone, but all the people''s eyes were just on Ayesha.


    "What¡­ what''s going on, Commander Ayesha!? Was that Arachnea!?"


    And as all the people started approaching her, the only thing she really did was throw the person she was carrying in her arm toward Ss.


    "This¡­" Ss quickly but very gently caught the person, "...Emilia? Why is she¡ª"


    "Don''t let her jump into the Hole again or I swear I''ll put a Hole in you," Ayesha pointed at Ss.


    "She dived into the Hole!?" Ss did not even notice it. Because as ashamed as he might be to admit, he was one of the many people who just froze when Arachnea slithered way through the mall, "Wh¡ª"


    Before he could even finish his words, however, Ayesha just turned around and rushed toward one of the stores; not even bothering to enter the store as she just punched through the ss and grabbed one of therge swords on disy on the window ¡ª and without even saying a word to anyone, she made her way back to the Hole and dived back down; her descent to the Underworld, like the roar of a celestial beast as she once again forcefully pushed herself down.


    And very soon, she reached the part of the Hole where she and Arachnea''s paths crossed; the ceilings of webs that previously blocked her path, now a wall of webs as her gravity shifted opposite.


    She was originally just going to brute force her way back to the Underworld, but to her surprise, Rhys''s sister suddenly dropped toward the web ¡ª she was lucky the webs were already slightly stic since Ayesha had already torn some of them, but if not, she would have died there and there with her neckpletely snapped.


    In fact, Ayesha had initially thought she died. But as soon as she realized she was still breathing, she just opted to go to the Surface ¡ª and perhaps it was the right decision too, as now, Ayesha had a big-ass sword.


    "Hup!" Ayesha took in a short but very deep breath as her muscles started to contract; therge sword on her hard, vibrating from how tight she was holding it. And as she let out her breath, the sword in her hand seemingly disappeared as she swung it as hard as she could ¡ª the wind that escaped from the edges of therge sword, enough to distort the very air itself.


    The webs that blocked her path, withering awaypletely as they fell to the Underworld. Unfortunately for therge sword, it also shattered soon after; almost turning into dust.


    "Hurry¡­ hurry," it did not matter at all for Ayesha, however, as she just pped her hand to push herself to the walls of the Hole; grabbing onto it before forcefully pushing herself down again like a leaping cheetah.


    For most people who do not truly know them, her rtionship with Rhys might just seem like something casual, maybe even a flingpared to Lina. But the truth could not be more opposite ¡ª if they counted the hours they were together, she was the one who had spent the most time with Rhys; the two of them, almost never separating after the incident that took Rhys''s limbs.


    She could even confidently say she was closer to Rhys than even Katarina. She was also the first one to get to know Rhys''s ns, even to the point of supporting it even though she had her reservations and doubts. She never really thought that she would be as close to a person as she was with Rhys, never in a million years.


    After all, all the men in her life have either abused her, used her, or outright molested her when she was younger ¡ª the only men in her life were the soldiers of the Underworld corps, people who were as damaged as her.


    But then, Rhys came, a manpletely broken beyond repair, and yet still pretty much functioning even with all of his baggage. She was already intrigued with him at first, but when she risked his life to save her even though he didn''t even need to¡­


    ¡­that''s when all of Ayesha''s walls broke.


    And whether she liked it or not, all of Rhys seeped into the cracks andpletely filled up her insides. Just figuratively at first, but it became literal as they spent more time with each other. It even came to the point where she started to feel tired all of a sudden when he wasn''t near her.


    Rhys¡­ makes her feel good, and not just physically. She would not even lie to anyone if she said that Rhys¡­


    ¡­Rhys is the most important person in his life. And if she loses him, she would drag everyone she could drag with her and raze the entire Underworld even if it meant dering war against the gods.


    "Recruit!"


    And as Ayesha found herself back in the Underworld, her eyes quickly scanned the surrounding area, only to see nothing but Explorers who were obviously too stunned and shocked to even move from their spot; none of them seemed to be injured, however, a testament to how Arachnea does not even see them as a threat as she just moved past them.


    The Underworld part of the mall was also covered by a dome, protecting it from the harsh environment and wild monsters of the Underworld, and only keeping the ones they used to test weapons inside ¡ª of course, the dome had proven to be absolutely useless as its security was prated by the monsters.


    A mistake that could have been prevented if not for the arrogance of men.


    "Arachnea, where did she go!?" Ayesha quickly grabbed the first explorer she could get her hands on; shaking him awake.


    "...Who?"


    "That god of spiders, damn it!" Ayesha was about to p the man she was holding right on the cheek. Fortunately for the stranger, before he could have had the chance to probably die there and then, Katarina grabbed her from behind and tried pulling her away. Of course, they couldn''t really do so, but Ayesha just let them.


    "The Recruit, he¡ª"


    "We saw."


    "Then¡­ why are you here?" Ayesha began to frown.


    "Lina already went ahead to scout," Katarina breathed out,


    "I was just waiting for you. Now¡­


    ¡­let''s go get our man back."


    And while Katarina, Ayesha, and Lina were doing their utmost best to the point of desperation to try and rescue Rhys¡­


    .


    "Now¡­" Arachnea waspletely bare; herrge breasts, swaying as she very slowly approached Rhys, who was lying on a bed made of webs,


    "...Shall we continue where we left off before the other humans interrupted us?"

 Chapter 137 Ooh Laa Laa

    "Wait¡­"


    One could really imagine what one of Arachnea''sirs would look like ¡ª a lot of webs, caves, and grim darkness. They would be right; one out of three, that is.


    There are a lot of webs, a lot. But Rhys wasn''t in a cave at all, it wasn''t even dark. The webs did not even look grim, everything just seemed immacte, white, and perfectly arranged like a room, a hotel room, even. Arachnea even weaved a curtain ¡ª no, she weaved everything that Rhys was seeing in less than a few hours¡­


    ¡­even the cuffs that were binding his limbs to the bed.


    "Wait¡­?"


    Arachnea''s voice was incredibly coquettish, even more so than before; the sound of her sharp legs tapping the floor, somewhat rhythmic as she very slowly approached the bound Rhys,


    "But you seemed so eager to be in my arms just earlier ¡ª even leaping at me and telling me to take you to the Underworld."


    "To have some answers," Rhys breathed out as he raised his head to look at Arachnea, "You told me toe with you if I wanted answers."


    "I told you toe inside me if you want answers."


    "Hm," Rhys could really only drop his head and start nodding to himself as he heard Arachnea''s words, "...Right."


    "Why would you even want answers, Descendant of Eros?" Arachnea crawled near Rhys, before suddenly pulling down a thread from the ceiling, almost instantly lifting up the bed from the floor as it stood diagonally; making his eye level equal with Arachnea, who looked him straight in the eyes,


    "You humans are happy and living because you do not know the truth ¡ª once you do know, everything you have ever known will change. Why would you want that?"


    "Because I want to know why everything that happened to me, happened to me," Rhys returned Arachnea''s re.


    "Bruised, beaten¡­ humiliated to the entire world?" Arachnea raised an eyebrow,


    "For someone who has suffered so little, you seem a little too intense, Descendant of Eros."


    "Here to tell me that some people suffered more?"


    "No ¡ª some have, but no," Arachnea let out a small chuckle as she brushed her finger on Rhys''s face, "I am not here to tell you anything ¡ª I''m here to eat you."


    "...What''s stopping you?" Rhys nced at the thread locking his only hand.


    "I don''t know yet," Arachnea subconsciously nced between Rhys''s thighs, "Perhaps the fact that you are the only descendant of Eros, ever to be seen since the Seeding?"


    "Seeding¡­?"


    "Yes, the Seeding ¡ª that is what we call the impregnation of your species. Do you truly want to know?"


    And as Rhys saw another smirk starting to crawl on Arachnea''s face, he could not help but think that Arachnea was just teasing him now. She had all the information he wanted; but then again, she was also right.


    What actually changes if he knows the truth? Why was he even searching for it?


    ¡­No ¡ª he already knew the answer to that.


    Meaning.


    He wanted to know if what he would do from this point on actually has any meaning in the grander scheme of things. After all; what if, after everything he has done, after all the lives that have been lost and will be lost, it came to be that everything was just¡­ an illusion, a y. The gods, just controlling them like marites hanging on a string that would never break.


    "Very well, you truly seem curious," Arachnea then let out a small chuckle as her legs all quickly backed away, almost instantly moving Arachnea meters away from Rhys. And with the confident smirk still painted on her face, she started moving her hands gracefully; weaving the threads that wereing out of their tips.


    And soon, Rhys watched as the shape Arachnea weaved started to move ¡ª a silhouette of a man, men.


    "More than a thousand years ago now, the beasts; the monsters from the Underworld started emerging to the Surface by digging the hole that your kind beautifully named as¡­ Hole. But have you ever wondered what that is?" Arachne flicked her finger, and as she did so, one of the men she weaved raised its hand ¡ª carrying what seemed like the shape of a thunderbolt in its hand.


    "...Zeus," Rhys whispered as he squinted his eyes.


    "How very perceptive of you, hm?" Arachnea let out a small giggle as she nced at Rhys, "Zeus. He waged a war against the inhabitants of the Underworld; causing all the beasts to find shelter, and you can pretty much guess where they were able to find it."


    "The Surface," Rhys looked down.


    "The Surface, yes," Arachnea breathed out, "But do you want to know something funny, Descendant of Eros?"


    "Hm," Rhys did not really answer and only very slightly nodded his head.


    "The existence of your kind, the Surface, the people¡­ they were not really known by the gods. They only came to know of your existence the very same time you have known of them."


    "What about the histories of Herakles? Achilles?" Rhys squinted his eyes, "They were alive more than a thousand years ago."


    "...Have you ever truly wondered if the history you have read is actually yours, Descendant of Eros?"


    "What¡­ do you mean?"


    "No," Arachnea pped her hands together, causing all the threads from her fingers to snap and remove the figures of Zeus and the other Olympians away, "The time for answers is over."


    "W¡ª" And before Rhys could finish his words, the threads binding his limbs suddenly loosened andtched away.


    Of course, Rhys did not even lose bnce andnded on his feet; the only problem with this is that Arachnea was now suddenly only a few inches away from him; her¡­ lower human body that was slightly protruding from her spider body, revealing a part of her inner thighs, as well as, of course, her human vagina¡­ which was already teeming wet; her juices, already trailing down her spider body and dampening the ground.


    "So¡­?" Arachnea then slightly lowered herself so that Rhys would be able to reach her. And very slowly, her hand brushed across her belly, before crawling toward her pussy and gently pulling her lower lips apart ¡ª the strings forming between them, bountiful and unashamed.


    "Am I going to eat you¡­


    ¡­or are you going to eat me?"


    ***


    "Here, in here!"


    "Ssh, lower the sound of your balls!"


    "Can the two of you be silent!?"


    Somewhere in the Underworld, a Forest region; somewhat close to where the testing area of the Mankappan city mall was, Lina, Ayesha, and Katarina were currently trying their best to stay within the shadows. Their eyes, reflecting an areapletely covered in nothing but web and soot¡ªno.


    Perhaps it was better to say that it was some sort of mansion made of web, using therge trees around it as foundation.


    Well, Katarina and Lina were trying their best to stay within the shadows, but Katarina did it so expertly that one would not even see her until she moves while you focused on her.


    "You''re also shouting," Lina whispered loudly as she red at Katarina, who was wearing a mask to cover the lower part of her face,


    "Because you also keep on shouting!"


    The three have been endlessly tracking where Arachne went to take Rhys. But sadly for them, each time they thought they were near, their traces just suddenly continued on to an even longer walk.


    But after doing that for several hours, they finally found where Arachnea brought Rhys.


    "What''s the n here?"


    "There is no n," Ayesha scoffed as she looked at the house made of webs, which was suspiciously trembling along with the trees that they were attached to, "Something is already going on there."


    "Then let''s just go." And without even a second after saying those words, Katarina quickly but very quietly rushed toward the house made of web. But before the two could even get near Arachnea''sir, all of their steps halted as the trembling of the house abruptly stopped.


    "Stay alert!" And although Ayesha was the one to mention not having a n, she still tapped both Lina and Katarina; gesturing to them each hide behind different trees; waiting for something else to happen before they continued to enter inside.


    But after a few quiet seconds of nothing, the three nodded to each other as they once again started quietly moving toward the house. Once again, however, they could not help but just hold their breaths as something suddenly stepped out of the house ¡ª well, someone.


    Rhys''s sighs as he walked out werepletely audible to everyone within a hundred-meter radius ¡ª he almost seemed tired even though he had the ability to recover his stamina almost endlessly.


    The three soon snapped out of their stupor from seeing the person they were supposed to be here to save casually stepping outside. The three were about to rush toward him, but once again, their steps halted¡­


    ¡­as they saw a naked woman following him from behind.

 Chapter 138 Ara...Arachnea

    "...Who is that!?"


    "This god damn¡ª"


    "Observe first!"


    First time ¡ª perhaps this was the very first time the three truly feltpletely threatened by the presence of another person. Of course, Katarina also felt it from Lina at the start, but it quickly went away once she got to know her¡­ and the feeling was not this strong, not even close.


    The mysterious ck-haireddy who walked out with Rhys was, in 3 words, absolutely fucking gorgeous ¡ª none of them could even deny it. Although it has been ingrained in them that ck hair was something to be looked down upon, the woman was perhaps the second person they have ever seen with ck hair that caused anything ingrained in their mind topletely fade away, the first one was Rhys.


    They had been with Rhys for quite a while now, that they were forgetting how beautiful he actually was ¡ª and now that he was with someone who was as beautiful as him, the three could not help but just stare.


    Even from afar, it was obvious thedy had almost no pores visible on her face; not even a single wrinkle. From the three of them, Lina always boasted the smoothest skin; spending a quarter of her earnings as an explorer to take care of it. But now, she could only take in a gulp as she subconsciously touched her face.


    Katarina was also slightly twitching her eyes as she saw thedy''s decently sized breasts bouncing heartily. No, it wasn''t just decent ¡ª it was almost the same size as hers, and the shape wasn''t bad too¡­ maybe even better than hers.


    Ayesha was not an exemption. Thedy''s skin was smooth, but even that was not enough to hide the toned muscles hiding underneath; thedy''s thighs, incredibly plump and somewhat peachy.


    And quietly, the three unconsciously made a promise to each other that no matter what¡­


    "...Thatdy mustn''t join the harem," Lina loudly breathed out.


    "Definitely," Katarina also said as she red at the woman. And as soon as she did so, both Lina and Ayesha turned their heads at her.


    "...Are you saying you''re part of the harem now?" Lina squinted her eyes.


    "What? No, psh¡­" Katarina scoffed and rolled her lips, "I''m just saying. And that''s not important right now ¡ª who is that woman in the first ce? Why did shee out with Rhys from¡­ what looks like it would be Arachnea''sir."


    "Hm¡­" Ayesha squinted her eyes as she stared and looked at the woman from head to toe. Soon, however, her eyes started to widen, "...That''s Arachnea."


    "...What?" Lina raised an eyebrow as she heard Ayesha''s words, "Isn''t Arachnea, like, bigger than you? Even if we remove her¡­ spider ass, she should still be 10 feet or something."


    "She''s a god," Ayesha slightly groaned, "Who knows what she''s capable of."


    "You''re right," Katarina frowned, "She must be capable of changing her size¡­ as well as everything about her."


    "Right, right¡­" Lina squinted, "...She must have made herself more beautiful."


    "I am sorry to disappoint you, children ¡ª but everything you see here is real."


    "!!!"


    Katarina quickly grabbed Ayesha''s hand, while Ayesha grabbed Lina and lifted both of them as she leaped away. They did not even hesitate to put their guard.


    Several scalpels slid down from Ayesha''s sleeves; 4 of them between her fingers on each hand. Lina''s feet lifted from the ground as everything around her was blown away by a violent gust of wind; timely, as the ground beneath Ayesha''s feet crumpled from her stomping on it.


    All of their eyes,pletely locked onto Arachnea as she suddenly appeared behind them without even making a sound at all until she spoke.


    Even Katarina, who was trained to detect the presence of an enemy even like Maria who could hide in the shadows, did not detect Arachnea until it was toote. If Arachnea wanted¡­


    ¡­she could have killed the three of them there and then.


    "Fuck¡­" The two also realized this as their eyes slightly avoided Arachnea as she very slowly stepped out of where they previously were.


    "Are these the women you currently have in your life, Descendant of Eros?" And as Arachnea turned to look at Rhys, the three also turned their heads to him.


    "...Yes," Rhys nodded as he also nced at Ayesha and the others, "And I love them all equally, very much so."


    "Rhys!?" The three could not help but widen their eyes, "You know how to speak hernguage!?"


    "...Huh?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he looked back and forth between the three and Arachnea, wondering what was going on, "What do you mean I know how to speak hernguage?"


    "You''re speaking it¡­" Katarina gasped, "You were speaking a differentnguage just earlier."


    "I was?" Rhys asked. He thought that he could only understand what Arachnea was saying, but he didn''t even realize that he was actually speaking hernguage, as for him, he was just speaking normal English.


    "Yes ¡ª you were speaking in tongues just earlier," Katarina breathed out.


    "What do you mean speaking in tongues?" Rhys squinted his eyes, "I wasn''t talking in my normalnguage?"


    "...No," Lina also joined the conversation, "You were like totally speaking gibberish, simr to that¡­ Is that Arachnea!? And why are speaking hernguage!?"


    Lina could no longer help herself as she pointed at Arachnea; the violent gust of wind circling around her was a testament to how resolute she was in fighting Arachnea even fully knowing she might die here and now.


    "I''m¡­ speaking to you in a differentnguage right now?" Rhys looked Arachnea in the eyes as he asked.


    "Amusing, no?" Arachnea let out a small giggle; covering her mouth as she did so and revealing to the three her hands that almost belonged to a teenager ¡ª no wrinkles at all. And once again, the three felt extremely threatened,


    "That means your blood is purer than theirs."


    "But I''m a Lowborn," Rhys''s eyes widened.


    "Says the lowly humans who know absolutely nothing."


    "What are the two of you talking about, Recruit!?" Ayesha frowned as she looked back and forth between Arachnea and Rhys, "I do not like my balls feeling left out!"


    "What we are talking about, girl¡­"


    "Hm!?" The three women quickly focused their attention on Arachhnea as they finally understood her words.


    "...Is how I think that Rhys Wilder should have chosen better women to be in his harem. No offense, but the god flowing in his veins has been with finer women ¡ª Aphrodite for one, that immacte whore."


    "You''re¡­ you''re not that beautiful yourself, you naked bitch!" Lina yelled out. Surprisingly, although Ayesha had already fought Arachnea before, Lina was the bravest of them all ¡ª perhaps a blessing since she doesn''t truly know how strong Arachnea was.


    "If there is one thing I am confident about, child¡­" Arachnea giggled before flinging her silky ck hair and smiling; revealing her perfect jaw and neck, "...It is the curse of my beauty¡­


    ¡­beautiful enough that the gods deemed me too dangerous and turned me into a monster."


    "...We know the story," Katarina red at Arachnea,


    "...But why don''t you wear some clothes first so we could talk?"


    "Hm?" Arachnea grinned as she looked at Katarina from head to toe, before ultimately fixating on therge mountains hiding beneath her shirt and coat, "I have a better proposition¡­


    ¡­why don''t the rest of you strip?"

 Chapter 139 The Mark

    "I have a better idea¡­ why don''t all of you strip?"


    "Are¡­ you crazy?"


    "Contrary, I am the most sane god you will ever meet."


    "Y¡ª!!!"


    Perhaps it was a matter of pride. But even though Lina and the others knew they were not a match against Arachnea, they were not going to just let her y with them.


    There was also the fact that she was in her small human form, Katarina and Ayesha thought they might actually have a chance. Lina, on the other hand, thinks quite differently.


    Unlike the two, Lina thought theplete opposite. She was privileged and cultured enough to y video games until the sun was up and she knew¡­


    ¡­that bosses are actually harder in their smaller human form.


    And true enough; Ayesha, who had already fought Arachne before, was to be her first¡­ victim ¡ª perhaps due to the fact that she was the only one amongst the three to have already fought Arachnea, she targeted her first just to show dominance.


    "W¡ª"


    Arachnea pped her right on the face; Ayesha was able to block her palm, but it did not really matter as she was stillpletely thrown away.


    It would have been alright if it was just that, but it would seem Arachnea was not aiming to hurt her at all¡­ as she made sure to grab Ayesha''s clothes,pletely ripping them off ¡ª all of it, even using her threads to make sure even her underwear was gone.


    "What in the balls¡­" Ayesha quickly covered herself while she was violently rolling across the ground. She wasn''t like Lina, after all, who did not really care if Rhys''s other women saw her naked ¡ª her body was for Rhys and his eyes only.


    "Hm," Arachnea only nced at her from head to toe for a few seconds, before just smirking and looking away.


    Ayesha took that small scoff escaping Arachnea''s smirk as an invitation to war. But unfortunately for her, she was not able to move at all as doing so would probably make her lose a limb or two as Arachnea actually bound her to the ground with her threads, seemingly making sure to use the sharpest and thinnest threads.


    "I have already noticed this before, but you eat too much protein. You should change that," Arachnea breathed out; not even looking at Ayesha as she criticized her body that could already considered to belong to a goddess if any men were to see it, "As for you."


    "!!!" Lina was not even able to react; her eyes could only widen as Arachnea just suddenly appeared in front of her, grabbing her clothes with both hands and just casually ripping all of them off.


    "The prettiest out of the bunch¡­" Arachnea raised an eyebrow, "...butcking in certain departments."


    "My body is fine!"


    And true enough, Lina was not shy at all in showing her body, even turning around as she slightly prompted her ass up,


    "I have the best ass out of the three of us! I go to the gym every day!"


    "So, that is why," Arachnea once again smirked as she also started looking at Lina from head to toe, "Your body is made artificially inside those things called gym ¡ª only men should go there."


    "...What?"


    "Women''s bodies should be sculpted by nature and their participation in everyday life."


    "That sounds like a very archaic statement¡­" Although Lina was still fearing for her life, she was still stupid brave enough to point a finger right at Arachnea''s face, "...But you''re old, so it''s¡­ it''s expected."


    "I stopped counting my age after the petty goddess cursed me," Arachnea only let out a chuckle at Lina''s attempt to taunt her, "That means I am probably younger than you, child."


    "W¡ª" And before Lina could say anything else, Arachnea grabbed and swiftly dragged her toward the bound Ayesha; tying the two of them together tight while facing each other.


    And with the difference in their height, Lina''s face was almost practically trapped between Ayesha''srge breasts, while her breasts were brushing against Ayesha''s abs; her nipples slowly turning erect due to their innate sensitivity.


    "And now you, the one with the body that even the gods would envy. You¡ªOh?"


    And as Arachnea finally turned her attention to Katarina, Katarina did not really let her finish her words as she threw several scalpels straight toward her face. Arachnea, however, was able to catch all of them without any problem at all.


    But as she tilted her head to look at Katarina, she was already gone.


    "Hm¡­?" Arachnea really only blinked a couple of times, before turning to look to where Katarina went, only to see her trying to free Lina and Ayesha. Sadly for Katarina, even her abnormally sharp scalpels were not enough to cut Arachnea''s threads.


    And so, the only thing she could really do was join the two as Arachnea suddenly moved behind her, wrapping her arms around Katarina from behind before prying her shirt open.


    "!!!" Both Lina and Ayesha gasped as soon as Katarina''s breasts practically burst forth from her shirt in front of them; their eyes, not enough to capture the beautiful majestic mountains bountifully bouncing in front of them.


    "Now, shall we see?" Arachnea then gave Katarina a slight push; this slight push, however, caused Lina to dread for her life. She was already trapped between Ayesha''s breasts¡­ and now Arachnea was tying Katarina with them.


    "Why¡­ why are your fucking tits sorge!?" Lina screamed; the vibrations in her voice, causing Katarina and Ayesha''s breasts to jiggle ever so slightly.


    "What¡­ what do you want from us!?" Katarina wanted to hide at least her exposed ass as Rhys had been awfully quiet and just staring at them. But s, she could not really move much without risking all of their flesh from being torn apart by the threads.


    And so, right now¡­ all of their butts were exposed as the three were practically huddled up as tight as they could possibly be.


    "Do you see it, Descendant of Eros?" Arachnea then stretched her hand toward the slightly bewildered Rhys, "Do you want to see more?"


    "D¡­ don''t be tempted, Rhys!" Katarina could not help but just scream as she closed her eyes in embarrassment, "Please, don''t do whatever she wants you to do!"


    "What sort of perverted thoughts are in your mind, child?" Arachnea rolled her eyes as she pointed at Katarina''s back, "Don''t you see it, Descendant of Eros?"


    "See¡­ what?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he did, indeed, move closer; causing Katarina''s entire body to shiver as she was helpless. For some reason, however¡­ she could feel something warm already trailing down between her thighs.


    "I don''t see anything," Rhys whispered. He was going to look at Arachnea¡­ but then noticed that something was glowing behind both Ayesha and Lina''s back¡­ some sort of tattoo that wasn''t there before,


    "What¡­ is that?"


    "That, child¡­" A small smile started to crawl on Arachnea''s face as she turned around, revealing that she also had a glowing tattoo with the same marking,


    "...is the Mark Of Eros."


    "The mark¡­ of Eros?" Rhys breathed out.


    "Only you can see it," Arachnea nodded.


    "And what exactly does it do?"


    "...Anything you want it to do."

 Chapter 140 The Eromancer

    "The Mark of Eros."


    "...What does it do?"


    "Everything you want it to do."


    There was a certain silence after Arachnea''s statement. Do what, exactly? ¡ª is what thedies wanted to ask her. But none of them really wanted to interrupt her for fear she would suddenly do something or just outright kill them.


    She is a god, after all. Ayesha, who had already fought her before, knew she was holding back during their fight ¡ª she just did not know how much. But now that she was literally manhandling the three of them without even having the chance to fight back, she finally became fully aware of the difference between her and a god.


    Nobles, even Esme who was rated to be the 2nd strongest Explorer in the entire world, Ayesha probably has a chance against.


    But Arachnea? Once she used her threads, it was over. She had actually been trying to subtly break free from the threads, but the only thing that was happening was her flesh threatening to tear apart. And so, the only sensible step for her to do next was to¡­


    "...Do what, exactly?" Ayesha garnered the courage to ask. After all, she would have already killed them if she wanted to, there was no use in being subservient.


    "You, and you¡­ and also that woman who has been hiding in the shadows for a while now."


    "..." Everyone then turned to look as Maria very slowly emerged from Rhys''s shadow,


    "H¡ª!!!"


    And before she even had the chance to fully emerge from the ground, Arachnea suddenly pulled her out and started ripping off her clothes.


    "I could have just stripped if you asked," Maria monotonously voiced out even as she was being dragged by Arachnea toward Ayesha and the others. The three, however, could really only stare at Maria¡­ as she had piercings on her nipples and belly button.


    "O¡­ouch!" Lina gritted her teeth as Maria''s piercings brushed across her skin as Arachnea tied her with the rest of them, "Did you even have those before!? Why didn''t I see them!?"


    "I remove them whenever I weartex since they tend to stick out," Maria casually said as she also looked at Ayesha and Katarina, "I have to say, we are in a very promiscuous and precarious position."


    "You may not have noticed," Katarina sighed, "We are trying our best not to make this awkward since this is literally a life and death situation."


    "It is not awkward at all," Maria blinked a couple of times before ncing at Rhys, "I am only thinking that if Rhys decided to make his way with us, we would have no way of fighting back ¡ª our butts are sticking out, after all. We are practically a buffet."


    "Please don''t make the situation worse," Katarina groaned, "And why would Rhys do that?"


    "And why would I fight back?" Lina raised an eyebrow, "Rhys could do whatever he wants with me."


    "And that takes us back to what you said, Arachnea¡­" Ayesha looked at Arachna; slightly struggling to do so since there were four of them tied together already, "...What exactly can Rhys do to us."


    "The Descendant of Eros," Arachnea''s words were almost a hum as she turned her focus back to Rhys, who was probably the most confused out of all of them, "I suppose we should call you the Eromancer, no?"


    "...That was almost my Explorer name," Rhys could not help but widen his eyes as he heard Arachnea''s words.


    "A fitting name for someone with your abilities," Arachnea sighed as she started circling the four women; her eyes staring at therge tattoos on their backs, except for Katarina who did not have one,


    "Abilities which you do not really fully use to their potential. Instead of utilizing the powers of Eros, you settle with the abilities you second-handedly received from your harem. Such a waste."


    "But¡­ isn''t that the point of this ability?" Rhys looked at his only remaining palm before turning his attention to all the women of his life.


    "Getting our abilities is just a bonus, Eromancer," Arachnea could really only let out a small but very deep sigh as she brushed a finger across the back of Lina''s neck down to her spine, "You half-bloods are so fixated in what your ability could do, that you do not even think of what else it can actually do."


    "...Then do you know what else my ability could do?" Rhys muttered.


    "That is supposed to be for you to find out, child," Arachnea let out a small giggle, "But since I quite like you and your slightly unhinged personality, I''ll give you something so that if the timees when the other gods once again visit your world, I will have something to look forward to."


    "The gods¡­ will return?" Katarina asked. It wasn''t only her, the three other women tied with her all looked at each other; gulping at the thought.


    "They will ¡ª some of them are already walking amongst you," Arachnea looked Rhys in the eyes, "But where was I¡­ Ah, yes. You, as the Eromancer¡­


    ¡­can actually also share your abilities with your harem."


    "That''s kinda cool," Lina widened her eyes, "Does that mean I get to have Ayesha''s freakish strength?"


    "After all, your harem needs to have a certain benefit too ¡ª you get stronger, they get stronger. They get stronger, you get stronger," Arachnea stood in front of Rhys; her perky nipples, brushing across Rhys''s chest. She then ced a finger on Rhys''s lips as she looked him in the eyes,


    "And you can also call upon your harem if you want to."


    "As in summon them?" Rhys quickly looked at Ayesha and the others, "And how do you know so much about Eros''s abilities?"


    "Because I consider Eros my ally once upon a time. And yes, you can summon us," Arachnea smiled, "Except for the woman with the biggest tits. She is not part of your harem yet."


    "I don''t n to make her a part of my harem," Rhys quickly said. And as he did so, Katarina could really only subtly look away; the change in her breaths, obvious to the woman tied up with her.


    "On that note, I suppose I shall take my leave," Arachnea then started taking several steps back. Her spider body, walking on its own as it stepped out of the temporaryir she made. The five then watched as Arachnea''s body becamerger andrger before she attached herself back to her spider body; her human legs, disappearing into it.


    "Do you not wish to stay in your human form¡­?" Rhys could not help but ask.


    "I can''t," Arachnea sighed, "This is my real body now. Farewell, Eromancer ¡ª I am certain we will see each other again soon."


    "Wait! Set us free first!" Ayesha screamed, causing the other women to also look pleadingly at the goddess.


    "I don''t think so," Arachnea, however, just started leaping away into therge trees, "You have the Eromancer with you¡­


    ¡­ask him to summon you."


    And with those words, Arachnea''s voice faded away as she disappeared into the sea of trees surrounding them. And with her disappearance, came a slightly awkward silence as the four naked women felt the thread wrapping them somewhat tighten; their breasts, now squished and pinning against each other.


    "Maria, why don''t you just go away into the shadows?" Katarina asked.


    "I could do that, but the three of you will still be stuck," Maria tried struggling; but her flesh was lightly cut as she did so, "Actually, I do not think I can move."


    "That bitch¡­" Lina clicked her tongue, "...She''s really forcing Rhys to use his abilities."


    "Do it, Recruit."


    "But¡­" The only thing Rhys could really do was stare at the four.


    "Rhys, please¡­" Katarina gulped as she felt her sweat starting to mix with the others,


    "...It''s getting really ufortable."

 Chapter 141 Im Summoning Girls Now?

    "I choose you, Lina!"


    "...Rhys, I''m tied up with three other women, not stuck inside a palm-sized ball."


    Rhys, Ayesha, Lina, Katarina, and Maria were now inside Arachnea''sir, and the journey to it was perhaps the most nerve-wracking and difficult experience of their lives. It might look funny to whoever was watching it, maybe even exhratingly sexy since they were naked and their skins were touching with each other ¡ª but for the four women, it was life and death.


    Arachnea''s threads were truly deadly. And the way she tied them up made it so that if they struggled for even a single millimeter, the bound would tighten. Maria could not even sink into the shadows, since doing so would probably slice up her limbs.


    Rhy had even tried slicing the threads with Katarina''s scalpels, but the scalpels were the ones to be sliced ¡ª a testament to the abnormal strength of the threads. It is, after all, literally godly.


    And so, Rhys and the women just opted to truly follow Arachnea''s advice, to try and summon all of them so they could escape. But even after several hours had passed, Rhys was not even close to summoning even a speck of their hair.


    "Maybe you should just meditate on it for a bit, Rhys?" Katarina, who had already long gotten used to their position, could not help but just sigh as he saw Rhys looking like he was trying to do everything and nothing at the same time, "If you really have the ability, then it should juste naturally to you."


    "Yes," Lina nodded her head, "Like how our wind abilities work. It''s just¡­ instincts?"


    "Remember how you first shot out webs from your fingers?" Katarina followed up, "I lightly pinched your arm and it just shot out all over my face?"


    "That sounds suspiciously erotic as fuck," Lina could really only turn to look at Ayesha and Maria as she heard Katarina''s words, "Are you guys not actually talking about something else?"


    "And by something else, she means the recruit''s long, girthy, thick dick," Ayesha also nodded.


    "I agree with that statement," Maria joined Ayesha as she nced at Rhys and looked at him from head to waist.


    "What are you guys even on about? Why would you even joke in this situation?" Katarina took in a deep breath, causing her humongous breasts to make their situation tighter, literally.


    "By the gods, why does your bazoongas have to be so humongouslyrge, Doc!?" Ayesha groaned as Katarina''s breasts were practically everywhere, "It''s almost cartoonish like in those Japanese cartoons!"


    "They are called anime, grandma," Lina rolled her eyes, "And your tits arerge too!"


    "Mine isrge, hers is just freakish. How do you even find your sizes!?"


    "That is a valid statement," Maria nodded several times, "Back when we were still working as assassins, her breasts have always been an issue. We usually wear skin-tight clothes, and you could only imagine what she looks like in that."


    "Can you please stop revealing my past to everyone!?"


    "They already know, K," Maria''s voice as she revealed someone''s secrets was still incredibly monotonous, "I haven''t even revealed that your body is quite useful during espionage missions where we need to lure male targets."


    "That¡­" Katarina immediately turned to look at Rhys, who was also looking at her with a slightly shocked expression, "...I have never used my body like that!"


    "Well, well. Fuck the duck and see what hatches. Doc¡­ I didn''t know you were freaky like that," Ayesha gasped, "But there''s no shame in that, we all have to make our living one way or another."


    "And I thought you were the purest of us all, Kat," Lina shook her head in disappointment, "To think you''ve¡ª"


    "No! No sex happened, okay!?" Katarina raised her voice, "I kill them before they even have the chance to touch any part of my body!"


    "You do know you just admitted that you truly are, in fact, an assassin?" Lina wanted tough, but she did not want to move for fear of the threads chafing her skin.


    "It is not that much of a dubious upation," Maria shook her head again, "We worked for the government, after all."


    "M!" Katarina red at Maria.


    "Am I the only one here who doesn''t work for the government?"


    "Your previous guild works for the government, Lina."


    "Oh¡­ right."


    "But before that, we used to work for the cartel."


    "What!?" Everyone except Rhys turned to look at Maria as she suddenly revealed something she shouldn''t have like it was nothing. As for Katarina, she had already given up in trying to stop Maria.


    "How does someone with a loose lip like you work for the HIU?" Even Lina seemed incredibly disappointed in Maria, "Isn''t it your job to keep things a secret?"


    "It is. But I also prefer everyone in the harem knowing each oth¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And before Maria could finish her words, everyone watched as she just suddenly disappeared right in front of their eyes. She did not even fade away, she just literally disappeared instantly.


    "Oh my." The three then heard Maria''s voice from somewhere else. And very slowly, they turned their heads toward Rhys¡­


    ¡­only to see the naked Maria clinging to him as he was now sat on the ground; her legs wrapped around his waist and her arms around his neck.


    "I know the two of us have not really done it yet," Maria then casually leaned away as she looked at Rhys''s face, "But we could totally do it right in front of them, it would be more fun."


    "G¡­get off of him!" Katarina raised her voice.


    "Why?" A very tiny smirk crawled on Maria''s otherwise stoic face as she looked at Katarina and the others. And very slowly, she started moving her hips up and down Rhys''sp; her hand, very slowly moving between her thighs and toward Rhys''s pants, "Oh my, something is getting big down there¡­


    ¡­maybe we should really do it now in front of them, Rhys Wilder?"

 Chapter 142 The Eromancers Rage Mode Is Sort of... (R-16)

    "...Maybe we should do it in front of them, Rhys Wilder?"


    "Stop it with the jokes already, just free us!"


    "The two of you can go hanky panky anytime you want after this and dry out Rhys''s balls, but just get us out of thing goddamn thing first!"


    "This¡­ is kind of highly erotic, no? I think the adrenaline''s finally getting to me."


    All Rhys has been hearing for the past couple of hours were the voices of women, all urging them to free them from their confinement. And Rhys also wanted to do just that¡­


    ¡­that was his desire. And so he did, and perhaps since Maria''s was thest voice he heard, it was Maria who he was able to summon close to him. But as he did so, however, something in him¡­


    ¡­snapped.


    He could feel it, physically. It was a pulse, strong enough to cause his body to violently convulse for a single millisecond. The blood of Eros that was flowing through his veins was getting stronger by the second, almost as if there were still a part lying dormant that was suddenly jolted awake¡ªno, that is exactly what it felt like.


    It felt exactly the same as when he first awakened the blood of Eros, except stronger¡­ much stronger.


    Rhys absolutely despises the feeling as it feels like a part of him is disappearing. And although most parts of him were a rollercoaster of insanity, he still treasured them so much so because it was the only thing keeping him going ¡ª the silent rage.


    Or perhaps it wasn''t insanity that was being taken away, perhaps it was thest semnce of his sanity¡­


    pletely reced with something else entirely.


    "So, are you still deciding or¡ªHrk!?" And as Maria was still moving her hips up and down and brushing Rhys''s pants with her hands, Rhys suddenly pulled her hair down to the point she was almost already lying on her back; diagonally, since her ass was still resting on Rhys''sp,


    "W¡­ wait, I was just kidding."


    "...No, you''re not," Rhys looked Maria right in the eyes, causing her entire body to shiver as Rhys''s silver eyes almost seemed like it was prating the deepest parts of her ¡ª and they were. They were looking through the deepest parts of her.


    ''I want you to humiliate me in front of everyone. Fuck me hard and show me at my most vulnerable.''


    Rhys was hearing her thoughts loud and clear, almost as if she truly was just speaking to him. It wasn''t even a whisper anymore. Rhys wasn''t even looking at the Large Gray Heart floating above Maria anymore, not noticing that it was slowly being filled up with red.


    "Let go of me, Rhys Wilder," the tone of Maria''s voice returned to being monotonous; the flush in her face, however, made her almost look as red as a tomato. Her breaths, stuttering as she could not seem to stray her eyes away from Rhys.


    And Rhys did let her go¡­ before just suddenly wrapping his fingers around her throat.


    "Kh¡­" Maria quickly grabbed Rhys''s wrist. But her grip just quickly loosened as Rhys was not really trying to strangle her, she was just trying to¡­


    ¡­choke her.


    "Look at them," Rhys then whispered, "Look at them while you y with yourself."


    "I''m not¡­" Maria only breathed out once before she turned her eyes up to look at Ayesha and the others, and as soon as she saw them staring at her with somewhat horrified expressions on their faces, a smile began to crawl on her face as her hands truly started to crawl toward her breasts.


    "Hmn¡­" And as her fingers brushed across her perky nipples several times, her body trembled in rhythm. One hand stayed, ying and lightly pinching her nipple as her breaths stuttered with her body¡­ while her other hand crawled toward between her thighs. Her legs, spreading on their own and even raising her hips so that Rhys could see all of her.


    And soon, her fingers started separating her other lips; the trails connecting them, slowly trailing down and dripping onto Rhys''s pants. Her finger then very lightly brushed against her clit, and without even a second after doing so, her toes suddenly curled as juices started overflowing from inside her as she instantly came there and then.


    Her entire body dropped down; her eyes, now very slowly turning toward Rhys.


    "F¡­ fuck me," she whispered weakly, "Fuck me in front of them, Rhys Wilde¡ª"


    "No.''


    And before Maria could finish her words, Rhys very gently lifted her up before cing her on her feet back on the ground¡­ leaving her blinking a couple of times in confusion.


    "I will consider us even now, Maria," Rhys then just calmly let out a small but very deep sigh as he smiled at Maria, "You drugged me and stripped me naked, and I embarrassed you in front of your friends ¡ª I can call that justice¡­


    ¡­but that''s not really a punishment for you, no?"


    "..." Maria did not really say anything¡­ because what Rhys said was true ¡ª it wasn''t punishment that humiliated her in front of Katarina and the others, she liked it. She liked it very much.


    The punishment was that he stopped.


    "Recruit¡­" And finally, Ayesha and the others were able to react as Rhys somewhat calmed down now, "...You really should get a therapist, you know."


    "Try it, won''t work," Rhys then closed his eyes as he took another short but very deep breath. And as he inhaled, Ayesha suddenly appeared in front of her.


    "Ball sack!" Ayesha immediately gasped as she found herself suddenly free and out of Arachnea''s trap, "Oh, I don''t like that feeling, I don''t like it at all. I was just there and now I''m here. Recruit, how are you¡ª"


    Ayesha did not finish her words before immediately covering herself up and backing away from Rhys,


    "...You''re not gonna choke me too, right? Because I am telling you I am not into that kinky stuff."


    "No, just¡­" Rhys could really only let out an awkward chuckle as he shook his head, "I have it under control¡­


    ¡­I have everything under control."

 Chapter 143 The Doctors Naked Dilemma

    "Oh my god, thank you!"


    "Okay, okay. That''s enough of that ¡ª Zeus, I am starting to think I''m the most normal one here."


    It did not really take long for Rhys to also free Lina from Arachnea''s webs of death, and as soon as she was freed, she did not even hesitate to cling onto Rhys and literally started sticking her tongue out inside his mouth. It did not really help that her actions were made easier because they were literally being summoned right in front of him.


    But of course, she wasn''t really able to brutalize Rhys''s mouth for long as Ayesha pulled her away; the string of saliva that connected Lina''s tongue and Rhys''s lips, stretching almost as if they did not want to be apart at all.


    "Why do all of you have to be so horny all the time!?" Ayesha raised her voice as she gently ced Lina to her feet.


    "Speak for yourself," Lina cleared her throat as she wiped the drool trailing down her chin, "You''re the one that''s always saying she''s horny."


    "But the difference is, you cute little fairy, is that I know there''s a time and ce for actually going ahead with it," Ayesha smirked.


    "4 naked women and a man with unlimited stamina and arge, girthy penis isted in the Underworld?" Maria joined in on the conversation. She already had a nket over her shoulder, and yet they weren''t really covering any of herdy parts, "Isn''t this exactly the time and ce for it?"


    "No, it''s not ¡ª you weird masochistic woman," Ayesha pointed at Maria, "And where did you even get that nket from!?"


    "From the shadows," Maria just shrugged, "I also have the ability to store things in there."


    "Then push your arms through the shadows again and give us some."


    "I can not," Maria shook her head as she lightly fluttered her nket, "This is the only nket I have since I can not really store a lot of things inside the shadows."


    "Then give that to me since it''s obvious you''re just letting your tits hang out for everyone to see!"


    "No," Maria once again shook her head, "Isn''t it more exciting to be naked in front of Rhys and everyone here?"


    "We''re not¡ª"


    "Children!" And before Maria and Ayesha could continue their debate, Katarina''s voice echoed throughout the whiteir, "Can you please argueter and just get me out of here!?"


    Ayesha, Lina, and Maria quickly turned their heads toward Katarina, only to see her still tied by the threads; her humongous breasts, almost amplified by the way she was bound by Arachnea. Even with just a tiny bit of movement, her gigantic but still perfectly shaped breasts jiggled ¡ª they weren''t saggy at all.


    Her hips and butt were incredibly plump and wide too, now that they were seeing all of her. And it didn''t really help that Arachnea''s masterful¡­ bondage made it so that her buttocks were raised, exposing even more of her. Suffice it to say, she was incredibly meaty in all the right ces.


    "Hm," Maria looked back and forth between her body and Katarina''s, before just returning her the nket into the shadows and approaching Katarina; almost as if not afraid at all topare her body to her and even weed it.


    "Why are you not freeing her, Sir?" Lina asked as she quickly approached Katarina; her eyes looking at the threads that were on the verge of tearing Katarina''s flesh.


    "The two of you are still calling each other Sir and Ma''am¡­?" Ayesha raised an eyebrow as she walked behind Katarina, causing Katarina to almost close her eyes as everyone was seeing all of her, "And it''s not possible for the Recruit to free her¡­


    ¡­she''s not technically part of the harem."


    "Wh¡ª" Katarina''s eyes widened as she quickly looked at Rhys, "...Is that why you''ve been quiet this entire time?"


    "Yes," Rhys finally once again opened his mouth after it was eaten by Lina, "I''m trying to figure out how to free you. I thought of using Maria''s abilities, but¡­"


    "...That would cut me," Katarina lowered her head to look at herself¡­ but she could really only see her massive breasts.


    "This is an easy solution," Maria suddenly touched Katarina''s back, slightly causing her to shiver, "It is time for you to put a mark on her."


    "...That''s right," Lina quickly made her way behind Katarina, joining Ayesha and Maria there.


    "Can¡­ you guys not go behind me?" Katarina stuttered.


    "Nothing to be ashamed about, Doc," Ayesha slightly chuckled, "Your asshole''s pretty smooth. Come take a look, Recruit."


    "...Thanks," Katarina rolled her eyes, "And don''t look, Rhys. And what do you mean to put a mark on me? Like¡­ conquer me the same he has with the three of you?"


    "Conquer, woo, court, seduce," Maria worded out as she started making her way to Rhys, before just sticking her naked body onto him and licking his neck out of nowhere, "Be¡­


    ¡­part of Wilder''s Harem, the VIP members, that is."


    "I¡ª"


    "I can''t do that to her," Rhys did not really lean away from Maria as he just nced at her, "I promised when I realized what my abilities could do, I would never use them on her because¡­


    ¡­she''s family."


    "We''re your family too," Lina just casually shrugged as she pointed at herself before pointing at the others, "Wife 1, Wife 2, Wife 3, and then Mistress."


    "Why am I a mistress?" Although the tone of her voice was still monotonous, there was a slight hint of aggression in Maria''s words.


    "Because you haven''t technically had sex with Rhys yet," Lina smirked.


    "Wait, then how am I Wife 3?" Ayesha crossed her arms, "The Doc hasn''t done it with the Recruit yet."


    "Because Kat''s been with her the longest."


    "Then why are you Wife 1!?"


    "Because I''m the one who took his virginity," Lina shrugged.


    "Can you children just stop talking for once!?" Katarina once again raised her voice as she looked at the other women, "You know, the three of you step outside. Rhys, if that is what it takes for you to free me, then let''s talk about it¡­


    ¡­alone."

 Chapter 144 Vanilla

    "I have a great idea. Why don''t the 3 of us just share the nket the suit had earlier?"


    "I am afraid I do not let anyone just use my things, Former Commander Ayesha."


    "Ssh! Can you guys shut up? I''m trying to hear what''s happening!"


    Ayesha, Lina, and Maria were now outside their. And fortunately for them, there was not really a surplus of insects or mosquitoes in the Underworld; if not, they would have definitely found themselves filled with insect bites as they were stillpletely naked.


    Ayesha had already tried covering herself with the leaves falling from therge trees around them, but she ended up removing it when she started getting itchy all over the ce.


    Maria was also slightly ufortable ¡ª there was no point being naked if Rhys wasn''t here, after all. Perhaps the only one that didn''t care was Lina, who was inching closer and closer to their; her ears, almost looking like they were visibly getting bigger as she wanted to hear what was going inside.


    Sadly for her, she was picked up by Ayesha each time she managed to even get a whisper of a word.


    "Are you guys not interested in whatever it is they are talking about!?"


    "Look, barbie. Do you really want to hear the Doc gobbling on Rhys''s balls?"


    "I knew you were also kinky, Lady Lte. But I did not know you like to be cuckold."


    "...What?" Lina could not help but raise an eyebrow as she looked at the two naked women, "The two of you can''t possibly be seeing the threat here!?"


    "That we are out in the woodspletely naked? And if a group of humanoid beasts were to see us, they would probably want their way with us?"


    "Zeus, Suit ¡ª you need a therapist," Ayesha slightly backed away from Maria.


    "I was kidding," Maria said extremely monotonously, "My body is only for Rhys Wilder now. I do not think I could ever be touched by anyone else other than him."


    "Hold on!" Lina moved between the two and pushed them apart; their breasts, slightly jiggling as she did so, "You guys don''t see the threat!? What if Katarina takes Rhys for herself!?"


    "Hold your balls, Lina. You''re the one who said it already ¡ª Rhys is too much to be handled by a single woman," Ayesha started twirling her fingers, "Hence the harem."


    "No, no¡­" Lina shook her head violently, "You don''t understand ¡ª if this was an eroge, Katarina is the vani route."


    "...What in the 3 Hells is an eroge?"


    "It doesn''t matter!" Lina suddenly grabbed Ayesha by her arms; their breasts, somewhat squishing against each other, with Ayesha''s nipples slightly poking out since she was taller, "All you need to know is that out of all of us¡­


    ¡­Katarina has been with Rhys the longest. He practically grew up with her as his only paternal figure."


    "Yes, she is his guardian," Maria nodded.


    "That is what you''re threatened about?" Ayesha snorted before smirking, "If you put tally all of the hours that we were together with Rhys, as in actually physically together with him ¡ª I beat all of you by miles. Katarina may have known her the longest¡­


    ¡­but I''ve spent the longest time actually being with the Recruit."


    "That actually makes a lot of sense," Maria subtly pointed at Ayesha.


    "No, no," Lina shook her head, "You don''t understand. She''s his doctor too¡­


    ¡­that means she definitely knows how to trigger Rhys''s deepest emotions. Who was it she asked Maria to call when she drugged him?"


    "...I think I am starting to get your point now," Ayesha''s eyes very slowly started to squint as she turned to look at the entrance of their. And very slowly¡­


    ¡­the three of them found themselves walking closer and closer to it subconsciously.


    Unbeknownst to them, however, their eavesdropping would be useless, because Rhys and Katarina had actually just been standing in front of each otherpletely silent the entire time, with Rhys looking to the side.


    The only thing they were exchanging was their heavy breaths; heavy enough to even fill in the gaps of the webs of Arachnea''sir. Katarina was even starting to sweat; the water, trailing between herrge breasts and dripping on the ground.


    "Katarina, this is¡ª"


    "Wait, let me say something first."


    Rhys was the one to break the silence, but Katarina was the one who chose topletely disperse it away as she finally looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "First of all, I am very, very ufortable with this situation."


    "I''m¡­ really sorry about this," Rhys breathed out as he remained looking to the side, You weren''t supposed to¡ª"


    "No," Katarina forced out a giggle as she shook her head, also causing her breasts to shake¡ªno. Her entire body was trembling.


    "You''re cold¡­"


    "I am," Katarina continued to nervously chuckle, her anxiety also escaping her lips as she seemed to try her best to look at Rhys, "I''ve¡­ Do you know how much I''ve tried my best to hide away from you, Rhys? And now I''m standing in front of youpletely vulnerable and exposed."


    "I''m¡­ not looking, Katarina."


    "Shush," Katarina sharply breathed out, "Look at me."


    "...What?"


    "I said look at me, Rhys."


    "...Okay," Rhys closed his eyes before breathing out and opening them again as he looked at Katarina. He looked her in the eyes first, but her figure which seemed like it was sculpted by the most perverted gods lured his eyes down.


    "I don''t know when it started¡­" Katarina''s voice trembled along with the rest of her body, "...Maybe it was when I started noticing that you''ve be a man. But you have to believe me, Rhys¡­ you have to believe me when I say that I did look at you as family, you were also the family I never had."


    "Kat¡­"


    "And I''m sorry¡­" Katarina''s eyes started to turn red; her breaths, becamepletely uncontroble to the point that the threads wrapping around her started to tighten and make her bleed slightly. Blood was not the first to trail from her, however, it was the tears she had been trying to hold back,


    "...I''m sorry that along the way that disappeared. I know it''s wrong. It''s immoral, it''s disgusting. I''ve been disgusted with myself for having¡­ for having these feelings."


    Katarina''s lips trembled as her red eyes once again looked into Rhys''s eyes, and his eyes only. There was nothing else with them, just her and Rhys.


    "I know you look at me as your family," Katarina gasped several times as she started shaking her head, letting her tears leap away from her face. But s, they remained therepletely unshaken, much like her feelings, "And I know that I''ve betrayed your trust. I''m so, so afraid that I would lose you but you¡ªyou don''t need to do anything, you don''t need to¡­"


    Katarina''s words started to jumble as her eyes started panicking. Soon, however, they started to calm down as she sucked in a very long and very deep breath.


    "The truth is, Rhys¡­" Her gaze once again grasped onto Riley''s eyes as an ugly smile crawled on her face.


    "...I am very, madly, obsessively in love with you."


    "Katarina¡­"


    "Everytime you whisper my name or just even utter it," Katarina giggled, "My entire body trembles. I imagine your breaths embracing the deepest parts of me, and¡­ Oh my god, I''m¡­


    ¡­I''m such a mess right now."


    "No," Rhys very gently ced the back of his hand on Katarina''s left cheek. She tried looking away, but Rhys softly turned her back to him; her snot and tears,pletely messing up her face,


    "I am looking at you, and you have always been as beautiful as you were before. Always."


    "Hukh¡­" Katarina''s face did not really know what to do as Rhys moved closer to her.


    "And I know my mind is very messed up and I am confused about many things¡­" A smile also crawled on Rhys''s face as a small tear also trailed from his left eye, "But if there is one thing that I know is true is that¡­


    ¡­I am also very madly, and obsessively in love with you, Dr. Lopez."


    And with those words, Rhys very slowly leaned his head closer to Katarina''s. But inches away from his lips touching hers, however, he lightly leaned away.


    "Do¡­" Rhys gulped, "Is it okay if I kiss¡ª"


    And without even letting Rhys finish his words, Katarina ced her lips upon his.

 Chapter 145 The Patient and the Doctor 1 (R-18)

    There was perhaps a certain sce in the warmth of someone''s lips. A certain familiarity, even though they were meeting for the first time. Rhys was gentle, perhaps the most gentle he had ever been in his life as he pressed his further onto Katarina''s.


    And it only wasn''t because she was bound by sharp threads that would cut her if he even moved the wrong way, he just wanted to treat her as gentle as possible¡­


    ¡­like how she had treated him the entire time.


    Gentle, but still very much firm so that he wouldn''t be weaker than he already was.


    The kisssted for only a single moment, but that single moment contained almost a lifetime of memories for Rhys. She was there, she truly was there the entire time to support him ¡ª even outside the clinic, Rhys could feel Katarina supporting him from behind.


    And perhaps, it was not time to support her.


    Rhys gently grabbed the back of Katarina''s head before pulling away, finally allowing Katarina to breathe as their lips separated. And yet, for some reason, all Katarina wanted right now was to suffocate under Rhys''s grasp again.


    "Let me get you out of this first, Katarina."


    "Hm¡­" Katarina nodded before closing her eyes; subconsciously biting her lips as they would probably try to reach for Riley if she didn''t do so., "Am I¡­ am I free?"


    "...No."


    "No¡­?" Katarina blinked a couple of times as she looked at Rhys. She then turned to look at her body, only to find herself still bound by the sharp threads, "What¡­ is happening?"


    "The Hearts floating above your head¡­" Rhys also blinked a couple of times as he looked above Katarina''s head, "...One of them is still gray."


    "Still gray¡­? What do you mean?" Katarina unconsciously also looked up, "Does¡­"


    Katarina''s eyes slightly widened; taking a gulp as a certain thought suddenly crawled through her mind,


    "Does¡­ that mean we need to have¡­ have sex?"


    "No, it¡ª"


    "It''s fine, Rhys."


    Rhys could not finish hearing Katarina''s desire before she interrupted him.


    "It''s fine," Katarina repeated her words as she stepped forward; breaths once again shivering as her breasts felt Rhys''s warmth even through his clothes, "I''m a doctor, a woman of science ¡ª I know what must be done."


    "I¡­ want to do it with you when you really want it. Let me¡ª"


    And once again, before Rhys could finish his words, Katarina suddenly started brushing her face on her chest, before tiptoeing again so she could ce her lips on Rhys''s neck, almost pecking it.


    "Sit¡­" Katarina''s breaths still shivered, "Sit on the sofa, Rhys."


    "Sofa¡­?" Rhys turned to where Katarina was looking, only to see a sofa made of Arachnea''s webs.


    "And¡­ and please remove your pants."


    "..." Rhys could really only nce back at Katarina, before just letting out a breath and walking toward the sofa as she told him to do so, "Do you need me to help you¡ª"


    "No¡­"


    Rhys turned to look back to Katarina, only to see her just walking toward him; her hands behind her back and her breasts still fully exposed, bouncing hard as she walked slightly clumsily toward him. Her steps were little, but not because her legs or hips were bound, they weren''t¡­


    ¡­it was because she was trying to hide the fact that her juices were already flowing between her thighs.


    "Just¡­ just remove your pants," Katarina shyly looked to the side.


    "...Okay," Rhys only let out a small breath as he proceeded to remove his clothes, "I¡­ I should have already removed my clothes earlier. I just realized it wasn''t fair for you."


    "No, it''s fi¡ª!!!" Katarina''s eyes widened as she almost choked on her own breath as she saw the thing swinging between Rhys''s legs. She had seen it before, but now that she was seeing it in a literally different situation¡­ she suddenly felt intimidated,


    "Is that¡­ is that already erect?"


    Katarina already knew the answer to that, of course ¡ª the fact that it was still swinging meant that it wasn''t even half-filled with blood. Lina and Ayesha¡­ put that thing inside them?


    Katarina quickly shook her head off of the thoughts she was having as she continued to walk toward Rhys.


    "S¡­sit," she whispered.


    "But shouldn''t I be the one moving since you''re tied up?" Rhys was about to approach Katarina, but Katarina just gestured for him to sit down; almost reminding him of the times when they were in her clinic. And so, Rhys just sat down¡­ and as he saw Katarina getting closer and closer, his penis very slowly fidgeted before rising up.


    Katarina could really only gulp as she saw Rhys''s thing getting bigger and bigger; trying her best not to waver in her steps. She could not, however, hide the juices that were flowing between her thighs anymore as they trailed down her legs and dripped down to her shoes.


    And as Katarina was now in front of Rhys, her gigantic breasts wiggled and swung in front of him as she removed her shoes with her feet before finally cing her knees on the sofa. And as her legs spread open, the juices dripping from her pussy fell directly on the tip of Rhys''s cock.


    Katarina breathed out as she very slowly lowered her hips. She looked at Rhys''s eyes before they strayed toward his lips, which she just kissed without any hesitation. She was even sticking out her tongue and twirling it inside Rhys''s mouth now.


    "Ha¡­" Katarina moaned as she pulled her head away. And as soon as she did so, Rhys grabbed her breast, gently brushing his palm on her nipple, causing it to go erect. And before Katarina''s body could even shiver from the sudden touch, Rhys suddenly licked her nipple.


    "Hn¡­!!!" Katarina''s toes curled as she felt her entire body shiver, perhaps a mistake since she lost all strength and her hips just lowered, making the tip of Rhys''s cock, just spreading her pussy open,


    "N¡­ no¡­"


    "...No?" Rhys slightly moved away as he saw the pained expression on Katarina''s face, but as soon as Katarina saw him doing so, she just tightly embraced him and started lightly lowering her hips even more.


    "Kh¡­!!!" Katarina''s toes curled even more; her whimpers, whistling and whispering through Rhys''s ear.


    "Wait, Kat¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as Katarina rested her head on his shoulder, "Don''t tell me¡­


    ¡­this is your first time?"

 Chapter 146 No Need For Explanation

    "This is your first time¡­?"


    "It''s¡­ it''s not."


    Perhaps much more so than the sharp threads wrapping around her, Katarina felt a pain she had never truly experienced before as she found her insides very slowly being filled by Rhys. She wanted to lie, she wanted to lie because she could already feel Rhys lifting her up away from her¡­ leaving her.


    "This¡­ this isn''t my first time," Katarina shook her head as she let herself fall down further onto Rhys''s hips; Rhys, however, was preventing her from doing so, "And none¡­ none of those matter, just¡­ let''s just do this so you could set me free, okay? Just¡­ make me cum. That''s¡­ that''s how it works, right?"


    "That''s not exactly how¡­" Rhys turned to look at Katarina, and as he saw her facepletely red and her tears on the verge of once again bursting forth from her eyes, her resolve made Rhys brush his palm from her butt and gently onto her hips, "...Let''s just do it slow, okay?"


    "Hm¡­" Katarina shivered as she could feel Rhys supporting her ¡ª and for some reason, she didn''t really like being treated like some sort of child. She was older than Rhys, she was supposed to be the one supporting him, and she didn''t like it. And so, with her resolve solidifying even further, she once again slowly lowered her hips.


    "Kh¡­" Her toes curled by themselves; the sound of her flesh being pulled apart, almost whispering throughout her entire body like a lingering whistle, "Hn¡­!!!"


    Katarina would cover her mouth if she could as she felt a sharp pain slightly popping inside her, but s, the threads bounding her arms prevented her from doing so, as if intent on humiliating her fully; her tears, finally trailing down her eyes once more.


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything, even when he brushed his hand between her thighs and saw a touch of blood on his palm. He just turned to look at Katarina again, looking deep into her eyes; almost as if quietly telling her to just take her time.


    Katarina once again did not like the fact that Rhys was¡­ babying her. And so, despite the pain, she started lowering her hips even further.


    "Is it¡­ is all of it inside me?" Katarina asked.


    "...Yes," Rhys said without any hesitation even though it was a lie; not even half of it was inside.


    "Okay¡­ okay¡­ fuu," Katarina''s head shivered as she started lifting her hips up; the blood flowing between her thighs fully mixing with her juices as they dripped on Rhys. And with a nod, she once again slid Rhys''s cock deep inside her, "Wait¡­ I''m¡­ I''m starting to feel warm."


    And with just the second thrust, her entire body once again shivered¡­ no longer from pain, but from the weird and sweet feeling that almost instantly took over her.


    "Oh¡­ oh my god¡­" Katarina''s mouth opened on their own as she looked at Rhys; her saliva, trailing down her lips as she stared into Rhys''s eyes. And without even realizing it, she violently ced her lips upon Rhys''s and started sticking out her tongue inside his mouth; twirling it around Rhys''s tongue.


    She continued to move her hips, this time with a certain rhythm that went along with her own moans.


    "Hmn¡­" Katarina''s entire body started to move; her breasts, now bouncing along with her hips as she moved faster; the sound of her flesh being pounded, now hammering along with the beating of her heart.


    "Ohh¡­ hn¡­" Katarina pulled her head away from Rhys as she looked at the ceiling; her eyes, trembling along with her gritted teeth, "I think¡­ I think I''m cumming already, Rhys. Rhys¡­


    ¡­Rhys!"


    And with almost a wail escaping her lips, she felt a jolt suddenly veiling her entire body; almost causing her to fall back there and then. Rhys caught her, however¡­ but his touch just further amplified the sweet sore wrapping her; her entire body, just fell on top of Rhys.


    Rhys, of course, was very careful not to let the sharp threads cut Katarina as he gently caught her again.


    "Is it¡­" Katarina whispered into his ear, "...Is it done¡­? Can you¡­ can you set me free now?"


    "That¡­" Rhys gently lifted Katarina and leaned away to look above her head, but only 4 out of the 5 Hearts floating above her head were filled. Rhys did not really react, however, as he did not want Katarina to worry or feel that she did something wrong.


    "Rhys¡­?" Katarina whispered weakly. Rhys, however, just closed his eyes as he was able to hear Katarina''s desires, which were practically shouting at him.


    "Kat¡­" Rhys whispered back as he smiled at Katarina.


    "H¡­hmn? Is something¡ª"


    "I''m happy," Rhys''s words were incredibly gentle, even more gentle than his touch, "I am¡­ very happy that we''re finally together."


    Katarina''s eyes almost instantly widened as Rhys''s words reached her ears; her eyebrows trembling as she looked back and forth between Rhys''s eyes, not really knowing where to look. And once again, tears decided to fall from her eyes ¡ª but her face was no longer in pain or in carnal pleasure. She was just¡­


    "I''m¡­" Katarina almost gasped as a smile crawled onto her face, "I''m very happy too."


    And with those words, Rhys felt himself being surrounded by a veryfortable light as Katarina''s abilities slowly entered his mind. But hepletely ignored the feeling, however, as he quickly summoned Katarina.


    "Oh¡­?" Katarina could really blink a couple of times as she suddenly found herself lying on the sofa. She quickly raised her arms, fully relieved she could finally move them, "Rhys, I''m¡ª"


    Before she could finish her words, however, she saw Rhys moving on top of her. She wondered what was going on at first, but as she felt a warmth surrounding the wounds on her body, she realized that Rhys was healing her.


    "We¡­ we did it," Katarina let out a crying chuckle as she grasped Rhys''s cheeks, "We¡­ what are you doing?"


    Soon, however, she felt Rhys''sfortable and warm hands moving to the lower parts of her body.


    "You came, Kat¡­" Rhys said quietly as he very gently lifted Katarina''s legs and parted them slowly,


    "...Now, it''s my turn."


    "O¡­" Katarina could not really say anything as she just stared at Rhys''s face. But soon, however, a smile once again crawled her face as she ced her arms above her head ¡ª fully exposing herself to Rhys, "Don''t step, then¡­


    ¡­vite me more."


    ***


    "What¡­ are you guys doing?"


    And after several more minutes, Katarina and Rhys finally stepped out of Arachnea''sir. Both of them, drowning in each other''s sweat ¡ª and as soon as Ayesha, Lina, and Maria saw Katarina walking slightly funny, they werepletely sure it wasn''t because of being bound by Arachnea''s thread.


    "We¡­ we could hear you scream from all the way here, Kat¡­" Lina did not really know whether to look at Katarina or avoid her eyes, "That was¡­ I don''t even know if I can look at you anymore."


    "Wh¡ª" Katarina wanted to cover her face there and then as she instinctively moved behind Rhys; burying her face behind his back, "Why were you guys even listening!?"


    "We could hear you even if we didn''t want to, Doc," Ayesha breathed out as she ced her palm on her forehead, "Zeus¡­ that was your first time?"


    "You even heard that!? You¡ª"


    "Not fair."


    And before Katarina could fall down the rabbit hole of embarrassment even further, everyone heard Maria''s voice slightly trembling in the air.


    "This is not fair, Rhys Wilder."


    They all turned to look at Maria, only to see the shadow around her starting to flutter for some reason.


    "These three women have already been vited by you," Maria said as she very slowly made her way to Rhys, "Even K is being humiliated sexually by you¡­


    ¡­I think it''s my turn."


    And with those words, Maria suddenly lunged toward Rhys like a hungry lion.


    "Vite me, Rhys Wilder!" And even though the tone of her voice was still monotonous, the hunger in her eyes was clear for everyone to see.


    "What the¡ªstop being weird!" Ayesha quickly blocked Maria''s path; holding her face and preventing her from rushing at Rhys, "What the¡­ someone help me out here!"


    Both Katarina and Lina also rushed to prevent Maria from sucking Rhys, maybe literally. Perhaps a mistake, as Katarina''s legs were still weak from being ravished by Rhys¡­ and so, she tripped¡­


    ¡­causing the three of them to lose bnce and just fall on top of Rhys.


    "I think I heard someone here! I think they are here!"


    And almost as if Fate was waiting for this to happen, a group of people led by Keh suddenly emerged from the woods¡­ only to be weed by a sight worthy of Olympus.


    Maria holding Rhys''s cock and was on the verge of putting it in her mouth, while Katarina, Lina, and Ayesha were trying to stop her. But of course, from the perspective of Keh and the other people behind him¡­ it was just an intense orgy.


    "We¡­


    ¡­we can exin."


    "Rhys..." Keh could not help but whisper out in shock. But soon, however, a very approving smile crawled onto his face as he nodded several times,


    "...My man."

 Chapter 147 Royal Treatment

    "Oh my god."


    Perhaps one could not really recover from the experience of being seen absolutely naked by several people. And perhaps, even more so, one would absolutely not recover after being seen naked¡­ and in a very promiscuous position in front of a group of people.


    Fortunately for them, Keh and the Laughing Bronze stopped streaming when they decided to go on a rescue mission for Rhys ¡ª if not, then the entire world would probably be making memes of them right now.


    It did not help that they confined them in a small room together, allowing her to think even clearly about the things that had happened.


    "Lighten up, Kat. It''s not the end of the world ¡ª being seen naked is normal. They even have those nude beaches in Germania."


    "We''re not in Germania, Princess," Ayesha was the one to respond to Lina, as Katarina was currently seated on a chair in the corner, covering her face in embarrassment even after hours had already passed since they were found, "And those Germania people have the biggest balls in the world, remember how they almost annihted Rhys''s kind?"


    The group, who was now fully clothed, was currently in the main branch of Amerka''s HIU, in the biggest and perhaps most secure city in the entirety of Amerka in terms of having the most high-ranked Explorers living within it¡ªno. Perhaps after what had happened in Mankappan, Washington is now absolutely the most secure city in Amerka.


    "Speaking of, Rhys. You recei¡ª"


    "Can you two just stop talking already!?"


    And before Lina could say anything more, Katarina raised her voice as she looked back and forth between the two; her loud voice, echoing through the small room they were waiting in, "My career¡­ my career as a doctor is over. They''ve all seen¡­ they''ve all seen my body."


    "Bitch, your career as a doctor has been over for a while now," Lina rolled her eyes as she looked at Katarina, who was now covering herself with a nket that was provided by them, "Just embrace it."


    "Like how you probably embraced the Recruit''s rock-hard cock," Ayesha snorted. She and Lina, bumping arms and nodding to each other after she said that.


    "Kat, it''s fine. Well, it''s not fine¡­ but it will be," Rhys, who had been listening to the three just bickering with each other, finally spoke up as he let out a short but very deep sigh, "Everyone''s focusing on Arachnea, I don''t think they are thinking about your bodies."


    "Oh," Ayesha once again snorted as she focused her attention on Rhys, "That might be true¡­ but they are definitely thinking about yourrge and girthy cock, Recruit. Did you see how the women of the Laughing Bronze were looking at you after they found us?"


    "Wait¡­" Katarina''s expression finally started to lighten up as she stood up from her chair, "You''re right, most of them were women too."


    "They probably heard it was Rhys who was missing and volunteered toe with Keh," Lina scoffed, "Those bitches. We should¡ªYou''re back!"


    The group''s conversation was interrupted as Maria entered the holding room; her face, once again back to beingpletely stoic.


    "I have cleared everything," Maria raised both her thumbs at the group, "I will not be charged and suspended for indecency since I exined that everything was a misunderstanding and that we tripped and I identally almost put Rhys''s penis in my mouth."


    "That¡­" Katarina could not help but squint her eyes at Maria. But after a few seconds, she shook her head and stood in front of her, "What about Arachnea and¡­ and our connection with her?"


    "I told them the truth," Maria shrugged.


    "You told them the truth¡­?" The room slightly quivered as Ayesha''s voice turned low; her step as she approached Maria, causing the floor beneath her to slightly crack.


    "Yes, the truth." Maria subtly shook her head before pointing at her chest, gesturing to them that she was wearing a wire. And as soon as Ayesha and the others realized this, they just nodded their heads and turned quiet,


    "You three are free to go. But they need to question Rhys."


    "What¡­?"


    "He is at the center of this after all," Maria walked back to the door and opened it, gesturing to Rhys toe with her, "And this is the third time you have encountered Arachnea and survived, and they are very interested in what you have to say. But if you ask me¡­"


    Maria then made it look like she identally covered the wire she was wearing,


    "They want to talk to you because of your¡­ political potential."


    "Who¡­ am I meeting?" Rhys lowered his eyebrows.


    "The one who almost ordered you to be arrested back in the apartment," Maria nced at Rhys, "The Secretary to¡ª"


    "I do believe there is no need for that."


    "What is the meaning of this!?"


    And before Maria could fully open the door, she was slightly pushed to the side as a man suddenly barged into the holding room, who was followed by an obviously fuming olddy.


    "Madam Secretary," Maria quickly stood in attention as she saw the woman. And as soon as Rhys heard her words, he also stood up straight and saluted. As for Ayesha, she just rolled her eyes and even sat down; not even paying her any respect.


    Although the Secretary to the President was just apletely political position, Karen still holds the honorary rank of Lieutenant General of the Surface Army. And yet, right now¡­ she was being ignored by an old man sporting a very thick mustache that almost covered his entire mouth.


    "Prince Lance, you just can''t pull Rhys Wilder out, he is currently at the top of the POI list and is due for questioning!" Secretary Karen raised her voice; the security team behind her, not really knowing what to do as they just looked at each other.


    "But I already have, dear," the old man, Prince Lance, held a certain elegance in him as his eyes scanned Rhys and the others, "My niece has diplomatic immunity, and therefore, by extension, her fiance."


    "Huh¡­?" Everyone turned to look at Rhys as Prince Lance focused his eyes on him. But very soon, Prince Lance''s eyes strayed toward Ayesha, who quickly stepped to the side and revealed the hiding Lina behind her.


    "...Fuck," Lina cursed as she just very slowly turned to look at Prince Lance, "How did you find me!?"


    "How can we not?" Prince Lance then grabbed something from the inner pocket of his coat, "When your face is all over social media."


    "That¡­" And as soon as everyone caught a glimpse of the photo, their eyes started to widen.


    How could they not¡­


    ¡­when it was a photo of the exact moment that all of them were naked and lying down on Rhys?


    "No¡­" Katarina, who was actually starting to recover, could not help but once again fall down on her chair as she covered her face.


    "A shame," Maria, on the other hand, could not help but sigh in disappointment, "Our faces could barely be seen due to the quality of the photo."


    "My face is barely visible! How did you even know it was me!?" Lina raised her voice as she pped the photo away. And true enough, one could barely even make out the faces in the photo.


    "I raised you, Lte. Of course, I would recognize you," Prince Lance shook his head, "And I am here to bring you home, child."


    "I won''t go back there!"


    "You have even adapted the crassness of the tone of this barbaric country, a shame."


    "I won''t go with you."


    "You will, and you must," Prince Lance then turned to look at Rhys again,


    "Everyone is eager to meet your fiance, after all."


    "Wait¡­


    ¡­he''sing with me?"

 Chapter 148 Authority

    "I''m...ing with her?"


    Prince Lance merely chuckled, patting Rhys on the shoulder. "Of course,d. You''re to be a part of the family soon, aren''t you? It''s high time you meet your future inws."


    "But..." Rhys''s voice trailed off, his eyes darting over to Lina who was staring at Prince Lance with her arms crossed over her chest.


    "I don''t think that''s going to happen, Prince Lance," Secretary Karen finally intervened, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "Rhys Wilder is a-"


    "With all due respect," Karen was silenced by Prince Lance as he raised his hand. He then turned to her, and even though his lips were covered by a thickyer of mustache, the smile that was crawling on his face could still be seen, "Your conditions are not required, dear Karen. The jurisdiction of my country outweighs the interests of your office."


    "And why should weply with your country, Prince Lance!?" Karen''s voice was cold and firm. But under her stern facade, everyone could see the slight twitching of her lips and the narrowing of her eyes. She was not amused, and she was not backing down.


    Twice now in just a few months someone had questioned her authority - General Banner, who also happens to be rted to one of Rhys''s girlfriends, and now Prince Lance, who also happens to be rted to another one of Rhys''s girlfriends.


    Just what sort of luck does Rhys Wilder actually have?


    "Because you don''t have a choice," Prince Lance''s voice was softly eloquent yetmanding, the subtle authority ringing clear in his words. His calm demeanor seemed to only fuel the fire in Karen''s eyes, however.


    "Choice?" She scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Rhys is a person of interest. He isn''t going anywhere until he answers our questions."


    "You''re forgetting one thing." Prince Lance let out a chuckle that seemed to echo throughout the room. The tension hung heavy in the air, yet he seemed untouched by it. His eyes straying away from Karen as he looked Rhys in the eyes.


    Prince Lance adjusted his coat before answering, "Rhys is also a person of interest for Ennd. And as I said..." He then winked at Lina yfully, "...If little Lte here wanted, she could just use her diplomatic immunity to protect him."


    "Why would I do that!?" Lina pointed at Prince Lance, "I am no longer part of your stupid family!"


    "Because if you don''t, then there is a chance that Mr. Rhys Wilder will be apprehended by this country before this day is over," the tone of Prince Lance''s voice turned deep as he looked Lina in the eyes; the elegance that his eyes once held,pletely reced by a hint of tyranny. It did notst long, however, as the smile returned on his face as he looked at Secretary Karen,


    "Is that not the case, dear Karen? I heard you even have a lovely prison ready for our friend here."


    "What...?" Ayesha was the first to react as she stood up from the chair; her eyes, ring at Secretary Karen, who could not help but instinctively take a step back.


    "N...no," Secretary Karen whispered, trying her best not to look scared. But how could she not be, when she had heard all sorts of things about Ayesha and her temper? "That is not-"


    "I believe we''ve wasted enough time here." And before Karen could finish her words, Prince Lance loudly pped his hands together, the smile on his face, now almost escaping his mustache, "Shall we go? There are many people eager to meet you both in Ennd."


    "Maria..." Lina turned to look at Maria, "...Is it true they are going to try and arrest Rhys? In what charge?"


    "I don''t know," Maria shook her head; the tone of her voice still monotonous as she nced at Secretary Karen, "But knowing them, it is probably true. They have already attempted to arrest Rhys once in fear of his political views and power. And since your family has now inserted themselves in the picture, Rhys''s priority just went up by a mile.


    If you are asking my advice as the most intelligent person in the harem...


    ...then we should go."


    "I... have already cut ties with my family and I don''t want to see any of them," Lina closed her eyes as she took in a very long and deep breath, "But if it''s for Rhys, then I''ll do it. My friends and I are going with you, Lance."


    "I''ve only been to Ennd once, weather up there is bad," Ayesha groaned, "But I can always just sleep down in the Underworld."


    "What about the guild...?" Katarina sighed, "I don''t really want to leave it to No. 1, she''s... perverse."


    "Oh..." And as Katarina and the others were discussing what they were going to do, Prince Lance let out a loud gasp as he looked at them, "...It would seem there was a slight misunderstanding, only Lte and Rhys Wilder wille. It will not really look good if Rhys''s mistresses are to be seen with us, I hope you will understand."


    "...Mistresses?" Katarina''s eye started to twitch, "Maybe you should just get arrested, Rhys. We can just think of a n to break you out."


    "...It would seem all of you need to discuss this first," Prince Lance cleared his throat as he gestured to the group to leave the room, "I actually have a helicopter ready just in case, it will take you back to the headquarters of Wilder''s Harem so that Rhys Wilder and Lte could say goodbye to your soldiers-sorry, to your members first. After all... what is worse than an absent monarch...


    ...is an absent monarch who did not advise his vassals that he would be gone. Now, shall we go?"


    "Wait... I have not permitted any of this! We-"


    And before Secretary Karen could say anything more, Katarina left the room obviously mad about the turn of events. She was followed by the rest of the group, with Ayesha just raising her middle finger at Karen as she stepped out.


    "You think..." Karen gritted her teeth; blood, trailing down her lips from how hard she was doing so,


    "...you think you can just get away with this!?"


    "Dear..." Prince Lance nced back and sighed,


    "...They already have."

 Chapter 149 We Cant Do That

    Back at Wilder''s Harem HQ, Katarina was pacing back and forth across Rhys''s office; her eyebrows,pletely lowered as he waited for Rhys to finish saying his farewell to the other members of the guild. Ayesha was also there, sitting on Rhys''s chair and just casually ying with her teddy bear, rolling her lips and quietly whispering to herself.


    Maria was just sitting on the sofa quietly, checking her tablet every now and then as she nced at Katarina.


    "K, perhaps it would be better for you to sit down?" Maria said.


    "I''m calm!"


    "I did not ask if you were calm, K," Maria blinked a couple of times as she gestured to Katarina to sit down.


    "Why would I!?" Katarina finally stopped walking back and forth as she looked at Maria; her voice, getting louder with each syble, "Rhys is going out of the country, alone... alone with that vixen!"


    "You do know that I''m also here, right?" Lina, who was actually also seated on the sofa, could not help but raise an eyebrow as she heard Katarina''s words.


    "Rhys has never been out of the country before. What if he gets sick!?" Katarinapletely ignored Lina as she once again started walking back and forth to Rhys''s office, "Isn''t it always raining there? What if he gets sick and I''m not there to take care of him!?"


    "Zeus, Doc. Chill your balls," Ayesha could not help but sigh as she gently ced her teddy bear on the desk, "Rhys isn''t a child. And as someone who''s been prated by his thick, girthy cock already, you should know that."


    "He doesn''t even have a visa, what if he gets lost there?" Katarinapletely ignored everyone as she started biting her nails, "We should-"


    "Everyone, sorry it took so long."


    And before Katarina''s worries could be ballistic, Rhys finally entered the office.


    "What did you even discuss with the others?" Katarina quickly stood in front of Rhys, not even allowing him to take 3 steps inside the office.


    "Just¡­ some ns," Rhys just smiled as he held Katarina''s shoulder, "I don''t know how long I''ll be gone, so I just wanted to know if the guild will still be on track when I''m gone."


    "What ns, Rhys Wilder?" Maria quickly stood up and started fidgeting with her tablet, "So that I could prepare for the bacsh of whatever it is you are nning to do again."


    "It''s¡­ nothing that hard," Rhys could not help but just wave his hand as Maria''s slightly intense gaze almost drowned him.


    "Recruit, we''re here ¡ª you don''t have to worry about the guild," Ayesha scoffed as she also left Rhys''s desk, "Just worry about yourself out there or that maneater Lina will eat you alive."


    "...Guys, I''m here," Lina once again raised an eyebrow as she looked at Ayesha.


    "Do you really have to go¡­?" Katarina grabbed Rhys''s hand before gently cing it on her cheek, "We''ve just¡­ The two of us¡­ we''ve only just begun, Rhys."


    "Guys, there''s no need to be so dramatic, I mean¡­ fuck!" Lina could not help it anymore as she raised her voice and stood up, "It''s not like Rhys and I would be gone for long. I''ll make sure we leave after a few days or so ¡ª I know my family, they just want to berate me and flex at the same time, they''re cunts."


    "The major thing I''m worried about is that he''s with you, Lina," Katarina rolled her eyes as she looked at Lina, "Who knows what you''ll do to him there!"


    "Seriously¡­?" Lina scoffed, "What do you guys think I am? Just so all of you know, I''m Rhys''s first and original girlfriend. You all should actually just bow down to me for sharing him. I''m your master."


    "W¡ª"


    "Enough, guys¡­" And as Rhys whispered loudly, everyone just shut their mouths as they saw him pinching the bridge of his nose, "Look, I''ll be back before you know it."


    "Everyone should just rx and listen to the Recruit," Ayesha followed up as she approached Rhys, "Kat, he survived in the Underworld Corps for half a year, you should trust the guy more."


    "He returned missing an arm and a leg."


    "...Right," Ayesha raised a finger as she looked to the side, "To be fair, he has a mechanical leg now which is totally super cool. I''ve even forgotten about it before you mentioned it."


    "Kat¡­ I''ll be fine," Rhys once again ced his hand on Katarina''s cheek.


    "T¡ªHmgh!?"


    And before she could even say anything, Rhys suddenly ced his lips upon hers. Katarina''s eyes widened, but not for long as she closed them and gently grabbed the back of Rhys''s head as she just stuck out her tongue inside Rhys''s mouth.


    "That''s¡­ not a goodbye kiss," Linamented as she looked at the others. Ayesha, on the other hand, just shrugged.


    "Fuu¡­" Katarina loudly gasped as she pulled her head away, "Just¡­ just please be careful out there, okay?"


    "Hm," Rhys nodded before turning to look at Ayesha.


    "I''m not going to kiss you in front of all these people, Recruit," Ayesha quickly shook her head and chuckled, "Just be sure to fuck me first once you return."


    "Uh,nguage?" Katarina red at Ayesha.


    "I''ll kiss you, Rhys Wilder," Maria raised her hand. And even with Katarina''s arms still wrapped around Rhys''s head, Maria suddenly grabbed Rhys''s face and proceeded to kiss him in front of Katarina¡­ quite passionately.


    "W¡ªthat''s enough!" Katarina quickly pushed Maria away.


    "Hm," Maria did not mind as she just wiped the saliva dripping from her lips, "So, when are we going to have an orgy?"


    "Never!" "No." "Maybe after we''re back?"


    Katarina, Ayesha, and Lina all turned to look at Maria as soon as she said that. As for Rhys, he only sighed and shook his head.


    "I guess I''m¡ª"


    "Don''t say goodbye, Rhys," Katarina smiled, "You said it yourself, right¡­ you''ll be back before we know it?"


    "Guys, just¡­" Lina could not help but ball her hands into a fist as she covered her mouth in frustration, "...Please don''t say anything more ¡ª these are red gs, you guys should watch more anime."


    "Just go," Ayesha waved her hand, "Go. No more words, go! That helicopter''s been running for a while now, it might not have enough gas to reach the airport."


    Rhys turned to look at Ayesha, Katarina, and Maria for a few more seconds before nodding her head at Lina. And as per Ayesha''s words, Rhys did not really say anything more as he left the room.


    And as soon as Lina and Rhys were gone, Ayesha quickly turned to look at Maria and Katarina, who also returned her inquisitive gaze.


    "So¡­" Ayesha whispered as the three started huddling together, "...I think I can manage to smuggle us through the Underworld. But obviously, we can''t do that since no one will be left to take care of the guild."


    "We can ask Keh, he''s friends with the members already," Katarina squinted her eyes as she whispered, "But obviously, we can''t do that."


    "I can actually also just stay here and support the guild. I can''t leave my job," Maria also whispered, "I will also hate it that while I am working, the four of you are having fun there ¡ª maybe even having hardcore sex while degrading me since I am not with you. You can totally do that."


    "...Were you dropped as a baby?" Ayesha almost removed herself from the circle as she heard that, "But it''s final, then. Kat¡­


    ¡­you and I are going to Ennd."

 Chapter 150 42,000 Feet Above Ground

    "Can we offer you some juice, coffee, or perhaps wine?"


    "No, I''m¡ªjust water, water is fine. Thank you."


    "I''ll have the wine, please."


    "Of course, Lady Lte."


    "Ack, I hate that name."


    Rhys was currently looking out the window, more specifically, looking through the clouds and at the ground 42,000 feet below. Rhys had already fallen deeper within the Holes, but he had never trulynded at that height ¡ª he was sure he wouldn''t die, maybe he wouldn''t even get a scratch, but what would it actually feel like to fall and know you''re going to hit the ground hard?


    "You''re thinking of jumping off the ne, Sir."


    "I''m¡ª" Rhys was not even able to look at Lina before she suddenly hugged him on his seat; sitting on top of hisp and seemingly not caring that there were attendants looking at her.


    "Well, too bad¡­" Lina locked Rhys''s thighs with her legs, pushing down a button on Rhys''s seat and causing it to slowly tilt back. And as Rhys was almostpletely diagonal, Lina let herselfpletely fall on top of him, "...This is the first time in a long time I will only have you for myself again, I''m not going to let you go."


    "I''m¡­ not going anywhere, Ma''am," Rhys could really only sigh as Lina was even pinning down his only remaining hand, "The pilot said we''re 42,000 feet above ground."


    "Well, you do have a tendency of falling into things, Sir," Lina let out a giggle; her breaths falling down upon Rhys''s face¡­ and slowly toward his lips.


    "Your wine, Lady Lte."


    But before Lina could actually kiss Rhys, however, the flight attendant returned with her wine. Lina nced at the flight attendant for a few seconds, before just smirking at her and still proceeding to give Rhys a slightly sloppy French kiss in front of her. The flight attendant could really only just ce Rhys''s bottle of water and Lina''s wine on the table beside them.


    The attendant''s eyes, however, werepletely locked on Rhys as she walked away, and she wasn''t even trying to make it subtle.


    "Don''t even think about it, Rhys," Lina grabbed Rhys''s face, "Those women may look innocent, but they''re getting under my uncle''s pants whenever they can."


    "I''m¡­ not thinking about anything."


    "I am serious," Lina started kissing Rhys''s neck so that no one would realize she was actually whispering to him, "Trust no one. My uncle might seem friendly, but no one in my family is right in the head. Trust no one, even the children."


    "...Children?"


    "You''ll find out in a few hours," Lina finally leaned away from Rhys, "I do want to cuddle and just kiss you since this is the first time we will actually be alone together without the other girls, but I''m going to get a shut-eye¡­ I have a feeling I won''t be sleeping once wend in the country."


    "Hm¡­" Lina then finally returned to her seat beside Rhys, giving the bottle of water to Rhys.


    "Thank you."


    "Want to take a sip?" Lina also grabbed her bottle of wine before resting her head on Rhys''sp, fully able to stretch her legs as she did so.


    "No," Rhys just furrowed his eyebrows as he raised the bottle of water in his hands, "Just water for me. And also¡­ this private ne, how much do you think it is?"


    "No idea," Lina shrugged as a loud pop drummed in the air as she opened her wine, "Why, you want one in Wilder''s Harem? Wilder''s Harem¡­ weird, the name''s kinda sticking to my tongue now."


    "I still owe the government billions of dors."


    "Right¡­" Lina just winced as she started chugging down the bottle of wine; droplets of it, dripping from her cheek and onto Rhys''s thigh. Lina looked up at Rhys''s face, before smirking and licking his pants like a cat, "Don''t look so stiff, Rhys. I''m not gonna do anything like give you a blowjob in public like that musclehead."


    "She¡­ told you about that?"


    "We have a group chat, remember?"


    "...Right."


    And with those words, Lina just giggled as she continued to chug down the bottle. And very soon, she just fainted in exhaustion. Rhys looked at her face for a few seconds, gently brushing his hand on it and wiping all the wine and drool to prevent them from drying up on her cheeks.


    Rhys then breathed out as he looked around ¡ª never in a million years did he ever think he would actually be riding on a private ne. The concept of private nes was almost too surreal to him, but now here he was. Just a year after he awakened his blood, and all the doors were opening up to him¡­ he was even on his way to meet royalty.


    He looked out at the view again, letting out a long and very deep sigh that was almost reflected by the clouds nowpletely veiling thend below.


    "Ennd¡­" Rhys whispered before opening his bottle and taking arge sip of it. And as soon as he swallowed the water, he felt a weird feeling starting to cover his entire body. A sort of¡­ unnatural drowsiness which made him feel extremely heavy.


    He squinted his eyes for a few seconds as he turned his focus to Lina, and then toward the empty bottle of wine she just sucked dry.


    Lina did say to trust no one, but to think they hadn''t evennded on Ennd, and yet Lina''s concern was already showing itself at full st. Rhys could hear a loud rustlinging from behind the curtains where the attendants were stationed¡­ and as soon as the curtain opened, Rhys tilted his head to the side and pretended to be asleep.


    Unfortunately for them, they chose the wrong target. If they wanted him down, then they should have used the same thing Maria used on him.


    "...Arise," Rhys whispered ¡ªpletely throwing away any drowsiness and weight that drowned his body.


    These people seemed to want something from them¡­


    ¡­and Rhys was going to find out what.

 Chapter 151 Welcome

    "My god, I thought we were going to watch this bitch destroy this bloke''s face for the entirety of the flight."


    "Is this ckie really her fiance? This is sort of a mismatch, innit?"


    "Shh, stop talking. You might wake them up."


    They aren''t going to wake up anytime soon, mate. We chucked them with enough tranquilisers to drop an entire rhorni, didn''t we?"


    Wrong. Rhys was fully awake and listening to everything they were saying, and with his hair covering his eyes, he could also somewhat see what they were doing ¡ª and they were not really doing anything but just watching him and Luna.


    "What''s the big deal with the ckie anyway?"


    "...You don''t know, you cunt? He''s the ckie that''s been on the tele for the past few months. He even has amercial with the Mickie Ds."


    "That''s ''im!?"


    Rhys immediately closed his eyes, trying his best not to flinch as one of the female flight attendants suddenly moved closer to their seat. And without even any hesitation or restraint, she lifted up Rhys''s hair.


    "What the¡­" The woman''s hand trembled as she almost instinctively let go of Rhys''s hair. But instead of just letting it go, she could not help but just stare at his face instead. And if it wasn''t for one of her colleagues pulling her hand away, she might have even taken a photo of Rhys''s face.


    "What are you doing? What if you wake him up!?"


    "...Bloody hell, you''re the one who said we fed them nappies enough to drop a rhorni!"


    "Yes, but who knows what the guy is capable of."


    "He''s a ckie, mate. He''s not going to do anything."


    "...You really have no idea who he is, do you? He is¡ª"


    "That''s enough." And before the attendants could bicker against each other again, Rhys heard Prince Lance''s voice approaching from behind.


    Rhys had actually almost forgotten that Prince Lance was in the same ne, as he had really only seen him when he weed him and Lina as they boarded the ne. He initially even thought that Prince Lance may have also been drugged, but that wasn''t the case at all as the attendants all just bowed respectfully at him before making way.


    "How many more hours do we have before wend?" Prince Lance asked; ncing at Rhys and Lina before turning his attention to the attendants.


    "Approximately 4 hours, Your Highness."


    "4 hours¡­ that should be enough for Lte," Prince Lance turned his focus back to Rhys. It was hard to determine what he was actually thinking since his mouth was fully covered by his mustache, "...We''re not fully aware of what Rhys Wilder is capable of ¡ª someone guard him in case he wakes up. Do not provoke him if you don''t want all of us free-falling 40,000 feet."


    "Your Highness¡­" The attendants could really only look at each other as Prince Lance just turned around and walked away, "...What, what do we do in case he wakes up?"


    "How do you act when a passenger normally wakes up?"


    "...Just the normal?"


    "Exactly." Although there wasn''t really an obvious hint of disdain in Prince Lance''s voice, Rhys could clearly sense the disgust in his tone. Rhys wouldn''t miss something like that at all, and he wouldn''t mistake it for anything else. After all¡­


    ¡­people have treated him with disgust all his life. He was an expert in telling when one is looking down on another.


    Rhys continued to y unconscious since he hadn''t even heard what exactly it was they were nning.


    A minute, an hour, and another one. They had already entered the airspace of Ennd, and yet no one seemed to be slipping up.


    Should he just grab Lina and jump? But if he did that, then the ne might lose control and crash into a popted area.


    But if he doesn''t, then he and Lina might be the ones in danger. And if he had to choose between Lina and dozens of innocent people he doesn''t know¡­


    ¡­then he would choose Lina, even if there were millions of them.


    "...Arise," Rhys whispered as he fully holted his entire body awake. He was about to grab Lina and punch through the ne¡­ but before he could even move an inch, the attendants once again gathered near his seat.


    "Prince Lance is being dodgy. Just how handful is this cunt for him to sedate her?"


    "You really should watch your tongue ¡ª she might act like that, but she''s still royalty." The oldest one of the attendants shushed everyone else as she looked at Lina, "And Prince Lance sedated her for her own good. You do not know what Lady Lte is capable of ¡ª she''s a handful, this one. She would have probably tried escaping as soon as wended."


    "...Are you telling me he sedated her niece just so she would behave? That''s mental, mate."


    "They''re the royal family, all of them are mental. If Prince Lance had not sedated her, we would be seeing the cousins fight as soon as their eyes meet¡­


    ¡­and they will kill Lina."


    "Figures. The only one in her generation that was not born a Noble."


    All of Lina''s cousins¡­ are Nobles? Rhys was trying his best not to move as he continued to listen to the group''s conversation.


    And from all the information he was getting¡­


    ¡­they only drugged him and Lina so that nomotion would happen as soon as theynded.


    He knew Lina had the tendency to be crass and aggressive most of the time, and she actually even admitted to Rhys that she was a troublemaker when she was younger. But¡­


    ¡­just how much of a troublemaker was she for her cousins to just want to outright kill her in an argument?


    And was Prince Lance actually doing all of this to protect Lina?


    Rhys quietly remained still for a few more minutes to think. Unfortunately for him, he didn''t really have much time as the ne started to descend, and after a few more minutes, he and Lina quaked in their seat as the nended.


    "Handle them gently." And as soon as theynded, Prince Lance once again made himself avable as he seemed to have brought people with him, "Make sure no one spots them and just ce them in the car."


    "Of course, Your Highness."


    The Prince''s entourage started to lift them up. And with how gentle they truly were handling him and Lina, it would seem Prince Lance truly doesn''t mean them any harm¡­ he just has a fucked up way of showing he cares.


    And as soon as they stepped off the ne, the difference in the weather becamepletely clear to him. It wasn''t colder¡­ but the air felt somewhat¡­ wet.


    "Quick, bring them to the car."


    "...Where''s the car?"


    Rhys could feel himself being waved left and right as the guards seemed to be looking for the car. But even after several seconds had passed, their confusion seemed to just grow.


    "Well, well, well¡­" And soon, a voice whispered in the air which caused the guards topletely halt their steps,


    "...Trash all the way from Amerka, are we disposing of it here?"


    "P¡­ Princess Annabeth!"

 Chapter 152 A Threat

    Perhaps Rhys should have just really escaped with Lina while they were on the ne. He could still probably just surprise everyone and suddenly pretend to wake up now, but for some reason, it felt like he just had to see this through to the end now.


    And so, he will.


    Even as Rhys caught a glimpse of someone with glowing hair approaching them ever so menacingly, Rhys pretended to be unconscious.


    "Well, well, well¡­ Trash all the way from Amerka. Are we disposing of it here?"


    "P¡­Princess Annabeth!"


    And as the woman, Annabeth, got closer and closer to them, Rhys finally realized why she looked somewhat menacing. Aside from the fact that her long green hair was glowing, it was the fact that it waspletely still that made her look surreal; even with the harsh wind blowing across the airstrip, her hair remained immovable, unaffected by anything.


    Rhys couldn''t really see clearly since the man carrying him was turned the wrong way, but since Rhys was used to barely even seeing anything since his eyes had always been covered by his hair, a single glimpse was enough.


    With how she dressed and the way she looked, she seemed too old to be Lina''s cousin.


    "Anna, what are you doing here?"


    "I should be the one saying that to you, my dear husband."


    Annabeth''s slightly arrogant tonepletely faded away as soon as her eyesnded on Lance; her hair, also slightly moving along with the wind as she made her way toward the prince,


    "We''ve already had this conversation a thousand times, and I thought you agreed ¡ª so, why is your brother''s daughter here? And did you actually drug her?"


    "I just did what I felt needed doing, Anna," Lance''s sigh could be heard throughout the entire airstrip as he did not allow Annabeth to walk the entire way toward him, meeting her halfway instead before Annabeth kissed him on the cheek. She would have probably kissed her on the lips, but she would still need to find them underneath his thick mustache,


    "I brought her home."


    "This isn''t her home, it hasn''t been for a very long time," Annabeth also sighed, "What do you think will happen if our children see her? If Wace''s children see her? The only thing you did was bring this trash closer to her death."


    "Please, don''t call her that. She''s still my brother''s daughter."


    "Your brother is dead, my love. You don''t owe anything to him¡­


    ¡­and who is the extra baggage?"


    "Mr. Rhys Wilder, Lina''s fiance¡­ supposed to be. That can change," Lance''s voice slightly became cheery as he approached Rhys, "A unicorn. Something the world has never seen before."


    "That''s¡­ him?" Annabeth also approached Rhys, causing him to feel slightly ufortable. He was used to being looked at like some sort of beggar, but never once has someone stared at him like he was some sort of zoo animal,


    "...Is he the true reason why you brought William''s child here?"


    "A part of it," Lance let out a small chuckle, "If you know even half of the treatment this boy has received in his country. You know that there is a high chance¡­


    ¡­that there''s a chance he might want to stay here instead."


    "No luck with your Noble children, and so you want to try with a Lowborn instead?"


    "I know it is none of our fault, Anna," Lance let out a small but very deep sigh, "But our children are psychopaths ¡ª I will not pass the crown to them."


    "You''re¡­ serious," Annabeth''s words were slightly faltered and hesitant, "But if you¡ªwait¡­


    ¡­don''t tell me you''re nning to marry him to one of our daughters instead!? Is that your real n!?"


    "Let''s not talk here," Lance then gestured to his guards to start moving, "Where did you put the car?"


    "That''s¡­" Annabeth red at Lance for a few seconds before snapping her fingers. And as soon as she did so, several cars started moving toward them.


    She did not really say anything anymore and just watched as Rhys and Lina were gently thrown inside the car; she and Lance also got in the same vehicle; the silence between them, almost whistling since the inside of the car seemedpletely isted from the outside.


    Rhys and Lina were ced on the seat opposite of Lance and Annabeth. And since the two were not speaking at all and just staring at them even after minutes had passed¡­


    ¡­Rhys just chose to break the silence himself.


    "We could have just discussed this like normal people."


    "!!!"


    Annabeth immediately pointed her palm at Rhys as soon as she heard him speak, but she could not really do anything as Rhys just suddenly moved toward Lance, wrapping his arm over Lance''s shoulder. He then stared at Annabeth''s raised palm, quietly gesturing to her to lower it¡­ and she did.


    Although Annabeth did not really know Rhys enough, she was not stupid to think that Rhys wouldn''t be able to snap her husband''s neck before she could try to incapacitate her ¡ª there was a reason why Rhys Wilder was making trends in his country, she won''t be the fool to test that.


    "You justnded in a newnd, Mr. Rhys Wilder," Annabeth squinted her eyes as she looked at her husband, shaking her head as if to tell him not to do anything, "You do not want to make enemies in a country where you know absolutely no one."


    "I know," Rhys did not seem to mind that he was being threatened by Annabeth. His eyes, just looking at her from head to toe. He then subtly nced in the direction of the driver ¡ª but seeing as they were separated by some sort of armored ss, it would seem he hadn''t noticed what was going on yet, "That is why if I were to be honest¡­


    ¡­I''m not very keen on turning into a criminal on my first day here."


    And as Annabeth saw Rhys''s eyes from behind his hair just staring at her, she finally realized what her husband just brought to their country. Rhys Wilder was not a unicorn to be used as a chess piece at all¡­


    ¡­he is a threat.

 Chapter 153 Rhys In The Palace

    "¡­I''m not very keen on turning into a criminal on my first day here."


    "Then let go of my husband, and we''ll talk."


    There were probably a thousand thoughts going on in Annabeth''s mind right now. Ways to escape their current situation and save her husband, but even though she was now seeing Rhys as a threat, there was this sort of feeling inside her that made her think Rhys wasn''t actually going to do anything.


    And very soon, she realized what that feeling was as soon as she saw Rhys subtly sneak a nce at Lina, who was lying unconscious in the seat in front of them.


    He wasn''t going to do anything that would put her in danger.


    "This is a crime, Mr. Rhys," Annabeth calmly breathed out, "Let go of him, and we will forget this ever happened."


    "I don''t exactly know the rules in your country, Ma''am¡­" Rhys then looked Annabeth in the eyes before turning his focus back to Lina, who was almost snoring too peacefully even with all the chaos happening around her, "...But I do believe that drugging someone is considered wrong anywhere in the world."


    "That is my fault entirely, Mr. Rhys." And even though there was a man threatening to snap his neck off, Lance remainedpletely calm and even slightly nced at Rhys as he spoke up, "Since you do not even have any signs of being knackered, I would assume you have been awake the entire time ¡ª you know the reason why I had to drug her."


    "I am sure she would appreciate your reason, Sir," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "Where are you taking us?"


    "Home," Lance answered cooperatively without any hesitation, "In the Royal Pce."


    "You''re bringing her to the ce where her cousins are¡­?" Rhys''s tone turned deep as he slightly tightened his wrap around Lance''s shoulders, "I thought you were trying to keep her safe?"


    "I am," Lance nodded, "The pce will be the safest ce for Lina to stay, violence is not permitted within royal grounds ¡ª my children and her other cousins will not be able to do anything to her there. You have to believe me, Mr. Rhys¡­ I am trying to keep her safe. The fact that I pulled her out immediately from Amerka should be enough proof of that¡­ Annabeth?"


    "One of our daughters, Adeleine, has brought a ticket to Amerka without letting anyone know ¡ª she is probably in Amerka right now searching for Lina to kill her." Annabeth said as he looked Rhys in his covered eyes, "I am not lying to you."


    "We swear to the Crown, Mr. Rhys," Lance breathed out, "I am not doing any of this to harm Lina. She may have an estranged rtionship with the family, but she is still family."


    "...What is wrong with your children?" Rhys could not help but look back and forth between Lance and Annabeth, "That wasn''t a rhetorical question. Until we arrive at the pce, I would like to know everything there is to know about. And please, don''t lie or omit the truth¡­


    ¡­I have ways to know if you''re lying and you won''t like it one bit."


    ***


    A few hourster, Rhys and the others arrived at their destination ¡ª there was no weing party, not even a single soul in sight as Rhys stepped out of the car. It is to be expected, of course, the less people know that Lance brought Lina home, the better. The very reason he opted to ride a car instead of a helicopter was to be as incognito as possible.


    But of course, now that they were inside the pce, there was actually no need to sneak around since no one would attempt to assassinate or attack Lina even if they wanted to. But of course, Rhys was still inplete alert.


    "Let me."


    One of the guards was about to carry Lina out of the car, but Rhys lifted her up first; facing her toward him and¡­ putting her over his shoulder. He only had one arm, after all, it would be hard to actually carry her like a princess.


    The guard looked at Lance, but Lance only squinted his eyes and nodded; gesturing to the guard to just leave Rhys alone and let him do whatever he wanted.


    "Where will we be staying?" Rhys asked as he looked around the area they were in, and seeing as there were other cars there, they were in some sort of parking lot. One thing that stood out for him, however, was how old the ce looked.


    It was almost as if the walls of the pce were untouched by time. Of course, he doesn''t actually know what the pce looked like hundreds of years ago, but it was probably still the same ¡ª they were even using torches for some reason, even though there were street lights just meters away from the tall defensive walls of the castle.


    "Follow me," Lance gestured to Riley to follow him, "Anna, can you make sure no one sees Rhys and Lina?"


    "She''s literally already in the pce," Annabeth sighed.


    "Just at least for tonight," Lance grumbled, "Let''s just have one final night before all the chaos ensues. This will be thest time for a long time we will be having a good night''s sleep."


    "Hm¡­ very well," Annabeth nodded as she gestured to the guards to follow her. Although she was still a little worried about leaving her husband alone with Rhys, there was truly nowhere for Rhys to actually go since they were already inside the pce. And so, the two just looked at each other before she left Lance and Rhys.


    "...Lina grew up in a ce like this?"


    Like the outside, the corridors of the pce seemed aged ¡ª even the furniture felt like they were hundreds of years old, expensive. There were also a lot of portraits stered everywhere on the walls that were only lit up by torches that danced as they walked across the aged hallways.


    "It may look destitute, but it has its moments. You should see it in morning, It is very beauti¡ª"


    And before Lance could finish his words, he felt his vision shift as Rhys suddenly grabbed him from behind and pulled him down. Lance gritted his teeth and was about to attack Rhys, but noticed the arrows that were suddenly stuck to the wall.


    "Bloody¡­" Lance turned to look at Rhys for a few seconds, before quickly standing up and looking around,


    "...Who activated the traps?"


    "...There is something seriously wrong with your family, Sir."

 Chapter 154 Rhys, The Royal Criminal

    "...There is something seriously wrong with your family, Sir."


    "You do not need to tell me, Mr. Rhys."


    Lance did not really have time to rebuke Rhys''s words as his eyes darted everywhere. The floor, the aged walls, the ceiling ¡ª the once overly familiar corridor to him now feltpletely strange.


    "Be very careful with your steps," Lance breathed out as he very slowly and gently stepped forward; sighing a relief as nothing happened. He then stayed like that for several seconds; just standingpletely still.


    Rhys did not really say anything so as to not bother Lance, he just focused on holding Lina over his shoulder; making sure she wouldn''t be put in harm''s way and that not even a strand of her hair would be lost.


    Soon, however, Rhys realized that Lance was not moving at all even after several minutes had passed. Still, Rhys waited for him and did not speak at all ¡ª after all, what if he was trying to remember where the triggers of the traps were?


    But after a few more minutes had passed, Rhys could no longer wait as he carefully approached Lance.


    "What''s your n, Sir?" He asked calmly; his demeanor,pletely changing to that of a soldier of the Underworld Corps, "I don''t want to rush you, but we are in a very vulnerable position ¡ª we''re trapped on all sides and have no visible exit."


    "I¡­" Prince Lance''s voice also turned serious as he nced back at Rhys; the look in his eyes, incredibly intense, "...I have no idea how we will proceed."


    "...What?" Rhys could really only blink as he heard Lance''s words, "You forgot where the triggers of the traps are?"


    "It is more like I do not know where they are in the first ce, Mr. Rhys," Lance confidently said as he stroked his thick mustache, "This is the very first time I have ever even seen them work, I actually only remember they exist just now."


    "You were almost riddled by arrows, Sir."


    "I know," Lance''s demeanor remainedpletely calm as he nodded, "You have my utmost gratitude for preventing me from bing a porcupine, good sir."


    "So, you don''t have a n at all?" Rhys could really only sigh and groan.


    "Out of all the scenarios I have thought of, this is not one of them," Lance shook his head as he once again started scanning the hallway, "One thing I do know is that this trap is surely reactivated by one of Lte''s cousins."


    "...One of your children? I thought violence was not allowed in this ce."


    "Maybe," Lance cleared his throat as he looked to the side, "Violence is not allowed, yes. But like most ces, thatw is useless without evidence. But that doesn''t matter, another thing that is certain is that they already know that their cousin is back¡­ but how?"


    "Your wife?"


    "Annabeth would never," Lance just waved off Rhys''s words, "But let''s not waste any time with banter. Although I hate to ask since you are a guest and you have already saved my life once, "Can you perchance find it in your heart to relieve us of this bloody situation we find ourselves in?"


    "No," Rhys did not hesitate to answer as he started walking back, "You obviously proved already that you can''t protect Lina, we''re going home."


    "How would you do that, Mr. Rhys?" Lance sighed as he urged Rhys toe back, "Once you step out of the pce, the attempts on Lte''s life would be much more violent and savage than this ¡ª her cousins, my children¡­ have absolutely no regard for thew of Ennd since they know they will bepletely absolved of all crimes."


    Rhys did not even bother responding to Lance''s words. However Lance wanted to turn the statement, it was wrong in so many ounts ¡ª unattended Nobles with authoritative power is never a good recipe.


    "I''m going home, Sir. I''ll traverse through the Underworld if I have to," Rhys sighed as he continued to walk away, "And I am warning you, if any of your childrene after me and Lina, I will kill them. Their immunity¡­ ispletely useless down there."


    "I know you think you''re strong, Mr. Rhys ¡ª but my children and most of Lte''s other cousins are Nobles."


    "It doesn''t matt¡ª!!!"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, he found himself taking a step back as a wall suddenly emerged from the floor;pletely blocking his path back to the outside. Rhys only stared at the wall for a few seconds, before just letting out a sigh and mming the sole of his foot on it without any warning.


    "Mr. Rhys!"


    Lance could really only watch as Rhyspletely destroyed the trap wall ¡ª and he wasn''t done, he started kicking all the rubble everywhere; triggering all the traps¡­ if he hadn''tpletely destroyed the hallway first.


    "What are you doing!?"


    "Getting us out of this position, Sir." And as the cloud of dust settled, Rhys just nced back at Lance before continuing to walk away.


    "Please wait, Mr. Rhys!" Lance quickly followed Rhys, blocking his path as he walked backward.


    "No," Rhys did not even bother looking at Lance; he just made sure not to let go of the unconscious Lina as he made his way out of the pce. As soon as he returned to the isted parking space, however, he found himself surrounded by a group of guards.


    "Lance, what happened!?" Annabeth, who was already with the guards, rushed outside with them to see what the loud rumble was about; her eyes, looking back and forth between Lance and Rhys. But as she saw Lancepletely unharmed, the slightly panicked expression on her facepletely faded away and was reced by a look of scorn.


    "What did you do¡­?" Annabeth''s glowing hair started to very slowly float in the air as vines and roots that emerged from the ground began lifting her up in the air. The guards who were surrounding the parking space, also either activating their abilities or pointing their extremely high-caliber rifles at Rhys.


    "Wait!" Lance quickly stood in front of Rhys, "It is not his fault! The traps¡­ the traps were activated."


    "The¡­ traps?" Annabeth''s eyes started to squint as she looked at her husband. As for Rhys, he did not really care that he was being surrounded as he just moved over Lance and started walking to the gate even as all the eyes and weapons were on him.


    "We''re not going to be a part of this anymore, Ma''am," Rhys breathed out as he just casually passed by Annabeth. Everyone really just watched him, no longer knowing what to do.


    "What in the bloody hells is going on here!? I have only slept a wink, and I need my beauty sleep!"


    Several steps before Rhys could leave from the walls of the pce, however, a group of7 people started appearing from inside the castle; their glowing hair, enough to almost light up the entire parking space like a powerful gaming RGB pc.


    "Is there a party we''re not in the know about? Mum? And is that Dad? I thought he was on a business trip."


    "What is with the noise? I have already told all of you that I have a call with the people from¡ªIs that Lte?"


    And almost as if Rhys waspletely invisible to them, the group''s eyes went directly at Lina, who was stillpletely unconscious and unperturbed by everything that was going on. Their eyes squinted all at the same time as they stared at her¡­ and very soon, their eyes started to widen.


    "Why is that cunt here!?"


    And almost instantly, Rhys could feel the pressure in the air suddenly be heavy as the group almost snarled as they pointed at Lina. They were not even subtle in their disdain as they started stomping their way toward her.


    "Vicky, throw her out of the walls so we can kill her!"


    "No! Killing the fucking cunt won''t be enough, we should torture her!"


    "Children, stop it!" Annabeth and Lance rushed to block them, but it was already toote as they reached Rhys and Lina first. The one who seemed to be the youngest of the group, Vicky, was about to grab Lina by the leg. Her almost rageful expression, reflected by her short red glowing hair.


    "What the¡ª"


    Before she could do so, however, Rhys carefully raised his arm; making sure not to drop Lina as he grabbed Vicky''s hand.


    "Don''t do it," Rhys''s voice was not authoritative at all; the tone of his voice, almost pleading¡­ but containing a certain sense of eeriness in it, "Although I don''t like doing it¡­ I have hurt children younger than you before."


    "Wh¡­" Vicky stared at Rhys''s hand for a good few seconds; her eyes widening even further before turning to look up at Rhys''s face. And finally, Lina''s cousins seemed to have noticed his presence as they all started staring at him from head to toe,


    "Let¡­ let go of my hand this instant!"


    "No...


    ...you''re my hostage now."

 Chapter 155 The Royal Treatment

    "L¡­ Let go of my hand this instant!"


    "No."


    One tone was more demanding than the other, but the one that was sterner prevailed ¡ª how could it not when Rhys did theplete opposite as Vicky''s demand and even pulled her closer to him?


    And he did not just pull her closer, he wrapped his arm around her neck, and since Rhys was an entire 2 feet taller than her, Vicky''s feet were almost lifted from the ground; her legs, violently swaying as she mmed her right foot onto Rhys''s right shin; hoping topletely make him lose bnce from the pain.


    But s, all it did was cause a loud ng to ring in the air as Vicky''s entire body shook from the force of her own kick. Although she is obviously not the physical type, she is still a Noble; she is confident that her kick could destroy thin walls and even bend metal pipes. And yet, not only did Rhys not even flinch, she even found herself slightly trembling as her foot was just bounced back.


    And as soon as she realized that, she no longer hesitated in using her abilities as a ball of water appeared right in front of her.


    "Vicky, no!" And as soon as Lance saw that, he instantly stretched his hand in his direction as if it would actually do anything¡­ it did not. What did happen, however, was everyone almost hearing the sound of something being gripped and tightened hard ¡ª in this case, it was Vicky''s neck.


    "Khugk¡­" The whites in Vicky''s eyes started to show themselves; the water ball that she summoned, just flopped to the ground as her blood and breaths no longer had anywhere to go. Her red hair which was fervently glowing just moments ago, now flickering as the light it held started to fade away.


    "Mr. Rhys, please!" Lance raised both his arms in surrender, rushing to the rest of Lina''s cousins to make sure they wouldn''t do anything, "Let go of my daughter, please."


    Rhys, however, wasn''t listening at all as he just tightened his grip on Vicky''s neck even stronger; his thoughts, very slowly digging up his memories of the death of his mother. If he only had this kind of strength then, then maybe he could have just snapped Ss''s neck in half and saved her.


    Even now, even when he is surrounded by Nobles who are treated like the gods by some people, none of them can do anything since he is literally holding one of them hostage just by his strength alone.


    This is justice.


    Power is the justice that Rhys had been seeking, it has always been.


    "R¡­ Rhys?"


    And as Rhys was lost in his own thoughts, a faltering voice whispered in the air. Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as the familiar voice entered his ears before slightly lightening his grip on Vicky''s neck.


    Lina, who had been unconscious for hours, finally woke up. She seemedpletely confused at first since her upper body was practically hanging upside down from Rhys''s shoulder, but she quickly lifted herself up, albeit clumsily as soon as she woke up.


    She removed herself from Rhys''s shoulder, almost losing bnce as she did so. She didn''t seem to mind, however, as she just groggily let out a chuckle and rested her hand on Rhys.


    "Fuck¡­" She almost retched out, wobbling where she stood as her face waspletely just looking at the ground, "...Did I drink vodka? Did you get the name of the wine? I felt like I was fucking hit by a truck and sent to another worl¡ªthe fuck are we?"


    It took a moment for Lina to realize the heavy atmosphere that was veiling the air. She first noticed the old walls adorned with veins that were probably older than her; strange, but still very much oddly familiar to her.


    "Right, we were on our way back to¡ª" Lina turned to look at Rhys before her eyes fell on Vicky, who was probably just seconds away from having her soul be plucked away by Hermes. She then turned to look up at Rhys; looking back and forth between him and Vicky before finally turning her attention toward the other people who were in the parking space.


    She looked around for a good few seconds, but as soon as her eyesnded on her other cousins, she quickly came up with her own conclusion.


    "Don''t tell me you guys are still after my life?" Lina scoffed as she rolled her eyes, "Rhys, you can let go of her now."


    "...I don''t think that''s advisable," Rhys breathed out, "Once I let go of this girl, I am sure they are going to kill us."


    "Them¡­? Pft," Lina almost snorted as she nced at her other cousins, causing most of them to either flinch or frown, "They might look like that, but my cousins are sweet. They''re like my siblings."


    "Siblings¡­?" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he heard Lina''s words, which could not seem to be farther from the truth. Just moments ago before she woke up, they were going to throw her out of the pce so they could kill her.


    "What the¡­ where''s Addy?" Lina scoffed as she once again focused on her cousins, "You RGB twats aren''tplete without her. And Rhys, seriously¡­ you can let go of Vicky."


    "Mr. Rhys, please!" Annabeth''s voice trembled as she finally garnered the courage to speak, "Let go of my daughter ¡ª I promise you that no one here is going to hurt you. And I know this might sound like I am threatening you, I am not¡­ but if you step out of those walls, they wille after you and Lte. So, why don''t all of us just keep our hairs on, have a cup of tea, yes?"


    "What is my guarantee that Lina and I will be safe?" Rhys did not let himself be swayed by Annabeth''s caring tone as Vicky''s neck still remainedpletely gripped by his arm.


    "Because no one has actually attacked you so far, not even once," Annabeth looked Rhys in the eyes, "You''re still alive, with not even a drop of your blood anywhere on the castle."


    "Only because I was able to escape the traps ¡ª your husband would have been the one painting the floor if I didn''t pull him away."


    "Traps¡­?" Lina''s left eyebrow slowly began to rise as she looked back and forth between Rhys and Annabeth, "Just what exactly did I miss while I was fucked?"


    "You weren''t drunk, Lina ¡ª your uncle drugged you."


    "He did what now?" Lina blinked a couple of times as she looked at Lance, "You are going to have to exin that to meter. Just¡­ why don''t we just all rx like Annabeth there said and talk this over tea, maybe wine to get rid of my hangover? No? Then maybe¡ª"


    "Let¡­ let me talk."


    And before Lina could finish her words, a quiet but extremely hoarse whisper scratched the air. Everyone turned to look who it was, only to see Vicky still struggling to breathe from Rhys''s grasp.


    "The trap¡­" Vicky''s hand then very slowly stretched toward his father, pointing at him with her trembling finger, "...Only dad has ess to it."


    "What¡­?" Rhys squinted as soon as he heard that before he looked at Lance, who only slowly closed his eyes in response before taking in a short but very deep breath.


    "We¡­" Vicky gasped, "We¡­ I¡­ did not even have any idea that¡­ that this bitc¡ªthat Lina is here."


    "Only he has ess to it?" Rhys''s eyebrows began to lower as he red at Lance, "But he told me that it was one of you that reactivated the traps."


    "That''s impossible, Rhys," Lina ced her hand on Rhys''s shoulder, "Only the heir apparent is given ess to the traps of the pce ¡ª it is sort of cultural in a way."


    "Then¡ª"


    "I wanted to test you, Mr. Rhys Wilder," the hint of panic in Prince Lance''s voice was nowhere to be heard anymore as he cleared his throat and interrupted Rhys, "I wanted to test you if you truly are capable of protecting Lte or any of my daughters."


    "I do not like being¡ª" Rhys''s teeth were about to show themselves, but he finally let go of Vicky as he realized something, causing her to drop on the floor and get on her knees, grasping her throat as she coughed up vehemently. Even with this, however, only Lina went to her side,


    "Wait¡­" Rhys red at Lance, "...Why would I protect any of your daughters?"


    "Because you are to wed one of them, Mr. Rhys Wilder," Prince Lance once again cleared his throat. His words, causing everyone to just drop their arms to look at him in confusion. Even Vicky, who was literally gasping for her breath, turned to look up at his father,


    "To keep the bloodline as strong as possible."


    "Lance¡­" Lina looked at his uncle in the eyes as his statement instantly sobered her up. And for the first time, Rhys could finally hear a sort of posh ent in Lina''s words,


    "...You''re right fucking mental, are you?"

 Chapter 156 The Instigator

    "How many times do I have to say that''s not going to happen!?"


    An entire hour. Rhys has watched Lina and her family argue for an entire hour, and yet the topic of their conversation has not gone anywhere at all ¡ª him.


    They have been talking about him for an entire hour, talking about who he belongs to like he was some sort of object. This must be what his ancestors felt when they were being sold by their own kind 300 years ago now.


    Except Rhys wasn''t being sold at all, no¡­ he felt more like a prized goat. How could he not, when¡ª


    "Rhys is not going to shag one of your daughters, or any of my cousins for that matter!" Lina''s voice echoed throughout the entire room, and considering the room was almost asrge as the HQ of Wilder''s Harem, one could really only just imagine how loud her voice actually was.


    They were currently inside one of the many meeting halls of the pce, and although Rhys had really only seen the castle from the inside, it was obvious howrge the castle actually was.


    It was just too bad he did not really have time to explore the castle, or explore this new country he finds himself in at all.


    "It is the Royal Law, Lte!"


    "You brought us here for that!? Your stupid fucking archaicws should be abolished!" Lina was seething in anger as she had been mming her palm on the table in front of her since earlier, causing the poor table to almost crack from the repeated abuse,


    "And have you asked my cousins what they feel about what you''re asking them to do!?"


    "They will follow," Annabeth, who has probably had her 12th cup of tea, finally let go of her hot beverage; elegantly wiping her lips as she nced at her children, "Unlike you, they follow the Royal Law."


    "Why Rhys in the first ce?" Lina gestured to Rhys, who was just sitting beside her with his arm under the table, ready to flip it as soon as anyone decided to do anything funny, "I thought the bloodline''s already on the verge of copse since more and more Commoners are being born. You, me, my dad, Merle ¡ª why are you targeting Rhys, a Lowborn?"


    "Because I believe we have been going on about this all wrong," Lance''s voice remained calm as he answered Lina''s question, "Nobles tend to be stronger than most of the other people, but recent history has been proving that wrong. The Commander of the Underworld Corps, whom you are very close with, is a Commoner and is considered to be one of the strongest humans in the world. And now¡­


    ¡­Rhys Wilder."


    And as soon as Lance mentioned his name, all the other parties inside the hall that had been sneaking a nce at him now tantly stared at him from head to toe, especially Victoria. Of course, there was also the fact that Rhys almost choked her to death and broke her neck, so her staring at him was more than valid.


    Lina''s other cousins, however, were also staring at him with intensely inquisitive eyes¡­ like he was naked or something.


    "Rhys Wilder," Lance then stood up from his seat as he looked Rhys in the eyes, "The most famous individual in Amerka right now. You are obviously not being treated right in your country, how many times have they attempted to arrest you for just being a Lowborn?"


    Rhys did not really respond, but he knew what Lance was saying ¡ª he also knew that he was just trying to rile him up so that he would actually start considering living here in Ennd.


    "I haven''t really been treated well here since I arrived, Sir," Rhys said as he also returned Lance''s gaze; the tone of his voice, making sure everyone knew that he was absolutely not liking the situation one bit.


    "This¡­ You will be treated more than right from now on," Lance cleared his throat, "You will be royalty, Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    "Based on everything I have heard so far¡­" Rhys returned the res of everyone in the room, "...The Royal Family''s also not doing so good despite all the Nobles I see in this room."


    "You¡ª"


    One of Lina''s cousins was about to say something, but Lance raised his hand.


    "That is why I, Lancelot Grave Churchill, heir to the Crown of Ennd, am asking for your help."


    "Dad¡­"


    "If someone like you were to be added to our family, even as a Lowborn¡­" Lance shook his head and gestured to his children to stay put, "I could see us rising in the ashes again like phoenix. He is¡ª"


    "That is enough, Dad!"


    And before Lance could start a speech, Vicky could no longer keep her silence as she too, mmed her palm on the table and pointed at Lina,


    "You brought this fucking cunt here all on your own, and then you decide I''m going to marry him!?"


    "Woah, woah, woah!" Lina raised both her arms and started screaming as soon as she heard Vicky''s words, "What do you mean you''re going to marry him? Why did you suddenly decide something like that?"


    "I''m the eldest daughter, of course, it''s going to be me that''s going to be sold on an auction block!"


    "Oh my!"


    Everyone covered their mouths, even Lina''s male cousins as they heard Vicky''s words. Vicky, who realized what she just said, quickly turned to look at Rhys. Rhys, however, was not even focusing on the reason why they were staring at him, but on the other thing that Vicky said.


    She was the oldest daughter of Lance and Annabeth¡­? He waited for Lina or any of her cousins to mention it, but none of them did.


    Vicky was the smallest out of all the cousins, and not only that, but she also looked the youngest ¡ª a teenager at most. But she was the oldest?


    "Mr. Rhys¡­" And before the awkward silence in the air could persevere, Lance once again spoke up as he looked pleadingly at Rhys, "...You may not be aware of this, Lowborns are treated better in Ennd¡ªno. Only Amerka treats Lowborn like how they treated you these days.


    Of course, there will always be discrimination at a certain level, but it will just be a speckpared to the torment you have endured in your country. No one will think badly of you here."


    "Those people are trying to kill me and Lina," Rhys looked at Vicky and the others, "I think I''m fine with staying back in¡ª"


    "We''re not trying to kill you!" Vicky violently pointed her finger at Rhys, "We''re only trying to kill her! You have no idea what this cunt has done to us, ckie! She bullied and tormented us back when we were children!"


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything and just turned to look at Lina, waiting for her to rebuke her cousin''s words. Lina, on the other hand, only let out a cheeky smile as she crossed her arms.


    "Bullying is a strong word," Lina scoffed, "I just pranked all of you a little."


    "You fed my hamster to Arnold''s pets!" Vicky almost shrieked as growled at Lina.


    "To be fair¡­ I thought your hamster was going to win."


    "His pets are monsters from the Underworld!"


    "As I said, apse of judgment," Lina shrugged."


    "You locked me in the closet when we were ying hide and seek!" Another one of Lina''s cousins spoke up. And to Rhys''s surprise, it was thergest and most muscr out of all of her male cousins; the fear in his eyes, obvious even to Rhys.


    "Ack, grow up, Dan," Lina rolled her eyes, "And that was your fault, I told you I found you and you wouldn''te out ¡ª so I decided to y a little prank and lock you in."


    "I was there for 3 days!" Dan covered his face as Lina''s other cousins started consoling him.


    "Who told you to hide in the dungeon?" Lina scoffed.


    "You killed Ghoully!" And once again, another cousin pointed at Lina; tears, already threatening to burst out from her eyes.


    "Rx, Mira," Lina sighed as she ced her hands on her waist, "I thought I was saving you from a monster."


    "He was a special needs chihuahua!"


    "Then you shouldn''t have named him Ghoully, and to be fair, that little shit bit people every chance it gets, and it looked like a monster too. The only reason no oneined is that it didn''t have any teeth, that little demon."


    "You keep his corpse in your room!" Another cousin pointed at Lina.


    "Taxidermy, I thought it was my first hunt," Lina once again sighed and shook her head. And as Rhys continued to listen in on their conversation and more and more cousins started toin about her, he was starting to think that¡­


    ¡­Lina may actually just be the root cause of all problems here.

 Chapter 157 Linas Family

    It probably took another hour, but Rhys has truly confirmed that although her cousin''s revenge against her was a tad bit excessive, it wasn''tpletely unfounded¡ªno. One could even say that from a certain perspective, it was somewhat justified.


    Lina was a menace when she was younger.


    Although some of her cousins were older than her, she did not even let them be exempt from her evil pranks.


    Vicky, Lance and Annabeth''s oldest child and the oldest out of all the cousins, had her pets die not once, but twice due to Lina''s negligence and curiosity.


    Daniel, the son of Lance''s younger brother, was locked in a closet for days and was also used as a target practice for Lina since he was the biggest out of all of them.


    Adeleine, Vicky''s younger sister, had her hair shaved off while she was asleep because Lina supposedly wanted to use it as a wig since she apparently liked its purple glow.


    The ones younger than Lina suffered even more.


    Bernard, Vicky and Adeleine''s younger brother, was made fun of by Lina for having a cleft lip ¡ª saying that his lip was even more noticeable than his glowing hair. It would have been mild if it was just that, but no¡­ she posted a video of him sleeping all over social media when she pinched and slid a slice of lemon between his cleft lip, causing him to almost choke.


    Fortunately for Bernard, social media wasn''t as popr then as it is now, but even still, those who knew him never really treated him the same after.


    Margaret and Cami, Daniel''s younger sisters, were perhaps Lina''s most favorite targets for her pranks. Out of all the cousins, the twins resembled Lina the most¡­ by a lot. And none of them knew what Lina did, but she made the twins believe they were actually her clones for an entire year when they were children, practically making them her servants.


    It took years of therapy to recondition the twins that they were not actually Lina''s clones.


    Henry, Lance''s youngest son, was thrown by Lina from the highest point of the castle to test if he could survive it since he had the best Noble purity blood out of all the cousins ¡ª surprisingly, however, Henry probably held the least contempt against Lina since he was trying to calm everyone down.


    And these were just the things Rhys could recall at the top of his head. Lina did tell him that she was quite naughty when she was young, but Rhys might have underestimated just by how much.


    Rhys doesn''t even want to talk anymore, as it almost feels like he actually owes something to someone even though he doesn''t. Fortunately for Rhys, the cousins truly seemed like they wouldn''t actually do anything to Lina as long as she stayed inside the castle.


    But¡­ just how long are their discussions going tost?


    "Why would Rhys marry you, you don''t even know each other!"


    "We''re part of the royal family, Lina ¡ª our marriage ispletely political! Look at my mum, she doesn''t even love Dad and yet she''s here!"


    "Now, that''s not exactly true."


    Rhy could really only close his eyes as their conversation once again looped from the start. He then turned to look at Lina''s other cousins, who seemed to have finally lost interest in him since they weren''t looking at him every other second now.


    Good.


    And as Rhys confirmed that no one was truly paying any attention to him¡­ he dived into his own shadow, moving through the gaps of the door as he left the meeting hall. Maria''s abilities felt incredibly weird to use, it was almost as if he was swimming through a pool of cotton¡­ candy.


    It was like the path was melting in front of him, turning sticky and oily at the same time ¡ª that was really the only way he could describe it.


    It wasfortable, it feltfortable. And it is only when he finally emerges from the shadows does he realize how ufortable it actually is.


    "Hm¡­" And as Rhys emerged in the hallways of the pce, the guards who were standing by outside the door flinched in surprise as soon as they saw him¡­ but that was it.


    They only looked at Rhys for a couple of seconds, before lowering their shoulders and just returning to their duty. Prince Lance did tell Rhys that he was given permission to freely go anywhere he wanted, and no one would question him¡­ but to think he wasn''t joking at all.


    The royal family of Ennd¡­ was quitex.


    Rhys then carefully looked at both ends of the hallway, before ultimately deciding to just start walking ¡ª he doesn''t even know theyout of the castle in the first ce, it won''t matter if he goes left or right.


    There wasn''t really anything to see in the castle, it was mostly just empty and the people were far in between. He continued to walk for several minutes, but the castle just didn''t seem to have any signs of ending at all¡­ just how big was the ce?


    He had also noticed this before, but there was an abundance of nts everywhere you go in the castle, and not the kind of nts that added to the mour of the ce¡ªno, the castle was adorned by crawling nts, ivy, thorns, thin roots that seeped from the cracks of the old walls.


    And yet, for some reason, the castle did not seem dpidated at all. It was old, true, but the invasive nts, instead of making the hallways ominous, made them even more lively, and with Rhys''s abnormal senses, the castle almost seemed alive.


    ¡­Or perhaps it is.


    "What¡­" Rhys thought he was just imagining things or there might have been lizards crawling across the walls when he caught a glimpse of something moving, but no. As he turned his eyes toward the crawling sound that crept across the shadows of the castle¡­


    ¡­he saw the vines actually moving.


    He was only realizing this now, but aside from the guards and some of the maids he had seen earlier¡­ the only sounds he was hearing now were his breaths and the crawling vines ¡ª he hadn''t seen any signs of people for a while now.


    Rhys quickly turned to look back to where he walked from¡­ only to see the path has turnedpletely dark. The torches that were just previously dancing along the walls, now gone andpletely quiet.


    He was about to walk back, but before he could do so, he felt something crawling over his feet.


    "!!!" He looked down, only for him to quickly raise his foot as he saw a face with no eyes¡ªno. It was just a knot of vines that eerily resembled a face. It seemed to be saying something to Rhys, but before he could actually understand what it was, the face turned into a hand and grabbed him by the ankle.


    Rhys did not need to do anything, however, as the vines were too weak to actually hold him down as it just retreated and crawled away across the floor like a snake. And as it was about to disappear into the shadows of the hallway, it once again turned into a hand that gestured to Rhys to follow it.


    Rhys stared at the fading hand for a few seconds, before just shaking his head and walking away.


    "Nope," Rhys breathed out as he quickly made his way back even through the pitched-ck darkness, "That''s not going to happen."


    Unfortunately for Rhys, before he could even take 3 steps away, the vines suddenly became violent; the fragility they once had, nowhere to be felt anymore as Rhys suddenly found himself wrapped inside giant hands made of vines.


    Rhys quickly used all the strength he could muster to free himself, but it almost seemed as if the vines were just stretching endlessly. Even as he grabbed a single vine and tried ripping it in half, it just stretched.


    He also tried escaping through the shadows, but each time he emerged, he just found himself back between the giant hands. And as soon as Rhys realized he waspletely trapped¡­


    ¡­he just sighed and let the vines take him.


    "Let''s just get this over with," he whispered as he rxed his arms. And now even a minute after he did so, the fines that veiled his entire body started to crawl away¡­


    ¡­leaving him just casually lying in the middle of what seems to be a garden.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys breathed out as he stared at the moon adorning the otherwise empty sky. It was weird, however ¡ª he doesn''t remember it being a full moon, and yet right now, the moon reflecting in his eyes filled them with its perfect radiance.


    And soon, however, this perfect radiance was reced¡­ by an even more perfect one.


    "Hello."


    Rhys could really only blink as a woman''s face suddenly blocked the view of the moon; her long and silky ck hair, almost melding with Rhys''s messy ck hair. The beauty her face held, impossible to define.


    "...Hi."

 Chapter 158 Poetry In Motion

    "...Hi."


    "Do you want to get up?"


    Rhys has been surprised a lot of times in his life, and most were life-changing. But this is perhaps the very first time where he was shocked, and the immediate feeling after was just utter andplete weed confusion.


    He had met many beauties in his life ¡ª and he has been lucky to even be with them. And although Rhys did not really have a preference in terms of who had the most beautiful faces among the women in her life, he would have to say it was Arachnea¡ªno.


    Arachnea was not a woman in his life, not at all. If it will be only among the four, then objectively, Lina would be the most beautiful one amongst them ¡ª and now Rhys knew the reason why.


    The Royal Family of Enndpletely bred themselves to be superior to other people. They seem to be failing now in the new generations since none of their Nobles were even being considered to be one of the strongest in the entire world, and maybe even in the country, but there was one thing no one could deny¡­


    ¡­although the quality of their Nobles might have dwindled to the point they were even giving birth to Commoners, the quality of their physical traits has not lowered at all. They were, in a sense, also gically bred to be more beautiful than normal people.


    And now, right above him and facing him, was probably the entire culmination of that.


    "Here, let me help you up."


    And as the woman offered her hand to him, Rhys could really just instinctively ept her hand. The woman did not lift her up at all, however, but the nts that were wriggling on the ground did it for her. The vines very gently carried Rhys and ced him back on his feet.


    "I truly apologize if my meddling has caused you great difort, Sir," the woman then spoke; the tone of her voice, even more posh and elegant than what he had heard from the rest of the family. But then again, all he had heard from them wereints, anger, and rage.


    This was perhaps the first time he was actually meeting someone calm ¡ª if that is, this woman is actually from the royal family too.


    She looks the part, but perhaps even more so than her unexinable and otherworldly beauty¡­ the thing that stood out for Rhys the most was her long, silky¡­ ck hair. It did not help that she was wearing an immacte white gown that flowed below her ankles.


    ck hair, a trait of a Lowborn, like him.


    "Is there something in my hair, or my face?" The woman let out a small gasp as she quickly paced away; her steps, very minute and gentle as she rushed toward the mirror that was neatly ced inside the garden, "Do I have spots on my face? Oh, do I?"


    Rhys could really only just watch as the woman started checking her face in the mirror. And while he did so, Rhys took this chance to clear out his mind and started looking around the garden.


    He once again looked up, finally noticing that the sky was covered by a dome made of ss ¡ª and that was not the only thing that was covered. Although the garden seemed open, it was not. There were walls covering all sides and no sign of any doors, not even one.


    There were trees, all seemingly taken care of and even shaped to look as aesthetically pleasing to the eyes as possible. The nts and flowers almost seemed like they were glowing as they reflected the radiance of the moon. They were flickering, however, almost as if to reflect the woman, who was currently distressed at the condition of her face.


    "You don''t need to check for anything, Ma''am¡­" Rhys then gently walked closer to the woman, careful not to rm her,


    "...The only thing that mirror will forever reflect when you look at it is beauty, without contest."


    "O¡­ Oh my."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys could really only resist the urge to turn his eyes wide as he realized what he just said. Why did he even say that to a stranger? No, there was something extremely familiar about her, familiar in a way that made Rhys almost feel like she knew her.


    And as she turned around to face him again; with her hair following her movement and waving in the air, he realized what it was ¡ª Lina.


    She resembled Lina, except she held a more mature and elegant way in her.


    "I never would have thought I would actually be inviting a phnderer," the woman let out a quiet giggle as she covered her mouth.


    "I don''t think invite is the right word for this," Rhys let out a loud sigh as he gestured to the garden. He wasining, but for some reason, he feltpletely safe even though he was clearly abducted out of nowhere.


    "Oh¡­" The woman sped her hands together as she slightly shook her head; the tone of her voice,pletely meek, "...I truly do apologize for this, Sir. And I truly appreciate the absence of spite in the way you talk to me."


    "...Right," Rhys felt slightly ufortable as the woman suddenly stood in front of him; her eyes almost like a puppy as she looked up at him.


    "It''s just ¡ª I believe this is the first time I am ever feeling something like this," the woman then backed away and started pirouetting while still managing to speak well; the quiet chaos that was hiding behind her movements, reflected by the vines that surrounded all the colorful and beautiful nts in the garden, "You feel it too, don''t you? You feel the thread between us?"


    "A thread?"


    "A connection, silly," the woman once again covered her mouth as she stopped dancing; covering her mouth as she looked at Rhys, "People who are drowned by the¡­ gifts they hold within them."


    Rhys could not help but notice the sudden hesitation in the woman''s voice; made obvious due to her otherwisepletely confident tone.


    "Gifts¡­?" And as soon as the woman mentioned that, Rhys instinctively turned to look above her head, only to see that there was nothing floating there.


    "Oh¡­" The woman''s breaths trembled as she once again covered her mouth with both hands; her shoulders, shaking along with her words, "...I apologize, is it a curse to you? Oh no, I''ve¡­ I''ve made you ufortable."


    "...No," Rhys could really only shake his head as he heard the woman''s voice turn sad and disappointed, "By gifts, do you mean the blood of gods flowing through our veins? The Awakening?"


    "Yes," the woman''s face instantly lit up as she sped her palms together.


    "I don''t consider mine as a gift."


    "Oh¡­" The woman''s face once again became downtrodden.


    "But I also don''t see it as a curse," Rhys let out a small hum as he started walking around the garden; lightly brushing his hand on one of the colorful nts near him. As soon as he did so, however, he heard a small whimpering from the woman.


    "Hm?" He turned to look at the woman, only to see her face suddenly flushed red, "Are you¡­ okay?"


    "Y¡­ yes," the woman smiled, "Please do not mind me, I have already inconvenienced you enough as it is. What were you saying about it not being a curse?"


    "Right¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes, "...I just see it as a means to an end."


    "Which end?" The woman quickly asked; the expression on her face suddenly turned serious. The astute expression did notst, however as she once again smiled at Rhys, "I suppose it doesn''t matter. Where was I¡­ Ah! We have a connection, you and I."


    "You and I are both Lowborns," Rhys looked at the woman''s hair.


    "Are you sure I don''t have something on my face? Is it on my hair?" The woman was about to rush toward her mirror again, but decided to just not to as she sighed, "And what''s a Lowborn?"


    "...You don''t know what a Lowborn is?" Rhys could not help but squint his eyes before once again focusing on the walls that did not have an exit or an entrance, "How long have you been kept here?"


    "Here¡­?" The woman tilted her head to the side, "Whatever do you mean? This is my home, my forever home."


    "Forever¡­ who are you?"


    "You don''t know¡­?" The woman then slightly backed away as she once again looked Rhys in the eyes. But soon, however, the smile on her face turned wide to the point her mouth was slightly opened in joy, "Oh my¡­


    ¡­I was wrong. You''re not yet drowned by Fate at all¡­"


    "What¡­?" If Rhys was not confused before, he was now. The woman''s face probably changed to several expressions in just the span of a second as she looked at him.


    "You¡­


    ¡­you''re resisting it."


    "I''m resisting what!? Can you please just stop talking in poetry!?"

 Chapter 159 The OG

    "I''m resisting what!? Can you please just stop talking in poetry!?"


    "Oh my, oh my¡­"


    And even with Rhys clearly already showing his frustration with the situation, the woman seemedpletely unperturbed and unbothered by the sudden loudness of Rhys''s words as she was lost in her own thoughts.


    She then looked Rhys in the eyes before just letting out a gasp as she approached him again¡­ standing awfully close to him to the point that her forehead was almost sticking to his chin when she looked up.


    "Hm¡­" The woman just closed her eyes, almost as if she was enjoying the warmth that was escaping out of Rhys''s perturbed breaths.


    Rhys might have made a mistake in judgment ¡ª perhaps this woman was not elegant at all, but was actually a closet pervert. But as the woman opened her eyes again very slowly, Rhys saw some sort of longing hiding deep within them.


    No, it wasn''t longing at all, but yearning. Yearning for something that could not possibly be hers. Rhys knows the expression all too well, because he too, has lived it once¡­ but it would seem she was still living hers. A few moments more, however, any trace of yearning was removed from her eyes as she suddenly rested her forehead on Rhys''s chest.


    "...This is so exciting," she whispered very gently, "I am afraid I only have but a moment more before he awakens¡­ but I am d to have met you."


    "Wait, who even are you¡­?" Rhys did not really know what to do as a beautiful stranger was now just casually resting on his chest, "Are you¡­ part of the Royal Family?"


    "Oh¡­" The woman''s voice once again trembled as she leaned away from Rhys; her eyes, also somewhat trembling as she looked Rhys in his covered eyes, "...How rude of me to have not introduced myself, it would seem I may have underestimated my excitement to this encounter."


    "My name is Wilder, Ma''am," Rhys could really only sigh as he opted to introduce himself first, "Rhys Wilder."


    "Rhys Wilder, that flows very well with the tongue. A beautiful name."


    "...Thank you."


    "As for who I am¡­" The woman, for the very first time in their conversation, seemed even more confused than Rhys, "I¡­


    ...who¡­ am I?"


    "You don''t know?" Rhys could really only look at the woman''s confused gaze. But after a few more moments, the smile returned on her face as she raised a finger.


    "I believe I''m¡­ I was called Aethelc," Aethelc seemed like she was still not sure what her name was, but for some reason, Rhys could actually feel great dignity escaping her voice as she introduced herself, "But now, I am but a ves¡ªYou must go!"


    And almost as if the Fates themselves prevented her from telling what she wanted to say, a deafening howl suddenly echoed throughout the tiny garden¡ªno. It was more like a yawn if anything, a roaring yawn that caused Rhys''s entire body to tremble along with the once peaceful garden.


    "What''s¡­ happening?" And for some reason, Rhys felt extremely sorrowful as all the colorful nts started to wither away, causing all the life within the garden to just dissipate and disappear, "Wh¡ª"


    "He''s waking up, you must go!"


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, Aethelc suddenly pushed him away ¡ª it was a light push, and yet Rhys found himself unable to even get back on his feet as he just continued to fall to the ground¡ªno, he continued to fall even further, sinking into the ground as he saw Aethelc''s silhouette disappear farther and farther into the distance.


    "Wait!" Rhys yelled, "Who is waking up!? Why don''t you just¡ª"


    "Rhys, wake up!"


    And all of a sudden, Rhys''s confusion went through the roof as he opened his eyes again, when they were clearly just opened moments ago while staring at Aethelc. Rhys blinked a couple of times to try and recover himself from his extreme stupor, only to see Lina sitting on the floor beside him, and as soon as he saw her about to p some sense into him, he quickly grabbed her hand to stop her.


    "Ah! What are you even doing here, Rhys!?"


    "Huh¡­?" Rhys looked Lina in the eyes as he was still a little¡­ groggy from what was happening. He then turned to look at his surroundings, only to see some of Lina''s cousins also staring at him in the hallway.


    "We have a room, Sir," Lina could really only let out a small but very deep sigh as she struggled to get Rhys up, "If you wanted to sleep, you could have just slept there. Seriously, we all know you''re a big muscr man from the Underworld Corps, but we have beds here."


    "I just¡­" Rhys decided to help Lina as he lifted himself up. He didn''t really know what to say in the situation so he just once again started looking around for any clues of what exactly just happened to him. And as his eyes darted toward the wall where he was found unconscious, he saw arge portrait hanging on the wall.


    Extremely old, but still very much well taken care of. There were already cracks on the dried oil paint, but the image they painted still seemed very much alive. And Rhys¡­ Rhys could not help but just stare at the face of the subject of the beautiful painting.


    She had the same exact face as Aethelc, with just one difference ¡ª the woman in the portrait had purple glowing hair.


    "...Is there something I''m not seeing here?" Lina also stood in front of the portrait, tilting her head as she looked back and forth between Rhys and the portrait, "Why are you staring at the OG?"


    "OG¡­?" Rhys nced at Lina before turning his focus back to the portrait, "Aethelc?"


    "Wh¡ªyou know her name?" Lina could not help but widen her eyes. Even her cousins, who were looking at Rhys like he was some sort of mental patient looked at each other in wonder, "Don''t tell me you studied Ennd''s history since I''m from here?"


    "N¡ª"


    "Eep!" Lina squealed as she leaped onto Rhys and wrapped her arms around his neck and her legs around his waist, "You love me that much, Rhys!?"


    "Who¡­ is she?" Rhys whispered as his eyes remained fixated on the portrait.


    "What are you saying? I thought you knew?" Lina giggled as she also turned her focus back to the portrait, "That''s the first King of Ennd, the OG. King Aethelc."


    "The first King¡­" Rhys''s eyes slightly widened as he breathed in. Could it not be the same person? They did have different hair colors¡­ but their name and face were exactly the same, "Wait¡­


    ¡­did you just say King?"


    "Pft," Lina finally got off Rhys as she thumped his chest several times, "Yeah, he looks like a woman, right?"


    "He looks like you."


    "I''ll take that as apliment," Lina once again giggled as she held Rhys''s hand, "King OG was said to be the most beautiful man in the history of Ennd, to the point that he bewitched even men since he looked like a woman."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes at Aethelc''s hair again ¡ª if the woman¡­if the man he met just moments ago was truly the same person, then¡­


    ¡­did they change the color of his hair to avoid his corrtion with Lowborns?


    "Ah!" Lina gently held Rhys''s face, "But you''re still the most handsome man in the world, Rhys. The OG looks like a woman, but you¡­ you''re a man-man."


    "...A man-man?"


    "He is said to be the first to be born out of all the demi-gods in Ennd," and all of a sudden, Vicky stepped forward and joined in on the conversation, "They thought he was going to die since he was born 3 months early, and yet that did not even matter since he ended up leading the battle against the monsters and reiming Anklnd, Ennd as it is known now."


    "Thanks for the history lesson," Lina smiled at Vicky, "Now go, go¡ªmy¡­ my fiance and I are tired."


    "King Aethelc has the power to induce and enter dreams," Vickypletely ignored Lina as she stood in front of Rhys, looking up at him and staring him in the eyes, "King Aethelc suddenly disappeared, however, after his firstborn, Edwund, was born. There are legends that say that King Aethelc¡­


    ¡­now lives in the dreams of people and wees them when the time for their eternal slumberes. I think I had dreams of him once, and then I found myself waking up at that very spot we found you."


    "O¡­ okay," Lina quickly stood between Rhys and Vicky, "No need to get so close, Rhys is my fiance."


    "No," Vicky, however, did not back away as she just returned Lina''s re, "By the power vested upon me as the firstborn to the heir of Ennd, I invoke the right of First Marriage and take Rhys Wilder as my future prince consort."


    "Wh¡ª"


    "Any or those opposed to this right is free to challenge me," Vicky did not let Lina utter a single word as she stepped back and ced her fist right at the center of her small chest, almost as if she was holding a sword,


    "Step forward now, or my im will be ab¡ª"


    "-solutely not!" Lina let go of Rhys''s hand as she stretched her hand toward Vicky, almost as if also holding a sword and pointing it at Vicky, "If fighting is what you wanted¡­


    ¡­then I will dly give it to you."


    "Uh¡­" Rhys, who was watching this exchange happen, could not help but just furrow his eyebrows.


    Does¡­ he have no say in any of these at all? Is this what the peasants felt before the gods granted the humans their blood?


    "Ah! I also challenge that im!"


    Rhys then turned to look at Lina''s cousins, only to see all of them also stretching their hands toward Vicky. All of them¡­


    ¡­Even the men.

 Chapter 160 Beware of the MILF

    "Would you like a cup of tea, dear?"


    "I d¡ªyes, thank you."


    And for the first time ever since hended on Ennd, Rhys finally felt like he was actually on vacation. Of course, he and Lina were not here for a vacation at all, but that is what it felt like now.


    He was out in a vast field of grass, with the stony hills and ake in the distance. This was not the first time Rhys had seen a view like this, the verdant Meadow Regions of the Underworld had plenty of views just like this ¡ª but there was one important aspect missing;


    The horizon in which the verdant fields and the blue skies meet.


    It was¡­ refreshing.


    "Would you like to have biscuits, dear?"


    "I¡ªyes, thank you."


    Rhys once again smiled and nodded his head as a beautiful middle-aged woman gently ced her hand on his wrist; her red glowing hair, almost making Rhys squint. But her hair wasn''t the one that had the most glow, but her smile that almost seemed to swallow Rhys whole.


    "Agatha, leave the poor sod alone."


    "Nonsense, Francis. A behemoth like this should eat properly."


    The middle-aged woman was Agatha, Lina''s aunt and the youngest sibling of Lance and William. Like most of the people in their family, Agatha held a beauty that was almost mesmerizing. Unlike Lina and her other female cousins, however, Agatha was¡­ bountiful in all the right ces, and she was not afraid to show them.


    She was wearing a corset, herrge breasts almost showing themselves due to her¡­ overly revealing top. She was also slightly¡­ touchy. Rhys was worried at first that she was intentionally doing this to make her husband angry, but her husband doesn''t even bat an eye or seem like he minded at all.


    And Rhys knew the reason why ¡ª there were 5 Hearts floating above his glowing red hair. Rhys did not really have to ask or think much, as most of the royal family seemed to marry out of convenience rather than love. In this case, to keep the Noble bloodline pure.


    "Here''s your tea, Mr. Rh¡ªOh¡­ my, my."


    And as Rhys was lost in his thoughts, the tea that Agatha was holding spilled from the table and conveniently right onto his crotch, causing him to slightly back away from the table. Before he could stand up, however, Agatha suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder and sat him back down.


    "I truly apologize, I''m¡­ somewhat of a ditz sometimes," Agatha let out a quiet giggle as she grabbed a napkin from the table and just proceeded to dab it on Rhys''s pants, "Let me dry that for you."


    "No, it''s¡­ It''s alright," Rhys wanted to grab the napkin from Agatha''s hand, but Agatha just pped his hand away.


    "Tch, tch," Agathe then kneeled beside Rhys although it waspletely unnecessary as she continued to wipe his pants, "Let the adults handle this, hm?"


    "I am¡­ an adult, Ma''am," Rhys did not really know what to do, as for the first time ever since he gained his ability to read the desires of people¡­


    ¡­his head started to hurt.


    How could it not, when Agatha''s desires justpletely drown him?


    ''Fuck me and fill me with your seed. I want to swallow your jizz. Pee on me.''


    "Oh¡­ oh my. My, my¡­ naughty. Is your thing actually reacting to me now, is it?"


    "No. No, it''s not, Ma''am."


    And as Agatha''s thoughts just repeated over and over again, the only thing Rhys could really do was close his eyes and concentrate very, very deeply before his thing actually started to react. He could not even think of Aethelc, and what exactly just happened to him the other day. Did he really meet the first Demigod of Ennd?


    "Ah! Mum, what the fuck are you doing!?"


    "Got you!"


    "W¡ª"


    And as a high-pitched scream echoed throughout the verdant fields, Rhys once again opened his eyes as he finally focused on the actual reason why he was out in the field in the first ce ¡ª a tourney.


    A tourney with Lina and her cousins as thebatants... and with him as the prize. And right now, Agatha''s twins, Cami and Margaret were the ones fighting. The victor has been decided, however, as the wall of fire she created faltered as soon as she saw what her mother was doing on the stands; Margaret took this chance to control Cami''s firewall andpletely trap her within it.


    "I win!" Margaret raised her hand as she roared.


    "That''s not fair at all!" The fire rippled away as Cami stomped her way out of the cage of fire. She then pointed at Rhys, or more specifically, what was going on under the table in front of him, "Didn''t you see Mum trying to go down on that guy!?"


    And as Cami said that, everyone turned to look at Rhys¡­ only to see Agatha very slowly emerging from the table with a smile on her face ¡ª but as soon as Cami and Margaret saw this smile, however, their zing red hair almost faded away as they flinched and froze on the spot.


    "Oh¡­?" Agatha let out a small giggle as she looked at her children, "I didn''t know you have time to be distracted while you''re fighting against someone. I forbid the two of you from participating in this tourney, now."


    "Wh¡ª"


    "Why also me!?" Margaret could not help but wave her hand in frustration, "She was the one that was¡ª"


    "Hm¡­?"


    And once again, as the smile on Agatha''s face widened, Margaret and Cami could not help but just shut their mouths. And after a few moments, Margaret just let out a quiet sigh before hitting Cami on the arm.


    "This is your fault¡­ now none of us are going to have a chance to teach that cunt a lesson."


    "This is Mum''s fault! Did you see how she''s sticking to Rhys?" Cami whispered loudly as the two of them started to walk back to the stands, "I mean, I know the ckie''s hot as fuck ¡ª but I think the only thing left for her to do is participate in the tourney to get Rhys for herself."


    "Don''t¡­ let Auntie Agatha hear you."


    And as the two returned to thebatant''s area, where their other cousins were waiting for their turn to fight, Daniel, their older brother, quickly gestured to them to quiet down.


    "Shut up, Dan," both Margaret and Cami crossed their arms as they snarled at Daniel, "How can you even lose against the cunt?"


    "We mean, look at you! You''re asrge as a cyclops but you got cucked by that stupid cunt!"


    "...You guys do know I can hear you, right?"


    Lina, who was actually also waiting in thebatant''s area, could not help but just roll her eyes as she heard her cousin speak ill of her right in front of her face,


    "And the reason why the bigfoot lost to me is because all of youck actualbat experience."


    "You know nothing of what we have endured here," Vicky, who had just been quietly sitting with her legs crossed on the ground since earlier, let out a scoff as tiny as she turned to look at Lina, "While you were out there frolicking, gvanting, or whatever you people do in Amerka ¨C we are out here doing the work of god."


    "Oh god, here we go," Lina once again rolled her eyes as she left thebatant''s waiting area and started to walk toward the field.


    "While your people keep on reimingnd that is not theirs¡­" Vicky hurriedly stood up as she followed Lina to the field, "...we are reiming thends which we have still not recovered from the monsters. We are doing the fight that matters, not diving down deep into the Underworld where we don''t belong."


    "And that is why this country is fucked," Lina smirked as she nced at Rhys, "You''ve be toofortable. You wonder why our Noble blood is starting to dwindle, then just look at us, look at you ¡ª all that power, for nothing. You''re so used to being on the top, that you don''t even know how to climb anymore even though the pce you so eagerly keep is already drowning in the abyss."


    "You don''t know us, you weren''t here," Vicky''s eyebrows lowered.


    "I don''t," Lina shook her head, "But I''ve been around someone who had climbed from nothing and is now on his way to conquer and reshape the world, I think that also makes me an expert at spotting the opposite¡­


    ¡­which is you and the rest of these sorry asses."


    "...Tsk," Vicky no longer said anything and just snarled. And with a breath, droplets of water began condensing around her; seemingly vibrating andpressing at an insane speed.


    "Hm¡­" Lina also remained quiet as her hair began waving in the air and her feet very slowly left the ground.


    And without even a single word, the droplets of water around Vicky shot out toward Lina at an insane speed; the droplets were almost likesers as theypletely tore the ground behind Lina. They were not, however, sessful in hitting Lina as she flew up in the air ¡ª only to hover right above Vicky''s head with her finger already pointed between her eyes.


    "Amateur," Lina whispered, "Your glowing hair is wasted on you."


    And as a ball of air began merging on the tip of Lina''s finger, Vicky could not help but close her eyes in instinct¡­ proving Lina''s point that they werepletely inexperienced inbat.


    "I think that''s enough, Lina."


    Before the violent ball of wind could shoot out from Lina''s finger, however, Rhys suddenly appeared right behind Vicky; her back almost falling onto him while he very gently covered her head to protect her,


    "There''s no point in doing any of this ruse¡­


    ¡­you''ve already won me."


    "Rhys..." Lina could really only whisper as she softlynded on the ground. Before she could say anything back to him, however, Agatha also suddenly stood on the field.


    "I don''t think anyone has won anything yet..." Agathe let out a small giggle before the des of grass beneath her feet just withered and burned away even though there was not a single visible me dancing anywhere,


    "How about you and I fight, Mr. Rhys? And if I win...


    ...You''ll be my lover."

 Chapter 161 Rhyss Fist Is Rated E for Everyone

    "How about you and I fight, Mr. Rhys? And if I win...


    ...You''ll be my lover."


    "With all due respect, Ma''am. I refuse. I''m tired of being dragged around."


    There was a somewhat awkward silence that followed after as Rhys''s words whispered across the field. As part of the royal family, they were not really used to having their requests rejected or refused ¡ª and that is especially true for Agatha.


    When Lina''ste father and Prince Lance were born, the royal family encountered a dilemma they never thought they would have to face before ¡ª Commoners. Lina''s father and Prince Lance were born a Commoner, causing the people of Ennd to question their authority to lead them.


    And so, when Agatha was born with the tufts of her hair lighting up the room red, she became the symbol of the royal family''s still-standing reign. In short, she was extremely doted on. Whatever she wanted, the king and the royal family gave her as long as she remained within the confines of royalw.


    Even her husband was chosen by her, who was actually her best friend and was widely known as into the opposite sex in their inner circle. Of course, the royal family had to erase some past so that no one would dig them up.


    And now, that very same woman who had never been refused her entire life¡­ was facing a man who just said ''No'' to her without even any hesitation.


    "My¡­ Oh my," the smile on Agatha''s face slightly twitched as she looked at Rhys.


    "Rhys¡­" Lina sharply whispered at Rhys, subtly shaking her head; her eyes wide as she seemed to bepletely nervous. Seeing this, Rhys could not help but slightly wonder. After all, ever since they came here, Lina had been overly confident and did not allow anyone to speak over her¡­ and yet right now, she was even slightly backing away as she gestured to Rhys to go.


    "Uhm¡­" And as the silence slowly became heavier by the second, Vicky, who was actually still being held by Rhys, lightly grabbed his hand, "...I would appreciate it if you stop touching me as you wish, Mr. Rhys Wilder. This is the second time already, and I know that you and I might have a chance to be husband and wife, this is not appro¡ª"


    And before the little Vicky could even finish her words, Agatha suddenly grabbed her by the shoulder, grabbed her from Rhys, and just threw her away like a ragdoll. Fortunately, she threw her at thebatants'' stand and Daniel caught her.


    "Then let''s remove the condition."


    "I¡­" Rhys was going to refuse again, but he noticed the sudden change in Agatha''s demeanor. Her promiscuous and flirty tone waspletely gone, and the only thing Rhys could see in her eyes was something he had only seen in Ayesha ¡ª an unmatched intensity.


    "Let''s just fight," and as Agatha said those words, she started ripping off her skirt to make way for her legs ¡ª and as soon as Rhys saw that, he could not help but think that Lina probably got her legs from her. But unlike Lina''s, Agatha''s legs were clearly more trained¡­ perhaps even more so than Ayesha''s,


    "You''re tired of being dragged around, is that so? Then¡­ stretch your legs a little."


    Rhys stared at Agatha from head to toe for a few seconds, before backing away and nodding his head. After all, when would he actually get the chance to fight against a Noble again in a controlled environment?


    "Are¡­ you sure about this, Rhys?" Lina approached Rhys, "She may look and act like that¡­ but she''s like crazy strong."


    "Hm," Rhys nodded as he started stretching his arm.


    "...You don''t understand, Rhys," Lina continued to whisper, "She''s not an Explorer, but if she was and she actually trained¡­ she would be in the Top 15 ¡ª she might even be stronger than Yesha, not physically, of course."


    "What¡­?" Rhys could not help but look at Lina, "Then what''s with your speech of them being untrained?"


    "That was for my cousins," Lina winced, "But uh¡­ good luck."


    And as Lina patted Rhys''s shoulder and walked away, Rhys could feel the air around him rise in temperature ¡ª to the point that he could hear a sizzle whispering through his ears. He then turned to look at Agatha, only to see her red glowing hair and her ripped skirt slowly waving in the air due to the heat surrounding her.


    "By the end of this, Mr. Rhys Wilder¡­" Agatha''s smile slightly turned sinister as Rhys''s hair also started to float up, fully revealing his face that caused Lina''s cousins to gasp and look at each other. Agatha''s breaths also slightly hesitated, but the literal fire in her eyes did not dissipate at all,


    "...You will be begging to lick my feet."


    And as soon as Agatha stepped forward, Rhys could somewhat hear some sort of thrilling and intense music st in the air ¡ª no, he wasn''t just hearing it. There was a literal band emerging from the stands that was ying music for Agatha.


    "Rhys! She has her own Boss music!" Lina yelled from the side, "You need to be careful!"


    "Boss music?" And once again, Rhys found himselfpletely confused with the royal family. Just what exactly was wrong with them and why was he experiencing all sorts of things in this ce? Unfortunately for him, he did not really have time to think of anything else as he instinctively tilted his body to the side and stepped away as he felt an immense heat suddenly shot¡ªno, swung toward him.


    Rhys then leaped back even more to collect himself; he turned to look at where he was previously standing¡­ only to see the ground turning into a wide crevice, scorched and maybe even melting down.


    "Well, well¡­"


    Rhys quickly turned his focus on Agatha as she spoke, and there, he saw her feet very slowly lifting up from the burning ground. She can fly too¡­?


    "...I hope I will like what I see, Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    Agathe then swung her arm toward Rhys.


    "..." And nothing really happened in the first second. But very soon, however, Rhys found himself dodging to the side again as another scalding heat waved toward him, once againpletely slicing and melting the ground where he stood. Unlike before, however, Agatha did not give Rhys time to recover as she just started letting out a flurry of these invisible attacks.


    "Is dodging all you can really do!?" Agatha let out a giggle as she continued to swing her arms, "I have to say, I''m quite disappointed. How long do you think you can keep on dodging?"


    "All day, actually," Rhys casually shrugged while continuing to dodge Agatha''s invisible attacks. Each dodge, bing more nonchnt than thest as he was slowly getting used to it ¡ª but if he did not have Arachnea''s abnormal senses and reflexes, Rhys was sure he would have already found himself burnt.


    If the royal family had someone like Agatha within their ranks¡­ why exactly were they falling?


    "I''ll attack, Ma''am," Rhys then looked Agatha in the eyes as he started rushing forward.


    "Oh my, what a gentleman you are, Mr. Rhys¡­" Agatha smiled as she suddenly changed the pattern in her attacks, "...Announcing your moves."


    "It is the least I can do, Ma''am," Rhys was still able to talk even as he ran forward while dodging Agatha''s attacks, "You only seem to have one pattern of attack, after all. And forgive me for saying this¡­


    ¡­butbat-wise, we''re not on the same level."


    "Wh¡ª!!!"


    And as soon as Rhys said that, he suddenly dug his hand through the ground; grabbing a handful of dirt and throwing it straight toward Agatha''s face, using his wind control to spread it evenly topletely cover her vision.


    Agatha did not really flinch, however, as the dirt did not even have the chance to go near her before they just withered away in existence. She was going to swing her hands again, but Rhys was no longer to be found. And before Agatha could even start looking for him, she saw a shadow looming behind her; she quickly turned around, only to see a literal tidal wave of dirt about to swallow her whole.


    Of course, although Agatha was slightly shocked at this, she remainedpletely still as she just focused on dispersing the dirt away¡­ not realizing that Rhys emerged from the shadows of the dirt behind her.


    Rhys shot out several threads toward Agatha''s back, before just violently pulling her down.


    "Eeh!?" Agatha yelped as she felt herself being pulled down. Surprisingly, however, Agatha was still able to maneuver in the air as she faced Rhys, whose fist was already heading straight toward her beautiful face.


    And instinctively, she slightly activated her abilities to protect her face ¡ª burning away Rhys''s knuckles. Rhys did not even wince at this, however, as light just immediately covered his fist¡­ slowly healing it as it continued to move toward Agatha''s cheek.


    Before it could fully hit her cheek, however, Rhys opened his fist and just opted to p Agatha¡­ causing her to bounce on the ground, with all the heat just dissipating away almost instantly as she did so.


    Of course, Rhys did not really use that much strength on his p and just borrowed the momentum from Agatha falling; identally killing the daughter of a monarch was not in his ns, after all.


    And Rhys''s attack seemed to be perfectly just fine, as he could still hear Agatha breathe heavily and slightly whimper on the ground as she touched her face.


    "Ma''am¡­" Rhys quickly crouched to check on Agatha, who seemed to be on the verge of tears, "...Are you alright? I can heal you if¡ª"


    "Rhys!" And before Rhys could finish his words, he heard Lina suddenly screaming as loud as she could. He quickly turned to look at what was wrong, only to see Lina flying toward him¡­ and everyone else running away,


    "...Run!"


    "What do you¡­" And once again, before Rhys could finish his words¡­


    ¡­he suddenly felt the temperature rise even higher than before.


    "...Oh."

 Chapter 162 Hot in All Places (R-15)

    Rhys had many experiences where he felt he was going to die, some he even weed. But this was perhaps the very first time where he knew he was actually going to die if he didn''t move or do something.


    For the very first time, Rhys found himself not thinking at all. Or perhaps he did, it was just too fast to even consider it as thinking.


    A millisecond? Perhaps a bit longer?


    As soon as Rhys saw the des of grass¡ªno. Once Rhys saw the very air itself start distorting around Agatha as she sat there on the ground, Rhys knew that something very, very bad was going to happen soon.


    And as the first de of grass just literally disappeared out of existence, Rhys just instinctively leaped away with all his might; his bionic limb, almost cracking as he pushed it through its limit along with his normal leg.


    The ground cracked, and all the dirt was blown away as Rhys disappeared from his spot ¡ª that was not enough, however, as the heat that was sizzling from Agatha''s body started to ripple out of her.


    The heat wave was enough to delete everything in its path, crawling just inches away from literally zing away Rhys. Rhys, however, just gritted his teeth as he stretched his hand toward Lina, who was rushing toward to help him.


    Lina also reached out her hand toward Rhys¡­ but Rhys wasn''t actually reaching for her hand at all, no. Rhys sted Lina with a violent wind, causing her to be blown away; softly, as she had a barrier of wind protecting her as well.


    She did not really have time to react or contemte why Rhys did that, the only thing she felt was being practically bulldozed by Rhys as he hit her. She felt her vision shift, before feeling like she was being drowned in wet sand as darknesspletely covered her ¡ª and the next thing she knew, she was already staring at the sky again.


    "W¡­what happened!?" Lina gasped as she sat back up, only to see her cousins, who were the first to run away, just also sitting on the ground with their heavy and gasping breaths filling the air. She then turned to look at Rhys''s back, and then toward the scenery he was watching.


    "You were not joking when you said she was one of the strongest Nobles in the world, Lina."


    A whisper could not escape Rhys''s mouth as he stared at the destruction in front of him. Rhys already knew that Agatha''s raw power was absolutely insane when he couldn''t see it, and yet it was capable of doing critical amounts of damage.


    But right now that he was actually seeing it, all he could really think of was just how monstrous some Nobles could really be. They were already hundreds of meters away from thebat field, and yet Rhys could still feel the heat almost threatening to burn his skin ¡ª it was even hard to breathe properly.


    He could really only imagine what it would be like to be inside the sphere he was seeing right now. There was no fire, not at all; everything was just a blur, the air around Agatha waspletely distorted, causing a sphere to take shape, almost like a crystal¡­ almost solid.


    But if one were to be unfortunate enough to even get near or inside the sphere, absolutely nothing would remain of them.


    If Agatha actually trained to fight¡­ just how strong would she be?


    And seeing how her nephews and nieces reacted, there was also a hierarchy within the Nobles. Agatha was just built differentlypared to the others.


    Arachnea was right, he isn''t using his original abilities to their fullest. He¡­


    ¡­needs to find a way to get her power.


    ***


    "I''m really¡­ really sorry about this, Sir!"


    "It''s¡­ an experience."


    "I swear, once the situation in Amerka dies down, we''ll go home. Okay? I heard the guys there are even pinning down the death of the GM of the Cerberus guild on you, did you know that?"


    "...No."


    After an entire day of nothing but literal fervid moments, Rhys was truly finally able to rx as he took a cold shower; letting out long and deep sighs as he felt the cold water running down his body; the steam that wasing out, enough to seep from the slightly opened door of the bathroom.


    The bathroom wasrge, perhaps toorge as it even had its own jacuzzi.


    "I video-called Yesha and Kat too, but they were acting a little weird." Lina was also inside the bathroom, brushing her teeth; her hair still wet and just wearing only arge t-shirt.


    "...Are you wearing my clothes again?"


    "Nope!"


    Rhys leaned his head out of the shower, but Lina already left the bathroom before he could see her; seeing this, Rhys could really only just let out a sigh with a slight hint of a smile crawling on his face.


    Some normalcy throughout this whole ordeal was¡­ quite a wee feeling. That did notst long, however, as he thought of Lina''s words.


    They were ming him for the death of the guild master of the Cerberus guild?


    Although Rhys would have liked to take credit for that, he truly wasn''t the one who caused his death, Arachnea did¡ªno. The guild master of the Cerberus died at his own hands.


    He did not need to be there, but he just had to be since he was after Rhys''s life. Unfortunately for him, Rhys was literally trying to lure Arachnea out to seek some answers.


    Just a few days ago, he was in Amerka trying to recover a city, and now he was ten thousand miles away being dragged around by spoiled monarchs ¡ª just when did his life be this eventful?


    "Well¡­" Rhys let out a breath as the squeaking noise of the shower knob whistled in the air, "...Better than rotting in a hole somewhere."


    His sighs of exasperation were enough to cause the steam inside therge bathroom to wither away as he stepped out of the shower and made his way to the jacuzzi. He was already here, and the least he could do was rx more ¡ª knowing how crazy things were going, this was probably thest time he was ever going to experience tranquility.


    And as he stood in the jacuzzi, he truly looked like a marble statue; a towel over his shoulder and one arm missing ¡ª truly, a one-of-a-kind specimen¡­ and there seemed to be someone enjoying that very view right now.


    "...Lina?" Rhys whispered out while he sat down as he heard a whispering giggle enter the bathroom. The only thing that answered him, however, was the sound of feet plopping on wet ground and a growing silhouette,


    "I thought you were done?"


    As the silhouette got closer and closer through the steam, however, the only thing Rhys could really do was very slowly look up as red started to fill his vision.


    "Oh my, my¡­" And as the silhouette sat down close to him in the water, the steam that filled the entire bathroom grew even thicker¡­ only contrasted by the red glowing hair of the woman in front of him, "...I only brushed it by ident earlier but¡­


    ...I was right. You are very healthy, Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    Princess Agatha, in the flesh, literally.


    Agatha was probably in her early 40s, or perhaps even more and yet there was absolutely no sign of that. But then again, she was a Noble and they tend to have longer lives than most ¡ª but one thing you can''t remove is the traces of being a mother. Agatha has 3 children¡­


    ¡­and yet her figure does not lose to Katarina at all, Rhys could even say that her skin was smoother¡­ like milk. Herrge breasts were gently rafting in the way, and her nipples were already as erect as they could be.


    "So¡­ sexual harassment just doesn''t exist in your country?" Even with this view in front of him, however, Rhys just looked Agatha in the eyes as she very slowly made her way close to him¡­ like a predator swimming on the surface of clear water,


    "I''ve already noticed this, but the royal family has no decorum at all."


    "Oh¡­?" Agatha just giggled as she returned Rhys''s gaze; softly moving her hands on the water, slightly brushing Rhys''s leg as she moved even closer. And pretty soon, however, her already erect nipples were the ones brushing onto Rhys''s chest; her thick thighs, now sitting on his leg,


    "Ooh¡­ your leg is cold."


    "That''s my metal leg, Ma''am," Rhys sighed as he subtly turned to look at the 5 Hearts floating above Agatha''s head. For some reason, not even a single one of them was filled up even though Agatha was clearly making some¡­ promiscuous moves on him.


    "...I heard it was damaged earlier," Agatha smiled as she slightly moved toward Rhys''s other leg, slightly opening her legs so as to let her vagina directly touch Rhys''s thigh, "You don''t have to worry¡­ I''ll pay for it."


    "It''s just slightly melt¡ªYou''ll pay for it?"


    Rhys tried his best not to make a change in expression as he heard Agatha''s words, "Then¡­ I''ll dly take you up on that."


    "In exchange, I''ll also dly take up your cum."


    "W¡ª"


    "Ssh¡­" Agatha ced a finger on Rhys''s lips while grabbing his dick with her other hand, "Oh¡­ my, you''re already hard? Then don''t mind me and just let this olddy¡­H¡­hnn¡­ And just¡ª"


    "Rhys! There are assassins in the¡ªwhat the fuck!?"


    And as Agatha was starting to fill Rhys fill all of her, Lina suddenly barged inside the bathroom.


    "Really¡­? Again?" Agatha did not even seem slightly sorry at all, however, even looking like Lina was the one truly interrupting her,


    "...They just have to choose tonight?"

 Chapter 163 Tears in The Bathroom

    "And we were about to go to the fun p¡­part uh¡­"


    Lina''s eyes started to twitch as she watched as her aunt just very slowly stood up from the jacuzzi ¡ª almost as if she was making sure that Lina was seeing and hearing her as she even moaned when she got off of Rhys. Well, whether or not thatst part was intentional did not really matter.


    "We''ll talk about thister," Lina forced out a smile as she red at Rhys, "Right now, you need to get ready since the castle is currently under attack."


    "They could have chosen a better time, ugh¡­"


    "Not you, you just stay here and drown, you fucking slut."


    "Now, now¡­ that''s no way to talk to your aunty, is it?"


    "You¡­"


    Rhys did not really know what to do in this situation, although he was just told that there were currently assassins in the estate, he could not feel a sense of urgency at alling from Agatha. She was even sitting in the jacuzzi again, her breasts just out there even with her niece right in front of her.


    Does¡­cking shame just run in their family? Or is being naked just normal for the people of Ennd?


    "See? You''re making our handsome, muscr, and overly delicious guests worry for no reason," Agatha winked at Rhys, "How about you wait for us to warm up first and then we''ll deal with the infiltrators? If... they are still here after we''re done, that is."


    "They won''t be, Rhys has an ungodly amount of sta¡ªWait!" Lina violently pointed at her aunt as soon as she realized she was almost sucked into the conversation, "Would I even be this panicked if it was just normal assassins!? No one is going to deal with them¡­


    ¡­because the infiltrators are the guards!"


    "Oh¡­" Agatha blinked a couple of times as the confident smirk on her face slowly faded along with the steam inside the bathroom, "...We''re in trouble. What do we do!? This room doesn''t have a panic room!"


    "Huh¡­?" And once again, Rhys found himself confused by the situation. True, their situation is quite dire since the people that were supposed to be protecting their estate now practically had all of them hostaged¡­ but Agatha and all of Lina''s cousins were Nobles.


    Even if they were untrained inbat, they still showed they were capable enough to at least inflict damage enough to change the terrain; Agatha even erased one.


    Rhys had wondered why the Royal Family was falling despite them having one of the strongest Noble in the world, and now he finally knows the real reason ¡ª they were just too sheltered.


    "Lina," Rhys could really only sigh as he stood up, causing Agatha''s eyes to just widen as she saw it dangling close to her.


    "That¡­ that was inside me?" Agatha shuddered.


    "Inside you¡­?" Lina raised an eyebrow, "If that was really inside you, you wouldn''t even be moving right now."


    "You''re underestimating someone who has given birth, young Lina."


    "Lina."


    "Yes, Sir?" Lina wanted to say something else to Agatha, but she quickly turned her focus to Rhys as he stepped out of the jacuzzi.


    "What can you tell me about the hostiles?" Rhys then just casually walked across the bathroom while drying his hair with a towel.


    "The¡­ hostiles? Uh, the only thing I can tell is that they''re the guards," Lina forced out a chuckle, "I was in the middle of getting dressed when I heard a noiseing from the outside so I decided to check it¡ªGkh!?"


    "Mr. Rhys!?" Agatha almost jumped from the jacuzzi; her eyes widening as soon as she saw Rhys suddenly go behind Lina, cover her entire head with his towel, and then proceed to wrap his thick, muscr, and slightly veiny arm around Lina''s frail neck,


    "D¡­ do that to m¡ªI mean, what are you doing!?"


    It was obvious with Agatha''s movements that she had no idea what to do at all; her hands, just randomly iling as her eyes looked everywhere.


    "I am only giving you 3 times to lie to me," Rhys, however,pletely ignored Agatha''s panicking streak as he just tightened his grip on Lina''s neck, "You clearly know intimate information about me, so that means you and your friends gathered info on me, an unexpected element¡­


    ¡­or you and your friends are after me from the start."


    "W¡ª"


    "Whether you are after me or not doesn''t really matter," Rhys''s whisper turned deep as the water surrounding his body very slowly seeped into Lina''s clothes as he tightened his arm even further, "I just want to know how many of you are in the castle, or if the castle guards really are involved in this. If not, then are they dead? Where are your friends located?


    Are there any more waiting outside the castle?"


    "What¡­ what are you saying, Rhys!?" Lina could not help but gasp for breath as she felt the pressure around her neck getting tighter and tighter, "Why¡­ why would I be involved in this!?"


    "You have two more lies left," Rhys sighed, "I am going to torture you after you use up all your chances, okay?"


    "W¡ª"


    "I am going to ask a different question," Rhys turned to look at Agatha, "Is Agatha part of your group?"


    "What¡­?" Agatha could not help but lower her eyebrows.


    "I¡­ I don''t get why you''re doing this, Rhys!"


    "You only have one lie left," Rhys once again sighed, "But that''s a no, then. I''m sorry for thinking you''re one of them, Ma''am. You did just suddenly pop out from nowhere, and then this woman followed."


    "I¡­ I also don''t get what''s going on here, Rhys," Agatha could not help but slightly take a step back as the water around her started to turn into steam, "But if you''re going to harm someone from the royal family, then I would have no choice but to¡­ but to do something."


    "You''re¡­ you''re not helping, Agatha!" Lina struggled to breathe as Rhys continued to lock her neck in, "P¡­ please, Rhys. I don''t¡­ I don''t understand why you''re doing this. I¡ª"


    "That was yourst lie," Rhys did not let Lina finish her words as he finally let go of her. Lina could really only drop to the floor; grasping her neck as she coughed vehemently. Rhys, however, was just coldly looking at her as she started to crawl away from him.


    "If you lie again¡­" Rhys''s voice was even colder than the floor as he started following Lina; his steps, slow but somewhat loud due to the slightly damp floor, "...the first thing I will rip off are the nails on your left toes."


    Rhys was not looking at Lina per se, however, but at the 5 Gray Hearts floating above her head.


    "Where is Lina and what did you do to her?"


    "W¡­ what? Are you¡­ are you crazy!? I am Lina and¡ªKgrah!"


    And before Lina could even finish her words, she found one of her legs stretched; blood, slightly oozing out of her left foot as the nails on her toes were suddenly ripped away.


    "Wrong," Rhys sighed and shook his head; the sound of his steps as he walked across the wet floor, causing not only Lina to flinch, but also Agatha,


    "Where is Lina, and what did you do to her?" Rhys repeated his question as he stood close to the groveling Lina before crouching beside her, "I am going to break your fingers next, bit by bit. I am going to start with the distal phnx, then the middle, then the proximal, and then move to a different finger."


    "Why are you doing this to me, Rhys!? I''m¡ªGah!"


    "Rhys!?" Agatha could not help but just scream as she saw Rhys not hesitating a single bit as he ripped off a fingernail as well as breaking the tip of her middle finger, "Are¡­ how sure are you that''s not Lina!?"


    "I''m sure," Rhys answered Agatha without his eyes leaving Lina''s impostor for even a single millisecond, "And she''s only prolonging her suffering if she doesn''t answer me properly."


    "You¡­ you''re insane." And finally, after Rhys said that, the tone¡ªno; the voice of Lina''s impostor slightly changed as she looked Rhys in the eyes. Soon, however, a small but menacing giggle escaped her lips,


    "I¡­ I don''t know how you know I''m not Lina¡­


    ¡­but how sure are you that I''m not actually just controlling her body?"


    "Hm¡­" Rhys only let out a breath as Lina''s impostor broke all facade; even garnering the strength to slowly stand up as sheughed at Rhys.


    "That''s right, you don''t know that. Do you? You¡ª!!!"


    And before Lina''s impostor could fully stand up, Rhys tapped her ankle, shattering it and causing her to just once again drop face down on the floor ¡ª and as if that wasn''t enough, Rhys even pinned her head down, keeping her face on the floor and drowning her with what little water was on it.


    "I did contemte on whether or not you are controlling Lina''s body," Rhys then crouched even lower as he whispered right in the impostor''s ear, "Why¡­


    ¡­do you think I''m only giving you superficial wounds?"


    "You-"


    "Don''t worry..." Rhys smiled,


    "...I won''t kill you."

 Chapter 164 Lurking

    "N¡­ no!"


    Agatha was not one to really hold her breath no matter how thick and heavy the air could get. After all, her ability would do just that whenever she used it ¡ª breathing sand was already a part of her life and her body was used to it.


    But right now, however, even with just a light steam veiling the air around her, she could not muster up the courage to breathe; not because of the air, but because of the scenery that was lightly being censored by the steam. For some reason, however, Agatha could not take it upon herself to look away.


    There was blood, a pool of it already rippling toward her feet even though she was a few meters away from Rhys.


    She was always told that blood was warm, but the only thing that she could feel as it hit her was a chill that caused her entire body to freeze¡­ or perhaps it was just because the blood was already mixed with all the water from the jacuzzi; which was now also filled with red as Rhys drowned Lina''s impostor several times in it already.


    He ripped a part of her skin, he broke all of her fingers, he pulled out all of her teeth ¡ª and yet Lina''s impostor looked like nothing happened to her at all because Rhys kept healing after several seconds, or perhaps as soon as she bes numb from the pain¡­


    ¡­and then repeat the process over and over again. It felt like they were here for hours already, but it had only really been several minutes.


    Agatha could really only imagine the hell Lina''s impostor was living in.


    "P¡­ please," Lina''s impostor was almost crying tears of blood. Nothing was pinning down her chest or covering her mouth, and yet her breaths sounded hindered and rasp, "I¡­ I told you everything already."


    "Maybe," Rhys let out a small breath as he stared at Lina''s impostor, who was just groveling on the wet floor; her eyes, almostpletely dead as she just looked in the empty air, "You could have told me from the start ¡ª were you expecting me to be impatient and tired?"


    "N¡­no¡­"


    "Unfortunately for the both of us, I can do this all day," Rhys sighed as he once again stepped closer to Lina''s impostor.


    "S¡­ stay away!" Lina''s impostor tried crawling away, only for her hands to tremble to the point that she could not even control them anymore, causing her to slip and hit the floor hard.


    "But fortunately for you, I only have one final question," Rhys smiled as he stood right in front of Lina''s impostor, "Where is Lina, and what did you do to her?"


    "I¡­ I already told you!" Lina''s impostor could not help but just force out a desperate and somewhat crazed chuckle as she looked up at Rhys, "We¡­ we tied her up with the others! You¡­ You''re not our target, Rhys Wilder. It''s¡­ it''s these cunts from the Royal Family! And¡­ and if you don''t let me go, you won''t see her again!"


    "Hm," Rhys just breathed out as his eyes remained on Lina''s impostor.


    "I¡­ I know how much Lina means to you! I''ve read all of her memories!" Lina''s impostor once again cackled; blood oozing out from her mouth as she bit her tongue; even so, however, she still looked at Rhys with madness filling her eyes, "If you kill me, you won''t see her aga¡ª"


    "Wait here."


    Lina''s impostor held her breath as Rhys suddenly walked away; flinching hard as she thought Rhys was getting ready to torture her again. She even instinctively turned to look at Agatha for help. Agatha, of course, just raised her eyebrows in confusion; confused because she was actually feeling sorry for the woman despite all the things she confessed.


    Contrary to their expectations, however, Rhys just stepped out of the bathroom and left the two of them there.


    Agatha could not help but let out a small gasp as she quickly turned her focus to Lina''s impostor in fear that she would escape, but she did not even move and just remainedpletely still, her body trembling uncontrobly to the point that Agatha could hear the water beneath her puttering.


    Lina''s impostor was not alone, however. It was getting cold, too cold. Agatha never really thought she would feel this way ¡ª she didn''t even think she was capable of feeling cold due to her abilities. And soon, she also found herself flinching as Rhys returned to the bathroom.


    "Wh¡ª!!!" Lina''s impostor almost choked on her own breath as she saw Rhys stepping back inside the bathroom¡­ with Lina,


    "H¡­ How!?"


    "I don''t think that should be your concern," Rhys only nced at Lina''s impostor as he approached her again.


    "Ah, it''s her!" Lina, who was following behind Rhys wearing only a nket over her shoulders, immediately pointed at her impostor as soon as she saw her, "That creepy woman!"


    "She said you were being held captive in the same room as your cousins, is that true?" Rhys once again stood in front of the impostor, before crouching and looking her in the eyes.


    "...Yes?" Lina answered hesitantly as she also noticed her impostor whimpering in fear with even the slightest movement of Rhys''s finger,


    "What''s¡­ going on?" Lina asked even though she already had an idea of the answer.


    "So you told the truth," Rhys breathed out, "I thought you were lying since all of Lina''s cousins are Nobles, it would be hard to capture them all¡­ but then remembering how they fought earlier¡ª"


    "It¡­ it wasn''t hard at all!"


    "I suppose that was because of you," Rhys looked to the side, "You''re very useful."


    "Y¡­yes! Please!" The impostor started to cry as she heard Rhys''s words,


    "I already told you everything! Everything! So please, please just let me go!"


    "You told me everything," Rhys nodded, slightly humming as he repeated the impostor''s words.


    "Ye¡ªWait," and right there and then, the impostor realized that she made a very grave mistake, "Wait, wait, wait ¡ª I lied! I still have information that would¡ªNo, no!"


    The impostor could really only close her eyes as Rhys grabbed her by the neck and lifted her up. As for Rhys, he just looked the impostor in the eyes while he tightened his grip on her neck; watching very closely as the life in her eyes very slowly faded away.


    Even Lina held her breath. She wasn''t looking at her impostor, however, but at Rhys.


    "Rhys, that''s¡­"


    "Enough." And as soon as the impostor lost consciousness, Rhys just quickly dropped her down.


    "Is she¡­"


    "Alive," Rhys sighed. And soon, the woman''s face started to distort and the color of her hair turned white. Her face was¡­ average, not that she wasn''t beautiful, but her face would make herpletely blend in and one would not really particrly notice her in a crowd,


    "I promised not to kill her, I''m keeping that¡­ she might be useful in the future too."


    "That''s¡­" Agatha, however, seemed to have recognized her, "...One of the maids. She¡ª"


    "Wait, Rhys¡­ are you saying you''re bringing her back to Amerka?" Lina interrupted Agatha as she realized the implication of Rhys''s words, "Or useful as in our general situation now?"


    "If she survives," Rhys shrugged as he started making her way out of the bathroom, "We need to n a way to rescue your family, if you want to rescue them, that is."


    "Well¡­" Lina stared at her unconscious impostor for a few seconds, "...They''re a couple of pests in my life, but they''re still family."


    "They wanted to kill you, Lina," Rhys looked back at her, "Are you sure about this?"


    "...Yes," Lina slightly hesitated, "The truth is, if they really wanted to kill me, they would have already¡­ well, maybe Adeleine, but she''s not here, so¡­"


    "Okay then," Rhys nodded, "From the information we received from the spy, there are at least 30 hostiles within the castle, and another 10 waiting outside. Since I don''t know the number of guards, it will be safer to assume that they are all into it and I would try to proceed with non-lethal force as much as I can. Since Lina suddenly disappeared, they would surely be more alert now and¡ª"


    "Rhys."


    "Hm¡­?" Rhys turned to look at Lina.


    "Are you not just going to exin why she''s here?" Lina pointed at Agatha, who was still pretty muchpletely naked and confused.


    "Oh¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked back and forth between Lina and Agatha, "Uh¡­


    ...No."


    ***


    "Where is she!? How can someone just suddenly disappear like that!? Look for her!"


    In the castle''s surveince room, all the remaining members of the royal family were currently tied down, strategically, it would seem. Their eyes were covered, and their arms and hands were tied together to prevent them from using any of their abilities. And if they do attempt it, they would end up hitting each other.


    There were probably about 10 men there, 6 of them with their faces covered and 4 of them wearing a guard''s uniform.


    "Why can''t we even see her anywhere!?" One of the men was screaming as he watched all the monitors in front of him. Unbeknownst to him and his colleagues, however¡­


    ¡­someone else was also watching them in the shadows.

 Chapter 165 Crack in the Wall

    The feeling of slowly descending into a pool of water, and the extremely ufortable moment right when the water is about to hit your ears and slightly enter them ¡ª that is what Rhys was feeling right now, except it was scattered across his entire body¡­ except instead of water, it was wet sand.


    He was currently hiding within the shadows, with only a part of his face exposed. Fortunately, his face was still well hidden, if it was not, someone would have already screamed and revealed his position in the dark ¡ª perhaps one of the times Rhys was thankful for having ck hair.


    "Where is she!? How can someone just disappear like that!?"


    "You fucking twat! You were supposed to be the one watching the hostages!"


    Hostages ¡ª Rhys could not help but lower his eyebrows at the word. He was currently listening in on the conversations of the infiltrators, trying to see if they would reveal more information. They haven''t, but considering they used the term hostages to describe the royal family, that could mean they weren''tpletely after the royal family themselves and were just using them for something.


    But of course, all of this was spection.


    "That cunt''s not even supposed to be here! We prepared this for years and an unexpected entity just has to ruin it!"


    "Rx, Akita. Husky and the others are already searching for her and the princess. The Boss will be here in a few minutes, we have no time to be screaming at each other''s throats."


    "Tch¡­"


    There were 10 men there, 6 of them masked and the 4 wearing a guard''s uniform. But seeing as the only ones who were talking were the ones wearing a guard''s uniform, it was safe to assume they were of a higher rank than the masked men¡­ or at least more important in whatever their n was.


    There were also at least 3 guards dead on the floor, so Rhys was sure that the people who were still standing who were wearing a guard''s uniform were part of the infiltrators.


    That means¡­ Rhys was free to eliminate most of them.


    "!!!"


    And as Rhys slowly emerged from the corner of the dimly lit surveince room, one of the hostages surprisingly seemed to have detected him even though all of them were currently blindfolded; It was Vicky; her head, twitching and moving toward Rhys as soon as he stepped out of the darkness.


    Rhys almost took a step back since someone might notice her suddenly facing him, but Vicky quickly turned her head to the floor; clearly trying to hide the change of expression in her face. Well, perhaps it did not really matter if someone spotted him at this point¡­


    ¡­they were all trapped in the same room.


    Rhys did not really know any of the hostiles'' abilities, but it also did not really matter ¡ª he would just eliminate them before they could even use their powers. And so, without even moving from the corner¡­ threads started flowing from Rhys''s fingers. And as soon as he was satisfied with the length, he finally started moving from the shadows and into the light.


    And with just a single breath, he started letting the threads dance in the air ¡ª and with how thin they were, one would not really be able to see them until light happens to reflect on them.


    "What the¡­"


    And with Rhys''s third step, the men finally noticed him emerging from the corner of the surveince room ¡ª perhaps a mistake, as when all of them turned their heads toward Rhys, they did not notice the threads that were slowly and gently falling upon their shoulders.


    "Is¡­ that Rhys Wilder?" One of the men who was wearing a guard''s uniform looked at his other fellow guards, but before anyone could confirm it, Rhys suddenly balled his hand into a fist ¡ª instantly hardening the threads that were just previously softly hanging above their shoulders. And then, with a flick of his arm¡­


    ¡­the sound of heads hitting the floor started to whisper in the air.


    It was only the sound, as the only one who survived Rhys''s surprise attack could not reallyprehend what had happened just yet. He was still looking at Rhys and in the process of thinking why he was suddenly there, and yet, all of a sudden, he could hear the sound of something heavy thudding on the floor.


    It was really only after his colleagues'' bodies started dropping to the floor at the same time that the man realized what had just happened. He then looked down as he felt something tugging on his ankles, only to see a head covered in a mask rolling and bouncing beside his feet.


    And as he saw his colleague''s head, the only thought running in his mind was that this would have also been him¡­ if it wasn''t for the fact that his neck and the other vital parts of his body were protected by ayer of crystal.


    "Kh¡­" He then immediately grasped his neck, only to feel a sharp dent on it as well as a thread so sharp that it almost sliced his fingers.


    "I suggest you don''t do anything, Sir," Rhys only nced at the man before he checked on the 3 guards who were lying on the floor. And as soon as he confirmed they were dead, he took all of their ID badges and hid them in his trusty utility belt.


    "I was actually hoping at least two of you survived," Rhys then let out a sigh as he stood up and started approaching the survivor, "But I suppose you''ll do."


    "W¡ª"


    And before the man could even speak, Rhys punched him right on the gut, causing him to almost drop to the floor; he desperately tried not to, however, as the thread wringing around his neck seemed to tighten with every move and even started to crack the crystal protecting it.


    The man could really only grit his teeth; his saliva shooting out of his mouth as he endured the pain; his eyes ring furiously at Rhys.


    "As soon¡­ as soon as I get out of here, I will fuck you up, ckie," the man breathed out.


    "!!!" Vicky and the others who were tied with each other on the floor started moving their heads; their muffled voices, loudly whispering in the air as they seemed to ask Rhys for help.


    "Hm," Rhys, however, just nodded as he stood in front of the man; his eyes that were hidden behind his hair, returning the man''s re. Rhys did not say anything, however, and just stared the man straight in the eyes for a few seconds.


    "What do you fucking want!?" The man screamed.


    "There''s no use screaming," Rhys finally spoke up, "Your men outside are already dead."


    "Wh¡­" The man quickly turned to look at the monitors to check the hallway, only to see the two men assigned to guard it still just casually standing there like they had been doing for the past hour. But as he squinted his eyes and looked more carefully¡­ he finally noticed that their feet weren''t actually touching the floor anymore and their bodies were slightly swaying in the air.


    "I am only going to ask you once ¡ª what happens next ispletely under your control. Do you understand?" Rhys then grabbed the radio that was in the man''s ear, causing him to slightly flinch, "I know that assassinations on the Royal Family are not umon since Agatha and Lina told me about it, but this isn''t just a simple assassination. It is too meticulous and all of them are still alive¡­


    ¡­so what are you truly after and who is this Boss you speak of?"


    "This¡­ this doesn''t concern you, Mr. Rhys Wilder," and even though the man was clearly wary of Rhys, he still acted unfazed; even spitting on the floor as he cackled and smiled at him, "You''re not even supposed to be here ¡ª why don''t you just walk away with your little princess and just let us do what we came here to do?"


    "Hm," Rhys shrugged.


    "These people wanted to kill your lover, no?" The manughed, "So, just leave them ¡ª and we''re going to forget that you killed some of our men. You haven''t even set these cunts free, that means saving them isn''t really your priority."


    "That''s true¡­" Rhys turned to look at Vicky and the others, who seemed even more agitated than before when they heard Rhys''s words, "...But Lina wants to save them so, that''s my mission."


    "Wh¡ª"


    "Tell Husky and your other men that you need them down here," Rhys did not let the man speak another word as he ced the radio back near his ear, "Or I am going to start cutting pieces of you until you¡ª!!!"


    And before Rhys could also finish his words, his eyes started to widen as the wall behind the monitors just exploded in an instant ¡ª no, arge man rammed through from the other side andpletely destroyed the wall; his rampage not even stopping as he also mowed through Rhys, causing him to be violently thrown away straight toward the wall and through it.


    "I knew something wasn''t right, my intuition is always to the max," the man that rammed Rhys just casually shrugged off all the debris and dust that stuck onto him; his head, almost hitting the ceiling if he did not slightly hunch; his entire silhouette, almost filling a fraction of the room due to his sheer size.


    "Boss! You¡­" The man smiled upon seeing this giant¡­ that was thest thing he did, however, as his head rolled on the floor as the force of Rhys being thrown caused the threads around his neck to slice through his armored skin.


    "Well¡­"


    "Hm¡­?" The man called Boss could not help but squint his eyes as he heard Rhys speak even though his entire body was embedded through the wall.


    "...That was not my fault at all."

 Chapter 166 Rhys vs. The Boss (1)

    "That was not my fault at all."


    "Hm¡­"


    The Boss'' groans almost reflected the chunks of debris that were falling off of the wall as Rhys started pulling himself out of the hole that the Boss rammed him in through. Both sounds were quiet, and yet they were the only noise currently whispering in the air¡­ aside from the head rolling on the floor, that is.


    This time, the head rolled toward one of Lina''s rtives, causing them to flinch as they thought someone was grabbing them. But of course, as they have been doing so from the start, they did not try to move at all in fear that they would make a mistake and identally fire off even a bit of their abilities, hurting the person they were tied to.


    The only thing they could really do was whimper; either gritting their teeth or biting their lip as they guessed in anxiety about what exactly was happening around them. They knew Rhys was there, but for some reason, he wasn''t freeing them at all. And even if he did have any ns of freeing them, it would seem another entity entered the fray.


    Of course, specting was the only thing they could do at this point.


    "Hm. And who might you be, bruv?" The Boss once again let out a small groan as he looked atthe corpses of his men that littered everywhere on the floor; all of them missing their heads, "No, don''t answer that ¡ª I know who you are, my men have reported to me about a certain ckie who might foil our ns¡­ and maybe I should have listened to them and postponed all of this."


    "You should have," Rhys started brushing off all the dust and debris resting on his clothes as he looked at the Boss from head to toe.


    There aren''t many men who towered over him, but this person in front of him right now probably topped that list ¡ª he wasn''t only tall, he wasrge, incredibly so to the point that the room almost felt like it could barely contain him; his exploding muscles, even more defined due to his dark skin; it did not help that he was wearing a tight white t-shirt and some sort of sweat pants.


    But perhaps the most noticeable aspect of him was that he was wearing arge gold chain around his neck,


    "But we''re already here, so¡­ sorry."


    "Hm," the Boss grunted and scoffed as he also looked at Rhys from head to toe, "You''re the ckie I keep seeing in the news. You''re even more famous than these cocksuckers¡­ and maybe even more important. Good¡­


    ¡­we''re going to get more coverage if we also include you."


    "I''m nothing special," Rhys breathed out as he checked himself for injuries. Although he just casually and literally shrugged off being crashed deep into a wall, this was the first time in a long while that he was attacked like that; he needed to see if any damage was actually done to him¡­ and there was.


    Rhys nced at this bionic leg ¡ª it usually won''t get damaged even if it was hit by a truck, but it would seem with all the abuse it was getting starting from trying to escape from Agatha''s¡­ sr wave, it might start needing a little maintenance soon as Rhys could feel it nking.


    It was¡­ a weird feeling, like he actually had his original leg back and the knee was slightly dislocated ¡ª it wasn''t like that before.


    Rhys learned topletely ignore it when he got used to moving it even without feeling anything, but now¡­ it almost seemed as if it was¡­ alive. Did Agatha''s attack do something to it? Or was it perhaps when Aethelc pulled him into a dream?


    Either way, he was thinking too much, and the Boss noticed this.


    The only sign the Boss gave that he was attacking was the floor beneath his feet cracking as he rushed toward Rhys; his speed, almost causing a skirt of wind to grow around him as he blitzed, quite literally, toward Rhys.


    This time, however, even when he was deep in thought, Rhys was ready for the giant. He leaped back before pushing himself from the wall and up into the air, somersaulting above the Boss as he let loose several threads from his fingers to string him by the neck as soon as hended.


    Rhys, however, was not able tond.


    As even though the Boss might seem like a raging gargantuan, he was agile. Hisrge hand, quickly grabbing Rhys from the air before mming him on the wall, almost as if he was finishing his job and destroying the wall he rammed Rhys throughpletely before throwing him across the hallway which they now found themselves in.


    And once again, Rhys found himself violently rolling on the floor several times¡­ only to be stopped as the Boss appeared in his path; hisrge muscr leg, heading toward his back.


    "And for my hat-trick¡­" A malicious smile crawled on the Boss'' face as his foot caught Rhys, "...A shot toward the sky! And¡­"


    And with a deep breath, the Boss kicked Rhys straight up ¡ª causing him to just pierce through the concrete ceiling almost without resistance; like a just being ripped through.


    "...Goal!" The Boss stretched his muscr arms to the side as Rhys disappeared through the ceiling. The Boss sucked in a long and very deep breath; gritting his teeth as he flexed the muscles in his arms as if someone was actually watching him.


    "Boss!"


    And someone did arrive, several masked men and people wearing a castle guard''s uniform¡­ There were even women who were wearing maid outfits.


    "Why did you suddenly leave!? What was that noise we heard!?"


    "Just my greatness," a smirk crawled on the Boss'' face as he scoffed and collected himself, "Some of you, recover the ckie''s body upstairs. Husky, go fetch Chihuahua so we can set up the camera ¡ª it''s time for Ennd to meet its new master."


    "At once, Boss," the man called Husky smiled and nodded; there was almost a glimmer in his eyes as he looked at the Boss ¡ª and it wasn''t only him, all the men and women present there were looking at the Boss like he was some sort of deity,


    "I will do as you ask at on¡ªKh!"


    And before Husky could even take a single step, a huge piece of the ceiling fell on top of him. Husky was strong enough to catch it, however; gritting his teeth hard as the veins on his neck, legs, and arms showed themselves.


    "!!!"


    But not even a second after, however, everyone watched as he was squashed into pieces¡­


    "Touchdown."


    ¡­as Rhys emerged from the hole and violently dropped down right on top of the concrete.

 Chapter 167 Rhys vs. The Boss (2)

    "Touchdown."


    Everyone in the hallway just watched as Rhys casually stood up from the b of concrete that had bits and pieces of flesh and guts spewing from beneath it. His clothes werepletely tattered, and there were traces of blood painting his body. But if one were to look closer, there was absolutely no trace of a wound on him at all.


    "Wrong sport there, bruv¡­" The Boss let out a grunting breath as he stared at Rhys before looking down, only to see that his own leg that he used to kick Rhys was actually bleeding ¡ª no, it was broken. Seeing this, the Boss'' eyebrows started to lower and a snarl slowly formed on his face,


    "...This is my good leg."


    "At least you still have two," Rhys said as he stepped down from therge debris; his eyes, scanning the hallway.


    And as soon as he saw that there were other people present there, he did not even give them time to react and kicked therge piece of the ceiling behind him straight toward them ¡ª those who were unfortunate enough to not be able to react were turned into mincemeat and painted the floor red,


    "That''s probably half of your numbers already culled, I would retreat if I were you."


    "Boss!" Those who managed to dodge the debris quickly and expertly surrounded Rhys, handling all sorts of elements around them or summoning their weapons as they focused their attention on Rhys. The Boss, however, raised his fist at this.


    "Go secure the hostages," the Boss'' words were almost whispers as his voice turned deep while ring at Rhys, "Just continue as we nned, brothers and sisters¡­


    ¡­and wait for me to finish this ckie. It won''t be long."


    "Boss¡­" The Boss''ckeys all looked at each other repeatedly before just nodding their heads at the same time and running away to the surveince room.


    "Although they''re sloppy, your men are clearly trained," Rhys did not really make a move on them and just watched them disappear, "Mercenaries? But since you''re using code names, you''re probably Military."


    "None of your concern, bruv," the Boss'' face twitched as he nced at the blood, guts, and mushed flesh behind Rhys.


    "Were you close?" Rhys also nced at Husky''s remains, "Military, then. This is a coup."


    "Typical of the yankees to just make everything their problem," the Boss almost growled at Rhys as he balled his hands into fists, "Now that I think about it, you''re from the Underworld Corps of Amerka¡­


    ¡­were you sent here to intercept us? Was someone actually watching us all this time?"


    "...No," Rhys could really only sigh in frustration as he heard the Boss'' words, "I was dragged here by¡­ fate. And then kept by the spoiled children that happen to be your hostages."


    "I would ask you to join us," the Boss'' face once again twitched as he nced at Husky''s remains, "But you already killed my friend so¡ª"


    The Boss did not really give any warning as he disappeared from his spot; cracking and destroying the floor with each of his steps as he rushed toward Rhys with hisrge arms opened. This time, however, Rhys only stood his ground.


    The Boss was insanelyrge, and yet one wouldpletely miss him with just a single blink due to his abnormal speed ¡ª and the Boss was using his strength and speed to their full advantage as he started swaying from his path; moving randomly across the hallway and even managing to run on the walls.


    "Your speed is unnatural¡­" Rhys started to talk, gesturing with his hand as he watched the walls shattering as the Boss'' foot and hand prints were left on them, "...I also knew someone of your size who could move that fast ¡ª someone who was the blood of Hermes flowing through their veins and also abnormallyrge. Do you want to know how he died?"


    "I didn''t expect you to be this talkative!" And almost as if on cue, the Boss suddenly appeared behind Rhys; hisrge fist, already only inches away from mming against the back of Rhys''s head.


    "Yes," Rhys, on the other hand, just needed to take one step forward topletely avoid the Boss'' fist¡­ because he just suddenly stopped in mid-air, "He died because he was already trapped in a prison of web¡­ very much like you are now. He was so busy listening to me scream and talk that he did not even notice all the threads scattered everywhere."


    "You¡­" The Boss could really only grit his teeth as he felt the sharp threads slowly digging into his fist and arm¡ªno. The threads were digging through every part of his body; his neck, legs, and waist. Even then, however, the Boss'' quickly became unfazed, "...You think something like this can stop me? I''m not just fast, kid."


    "I know, Sir," Rhys just casually replied as he watched as the Boss started contracting his muscles; causing the threads that were previously digging through his flesh to almost stretch and loosen.


    "I''m not just fast," the Boss repeated his words, "I''m¡ª"


    "Dead."


    And without even letting the Boss say what he wanted to say, Rhys suddenly leaped back. And this time, it was Rhys''s turn to disappear and destroy the ground beneath his feet as he suddenly rushed toward the Boss ¡ª increasing his speed by removing the air in front of him, and then giving himself a little boost by sting wind behind him.


    Rhys almost looked like a bullet as he flew straight toward the Boss; his fist, hitting the Boss right on the face¡­pletely removing his head clean as the thread sliced his neck due to the sudden force.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just watched as the Boss'' head violently flew to the wall; slightly piercing through it and sticking on it, adorning the wall like some sort of prized trophy.


    Durable. If Rhys was to guess what the Boss was going to say, he was probably going to say he was durable. Rhys then turned to look at his fist, only to see the skin on his knucklespletely chaffed and exposing his bones.


    He wasn''t really looking at his chaffed hand because he was hurt, however, but because he was starting to realize how strong he had actually be. In another format, the Boss would probably be considered a High Ranking Explorer, he was strong ¡ª incredibly so.


    ¡­And yet Rhys wasn''t even trying his best. His ability, Eros''s ability to gain the powers of others is just¡­ on a different level. Just who exactly is Eros? He could probably summon Arachnea to ask her again, but he doubts she would reveal anything anymore¡­ and might actually just truly kill him this time.


    And so, after trying his best to stray off the thoughts he was having, Rhys shook his head and focused his attention on the direction of the surveince room. After all¡­


    ¡­he wasn''t done eliminating all the hostiles.

 Chapter 168 Royal Tricks

    "H¡­ help me!"


    "M¡­ monster!"


    Vicky and the others were stillpletely blindfolded, and although the words they were hearing should be making them relieved since it was obvious that their kidnappers were being dealt with¡­ just the sheer fear from their screams made them ufortable.


    Fortunately for them, the screams of fear, begging, and just utter horror did notst long before they were finally freed by Rhys. But as soon as they finally saw what was happening behind the screams, most of them just either fainted right there and then, or vomited where they stood.


    It probably took the entire night¡ªno. Even as the sun was already starting to veil the castle, Lina''s cousins still could not recover from the sight they had seen. Human heads, either crushed or decapitated; limbs, scattered everywhere. Guts, blood, torn flesh, mangled flesh, exposed bones.


    The most violence they have ever really seen was in movies, but it would seem that deaths in real life were not as clean as they make it out to be¡­ or maybe it was just because of Rhys.


    "I do apologize for this, Mr. Rhys. You are supposed to be a guest in this house, and yet you ended up only having to endure us, and in the end even save our lives,"


    And finally, after Lina''s cousins were done wiping their tears and snot, someone finally approached Rhys as he was moving across the castle and collecting the ID badges of the guards who were killed during the infiltration ¡ª Prince Lance,


    "This happens all the time, people targeting the Royal Family isn''t new¡­ but this is the first time they''ve gotten this far. If it wasn''t for you, I am afraid the royal family that has stood for a thousand years would be no more. And for that, you have our eternal gratitude, and I apologize that I am the only one bowing in front of you right now."


    "It''s¡ªHm," Rhys did not really know what to say as Lance suddenly bowed to him. And with the two of them the only person in therge hallway,


    "And eternal gratitude shoulde with an eternal reward," Lance took in a short but very deep breath, "And what is more eternal than a covenant of marriage? Our two families, bonded by love. My daughter, Victoria, has taken quite a liking to¡ª"


    "No," Rhys immediately shut down Lance''s proposal as he handed him the ID badges, "Those are the IDs of the guards who aren''t involved with your kidnapping, sadly all of them are dead. Just talk to their families for me and bury them as heroes, I''ll take your word as the reward."


    "No, that wouldn''t be fair," Lance shook his head; his thick mustache, twitching as he did so, "They were always going to get a knight''s funeral for protecting and serving the royal family, Mr. Rhys. Please, I insist. Marry¡ª"


    "I have Lina," Rhys could not help but take a step back as he could almost see fumes escaping Lance''s nose from how excited he was, "I think I already have my hands full with one member of the royal family, and I only have one. And speaking of her, she also deserves your gratitude since she handled some of the infiltrators too."


    "I will reward her with something, but that ispletely different from your reward, Mr. Rhys."


    "Agatha has already promised me something," Rhys could not help but sigh as Lance truly did not seem to have any ns of backing out.


    "I am certain that whatever my sister is giving you is not enough!" Lance shook his head as the fumes escaping his nose grew even more violent.


    "That¡­" Agatha promised to pay for Rhys''s bionic leg which costs 3.2 billion Amerkan dors¡­ but perhaps Lance did not need to know that just yet.


    "Then, at the very least, let me bestow upon you the title of Baron. I can do at least that."


    "How about a signed and written contract for Lina''s cousins not to bother or try to kill Lina anymore?" Rhys sighed.


    "That is already a given!" Lance raised a finger, "And thennd and title as a Baron!"


    "...Fine," Rhys closed his eyes and nodded, "But I will not be responsible for anything."


    "The only thing you will be responsible for is the acres ofnd we will be giving you, my boy," Lance ced his hands on his waist, "Choose, choose whichnd you want!"


    "I¡­ even get to choose?" No wonder the royal family is declining despite their family being filled with Nobles. Not only were they not even training, they¡­ are stupid. Perhaps a result of inbreeding all those years ago, "Then¡­ can I get and where King Aethelc used to live? If he has a manor or anything of the like, Sir. But if he doesn''t then¡ª"


    "He has, King Aethelc was the first Noble to be born in thesends. The ce of his birth is a historic sanctuary," Prince Lance started brushing his thick mustache as he looked away and nced at Rhys back and forth.


    "Oh¡­" Rhys let out a small sigh of disappointment, "...Then any¡ª"


    "We can give it to you, but it will be under a condition," Lance then cleared his throat,


    "For the duration of your stay here¡­


    ¡­please train my children and their cousins how to fight."


    "No."


    "I will add 50 million pounds."


    "Hm¡­"


    "For each child you teach."


    "Okay," Rhys''s hand instinctively reached out as soon as he heard that. Just how rich are these people?


    This is dangerous¡­ he was starting to think that it might have been worth it toe here after all in spite of all the harassment and spoiled, insufferable children surrounding him. It was also weird that Lance was addressing them as children in front of Rjys when Henry and the twins were the only ones younger than him.


    "Then I will apologize to you in advance, Master Rhys," Lance once again bowed his head before shaking Rhys''s hand, "The next generation of the royal family is a bit of a handful ¡ª not as handful as my sister, but still very much a trouble."


    "Don''t worry, Your Highness¡­" A small smile started to crawl on Rhys''s face, "...I have experience in training troublemakers."


    "That makes me absolutely excited, Master Rhys," Lance nodded as he turned around, "Now, if you may, the King wants to meet you."


    "The King?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he heard Lance''s words. From all the things that have been happening, hepletely forgot the fact that he has not even met Ennd''s monarch. Why wasn''t he in the castle?


    "Oh, the King lives in the main castle, Master Rhys," Lance let out a hearty chuckle as he noticed Rhys''s confusion, "Due to Agatha and myte older brother''s antics, we were granted our own manor so they could¡­ move freely."


    "You were kicked out?"


    "Yes," Lance dropped his head and sighed, "Please, do not ask me for more details. Lte''s already waiting for you to pick out her dress."


    "Dress¡­?"


    "Ah, yes¡­" Lance cleared his throat while walking away, "...since it will take a while to repair the castle and rece the servants, all of us will be staying in the Royal Pce for the time being ¡ª Father has prepared a banquet to wee us. My cousins and the others from the branch family will also be staying there while we are there, a sort of reunion, in a way."


    "Wait¡­


    ¡­are you saying I am going to train Lina''s cousins while all of your family are there?"


    "..." Lance did not really say anything, but due to his wide and thick mustache, Rhys could actually see that there was a wide smile forming on Lance''s face.


    Why¡­ does it feel like Rhys was somehow getting tricked again?


    ***


    "Rhys, how do I look?"


    "...The same as you did just a couple of seconds ago when you asked me that ¡ª beautiful."


    "Can you give more specifics¡­!? At least tell me I would look better with the dress off!"


    "You would."


    The Royal Family was abnormal in more ways than one. They were just in a hostage situation just hours ago, and yet right now, they are currently picking their dresses and are on their way to a banquet.


    Lance and Agatha did say that they were used to being attacked¡­ but they also said the attack this time was more meticulous and far more dangerous ¡ª and if it wasn''t for Rhys, all of them would still be in danger.


    But no one seemed to care.


    And right now, Rhys was just watching Lina pick out a dress for more than an hour.


    "Will I¡­?" And as Lina was slowly undressing herself for the Nth time, she soon started to approach Rhys as she stripped down,


    "We¡­ still have a few hours before they take us to the party. We should¡­


    ¡­release some pent-up stress."


    And the craziest one of them all was right in front of him.

 Chapter 169 The Baron

    "U¡­uhn¡­"


    Every room in the pce was bigger than Rhys''s first apartment, and Lina and his room were not any different ¡ª if only they actually got to sleep well in it. On the very first night, they were barely in it because of all theplicated discussions Lina had with her cousins. And then on the second night, somebody attempted to take the royal family hostage.


    They did not even properly get to sleep on therge bed that was probably the size of Rhys''s dorm room back in his high school. But now, a few hours after they will be leaving the castle¡­


    ¡­Lina was currently on the verge of destroying the bed.


    "Do you¡­ like it, Sir?"


    And although the bed was filled with horsehair and probably only the best materials were used to make the springs, Lina was still able to make the bed squeak as she practically danced on top of Rhys; her hips, moving without pause as she made sure all of Rhys fits inside her.


    Her breaths stuttered each time as her tongue seemed to move on its own, almost as if it was trying to reduce the heat that was currently encapsting her entire body. She arched her body back; her fingers, crawling toward her clit as she felt the electrifying jolt caressing and tickling her insides.


    And as Lina began to touch herself, Rhys''s hand also started brushing against her thigh, trailing up across the lines and the curve of her belly and causing Lina to let out a quiet moan as her entire body was incredibly sensitive to even her own breath.


    Lina''s body almost moved on its own from Rhys''s touch; her fingers that rubbed her clit, bing more erratic as she surrendered herselfpletely to the waves of pleasure coursing inside her.


    "Uhn..." A low moan escaped her bitten lips as she threw her head back even more; tears, almost flowing from her eyes as she could not just quite exin the intense burn that was eating her gently from the inside - it felt like a fever, but a weed one.


    "Oh, god... Sir," Lina''s breath was almost trapped in her throat as she felt a wave of pleasure surge through her body, causing her fingers to jerk away from her clit as she climaxed. Her entire body trembled and convulsed with the intensity of the sensation, her toes curling and her muscles tensing until she waspletely frozen from the heat.


    And as she copsed onto Rhys, her nipples brushed against his chest, sending another jolt of electricity through her body that made her shiver uncontrobly.


    The feverish pleasure was not done with her, however, as Rhys slid out of her, she felt a gush flowing and literally bursting out from her.


    "Oh... oh no, oh my god..." She could not help but bury her face on Rhys''s chest, gasping for air and biting down hard to stifle her moans of pleasure. It felt like every part of her skin was on fire; her body,pletely being controlled by Rhys.


    She has never truly experienced such intense desire before, feeling like she''s losing all control as wave after wave of ecstasy washes over her... and out of her, "Did... did I just...?"


    Lina seemed incredibly shocked as the sheets beneath them were notpletely soaked; her face, incredibly flushed as she did not even seem to want to look at Rhys. "I... I thought that only happens in hentai. Oh... oh my god."


    Lina covered her face and continued to bury herself in Rhys''s chest. Rhys, however, could not help but let out a small chuckle as he had never really seen Lina shy away from anything before. And so, he lifted and sat himself up from the bed, carrying Lina with her on hisp.


    "We... should get dressed," Rhys whispered to her ear, Lina, however, just shook her head before looking Rhys in the eyes.


    "So..." Lina whispered back, "...Is my pussy better than my aunt''s?"


    "I..." This time, it was Rhys who found himself frozen by Lina''s sudden question, "...Nothing really happened between us."


    "But you wanted it, right...?" Lina''s eyebrows started to lower as she red at Rhys, "You always have an inclination for older women, not to mention Agatha''s a Noble... and an actual princess."


    "Lina, you-"


    "I''m just kidding, Rhys," Lina stuck out her tongue as she giggled, "I''m not the type to get jealous; if anything, it makes me even hornier that other women lust over you but at the end of the day...


    ...I''m the only one who gets to swallow you whole."


    "Hm..." Rhys squinted, "We... should get dressed."


    "No..." And as Rhys was about to stand up and carry her up, Lina wrapped her arms around Rhys and lightly licked his ear,


    "...More."


    ***


    "Where the fuck are the two!?"


    "Oh, I think that''s them."


    [Duke Liam and the Duchess Marietta of Genovia.]


    "Nope, not them."


    Lina and Rhys were wrong ¡ª they did not have that much time, or more specifically, they overspent their wee in the bed to the point that Vicky and her other cousins had to go ahead of them. The travel was no problem at all, however, as they used their own jet to get to the main Royal Pce.


    And like Prince Lance and Agatha''s castle, the main Royal Pce was situated far and away from the city, with the main pce actually on top of a cliff that was reinforced with the same material they use to block Holes from being dug. The only real way to get there bynd was to travel more than a day from the nearest city.


    As expected of thevish Royal Family, their banquet hall was filled with all sorts of gold and statues of the gods ¡ª their ceiling, adorned with a spherical orange chandelier that resembled Helios¡ªno, the entire hall was probably imitating just that, the Underworld.


    Everyone there was dressed well; each of their movements felt as if rehearsed as they smiled and greeted each other. The tables, filled with exuberant manners and etiquette¡­


    ¡­well, except for one.


    "That fucking woman is really insufferable!" Vicky wanted to strangle her youngest brother, but Henry was wise to stay away from her ¡ª it wasn''t only him, there was at least one seat gap from each of Vicky''s sides at the table, "If only Adeleine was here, we could have gotten rid of her."


    "Victoria, can you please stop it already?" Henry let out a small but very deep sigh; his glowing blue hair, shining a little weaker than the rest of his cousins ¡ª his bright blue eyes, however, more than made up for whatever nobilitycked from his face, "Dad has already made all of us sign an agreement on the ne."


    "Fuck that agreement and shove it up my arse," Vicky grabbed the bottle of wine in front of her, "Have you guys already forgotten what she did to all of us!?"


    "...I have," Henry scratched his chin.


    "Well, Bernard hasn''t!" Vicky pointed at Bernard, the middle male child, "He even had stic surgery in Koryeo to fix his cleft lip."


    "I¡­" Bernard, who was the quietest out of all the cousins, could not help but slightly look down as everyone at the table looked at him, "...We were children."


    "We wer thildren," Vicky mocked Bernard by imitating the way he spoke when he was younger, "Shut the fuck up, bitch. You shouldn''t¡ª"


    "Vicky, enough," Daniel, who was closest to Vicky in age, could no longer endure Vicky''s incessant nagging as he grabbed the bottle of wine from her hand before she could even drink from it, "Thinking about her only means that she won, it''s not good for your mental health, or ours."


    "You''re fucking mental, all of you are," Vicky pointed at each of her cousins.


    "And you''re also embarrassing your father," Daniel then turned to look at the other table, where Prince Lance was seated with Annabeth, Agatha and her husband, and their other cousins, "The eldest child of the Crown Prince should not be this loud-mouthed."


    "Child, your mother is embarrassing all of us just enough," Vicky still did not back down as she also nced at Agatha, who just winked and waved her hand at them, "Didn''t you hear she was shagging the ckie when all of the shit went down?"


    "Well¡­" A small smile slowly crawled on Daniel''s face, "...Who wouldn''t want to shag the ckie?"


    "We agree," Daniel''s younger twin sisters both raised their hands at the same time.


    "My god¡­" Vicky could really only rest her back as she heard her cousins'' words, "...That''s it, we''re all just mental. When''s the party going to start anyway? Where''s Grandad?"


    "King Edward, you will address him as King Edward," Daniel added, "He is¡ª"


    And before Daniel could finish his words, therge door of the banquet hall once again caught everyone''s attention as it opened.


    [Who¡­?]


    They could hear the herald whispering through his mic, obviously confused just from his voice.


    [Princess Lte and her fiance, Rhys, the¡­ the Baron of Wessex!]


    "Hu¡­what!?" Vicky could not help but stand up from her chair, mming her palm on the table as soon as she heard the announcement, "Wessex¡­ That¡­ that was promised to me."


    Vicky then quickly turned to look at her father, only to see that no one even noticed her causing noise as everyone at his table was just looking at the entrance of the banquet hall ¡ª and it wasn''t only them, everyone in the hall had their eyes glued at the two people who were making their way on the red carpet.


    Vicky looked too¡­


    ¡­only for her to almost fall back on her seat as sheid eyes on Rhys.

 Chapter 170 Beauty of a God

    A little more than a thousand years ago now, humanity was almost on the brink of extinction.


    A little more than a thousand years ago now, the gods were said to descend from the heavens.


    No one in the modern age, no one in the present time could really truly know what that was like ¡ª what humanity felt when they saw the gods who are said to be almost ethereal in nature due to the strength and beauty they held.


    It was recorded that mortals faint just by the mere sight of the gods. Some say it was because their presence was too much, some say that when they breathe, they breathe in all the oxygen in the world¡­ leaving none for the poor mortals the humans once were.


    There are, however, also records that state that the humans used to faint at the mere presence of a god not due to their strength, but their beauty. A beauty that was almost sinful. Of course, that theory was not really liked by the modern scientists ¡ª after all, how can one faint just by looking at something?


    But now, however, the scientists would probably have to rethink their ideas. Because as of now, someone fainted just by the mere sight of not even a god, not even a Noble, not even a Commoner, but a Lowborn.


    Perhaps because they were not expecting it at all, the royal twins fainted there and then as soon as they caught a glimpse of Rhys''s face ¨C no. It wasn''t even his face, they just caught Rhys''s cold, silver eyes¡­ and that was enough to activate all of the hormones that were being repressed by their post-pubescent cage.


    If they were conscious to describe exactly what they were feeling, then it would be like going through another Awakening, except more¡­ warm.


    "Who¡­ is that?" And it wasn''t only the royal twins, all of the women present in the banquet hall held their breaths; the beating of their hearts, almost as if being forcefully drummed to be in rhythm with each of Rhys''s steps as he walked deeper and deeper into the hall.


    "Rhys¡­ Wilder? As in the Rhys Wilder of Amerkan?" As for the men, the only thing they could really do was look back and forth between Rhys and their other half, quietly cursing as they watched their wives, girlfriends, and partners lose their breaths. They couldn''t shake off the growing feeling of jealousy and inadequacy as they watched their loved ones gaze upon Rhys with awe and longing.


    "I''ve¡­ never seen so many Nobles in one ce," Rhys, who was really just casually walking and not minding anyone, whispered close to Lina''s ear as he saw all the glowing hair surrounding him.


    "Trust me, Sir¡­" Lina could barely contain the excitement in her breaths as she looked at Rhys. She initially thought that she would be surprising everyone with her appearance; after all, not to boast or anything, but Lina considered herself to be the most beautiful one amongst her cousins.


    But s, even though she put on her best dress and even put on make-up that only amplified the contour of her face¡­ all of it was deemed useless the very moment she stood beside Rhys.


    Even she, right now, could barely even walk properly as she stared at Rhys''s face, which was no longer covered by her thick, messy hair. Rhys did not initially want to have his hair done, or even cut as he truly was just not used to having nothing blocking his eyes.


    Fortunately for Lina, she can be very persuasive as she forced him to finally have his hair done ¡ª she even chose the style, and perhaps that was a mistake.


    Since they were attending a royal party, Lina chose Rhys to have a modern-styled wolf cut, parted in the middle. And since his hair was still slightly long, with the back still covering his neck and his hair slightly covering his cheek, it only just entuated Rhys''s perfect face even more.


    Them having sex was not the only reason why they were sote to the party, it was also because the stylist that Lina hired was a woman, and her hands kept trembling uncontrobly while trying to cut and style Rhys''s hair ¡ª she even fainted once or twice, to the point that they had to bring her to the private jet so she could just continue styling Rhys''s hair there.


    This is bad, this is very bad ¡ª Lina was getting wet just by being beside Rhys and having her arm around his. She can feel the heat emanating from Rhys'' body, causing her clothes to cling to her skin and her cheeks to flush with desire... or perhaps it was her heat?


    "Stop¡­ stop looking at me, Sir," Lina could not help but just look to the side; gulping down her saliva as she gripped Rhys''s arm tight.


    "Where¡­ else would I look?" Rhys once again whispered in Lina''s ear, causing her body to shiver there and then. Fortunately for her, she wore a long and somewhat puffy dress; unfortunately for her, her back was exposed and everyone could probably see her having goosebumps all over her body.


    "Just¡­ just wave at the people, you''re a famous streamer and a Noble, Sir. You''re probably practically the most famous person here¡­ even more so than Grandpa," Lina''s eyes remained as far away from Rhys as possible as she lightly bit her lip to prevent herself from eating Rhys there and then.


    "...Okay," Rhys breathed out as he finally turned to look at the other guests. He did not really know what expression he should have, so he just gave a very, very small smile and bowed his head ¡ª he couldn''t wave, after all, as Lina was gripping his only hand tight.


    "Oh¡­" And the person he smiled at just happened to be a woman well far in her years. This woman, with her age carved into every line on her face, suddenly felt a spark ignite within her as she caught sight of Rhys''s smile - a mixture of excitement and fear that made her heart race.


    She knew exactly what she was feeling, but it had been so long since she allowed herself to feel anything other than emptiness and regret.


    It was lust - a fierce and primal desire for Rhys that consumed her thoughts and sent shivers down her spine. As an old woman, she no longer truly cared about what people might say to her. And so, she embraced her desires, allowing herself to be consumed by Rhys''s eyes.


    "Grandma!?"


    Unfortunately for the woman, she truly was too old for what she was feeling as her blood levels just rose there and then. Her¡­ ''second awakening'' did not go as nned as she almost had a stroke there and then.


    "H¡­ Healer! Someone get a healer for the Duchess!"


    Rhys, upon seeing this, almost rushed toward the olddy so that he could heal her. Lina, however, gripped his hand even tighter as she pulled him back.


    "Don''t¡­" Lina whispered.


    "But I can heal¡ª"


    "Trust me, Sir¡­" Lina shook her head, "...You''ll make it worse. She fainted because of you ¡ª all the women here are currently looking at you like you''re the main dish in the buffet, Rhys. Too bad for them¡­


    ...they don''t know I already had you for breakfast."


    And as soon as Rhys heard that, he just opted to not look at anyone at all as they made their way to their table. Even then, however, most of the women who would even look at him longer than 3 seconds found themselves instinctively gritting their teeth and almost closing their legs as they felt something warm starting to tickle between their thighs.


    "Thank you for keeping the table warm for us, peasants." And as soon as they reached their table, a knowing smile crawled on Lina''s face as she looked at Vicky, who was too stunned to evene up with a rebuttal to Lina''s cheeky remark, "Something¡­ upied us on the way here."


    "Something upied you on the way here?" Henry blinked a couple of times as he looked back and forth between Rhys and Lina, "But you were riding a private jet ¡ª did you encounter a flying monster?"


    "Henry¡­" Daniel, who was sitting beside their youngest cousin, could not help but just sigh at his words, "...You are still too pure for this world. May you never be like us. But where have my manners gone, Master Rhys ¡ª congrattions on bing a Baron."


    "...Thank you," Rhys nodded as he pulled out a chair for Lina, making sure she was seated first before him.


    "But I do have to say, you bing one of us makes things awkwardlyplicated," Daniel ced his hand on his chin as he looked at Rhys''s face; the Five Hearts floating above his head, fluctuating uncontrobly, "Or should I say¡­ well done to Uncle for adding anotherpetition, truly the most cunning of the family."


    "...Competition?" Rhys''s eyebrows lowered.


    "Daniel," Lina quickly red at her cousin before ncing at Rhys, "Rhys has no interest in that¡­Do you?"


    "Interest in what?" Rhys nced back and forth at Lina and Daniel.


    "On the throne, where else?" Daniel smiled¡­ before licking his lips, "Lina is the daughter of the King''s oldest son, deceased he may be, his lineage still remains the first in line to inherit the throne ¡ª but since Lina is a woman, that right was given to Uncle Lance. But now that you''ve be a baron and you are also Lte''s fiance. You, Master Rhys¡­


    ¡­have just be a candidate to inherit the throne."

 Chapter 171 The Eccentric Royal Family

    "...You have just be a candidate to inherit the throne."


    "What¡­?"


    Prince Lance ¡ª Rhys was already aware of how cunning he could be, and in a way, how determined he could also be. Even when they first met, Prince Lance personally flew all the way from Ennd in just a hunch that Lina might be the one that was in the photo that was trending on the inte.


    And when he was there, he made the Secretary Karen, who had been trying to control Rhys, look like a child as he did whatever he wanted and just took him away before she could do anything.


    No ¡ª he probably wasn''t even there for Lina, he was there for him. As the person who had been making tabloids in Amerka, the royal family of Ennd would have surely taken an interest in Rhys as well. Prince Lance was probably already aware that Lina was with Rhys even before that blurred photo was leaked to the masses, it only finally gave him a reason to approach Rhys without looking suspicious.


    Even when he activated the traps in the castle, he was probably testing Rhys if the news about his strength was real¡­ this might also mean that he was fully aware of Rhys''s abnormal reflexes and senses, which should not really be obviously visible to other people.


    Someone as cunning and sharp as that¡­ would have also probably known about the infiltrators beforehand.


    This entire thing¡­ was a set-up.


    "Hm¡­" And as Rhys collected his thoughts, a very small smile escaped his lips as he nced at Lance''s table, only to see him also looking at him, raising a ss of wine at him and nodding.


    "You suddenly went quiet, Master Rhys," Daniel lightly tapped the table to get Rhys''s attention, "You do not really have to worry, you won''t be a target to those who crave the throne from Uncle. Well¡­


    ¡­not yet, anyway. Maybe tomorrow?"


    "Danny,e on," Lina scoffed as she gestured to Daniel to shut his mouth, "Rhys isn''t interested in that."


    "That is not entirely true, Ma''am."


    "W¡­ what?" Lina could not help but take in a small gulp as she looked at Rhys, "You mean¡ª"


    "If that''s the price for wanting to be with you, then I''ll dly take the responsibility thates with it," Rhys very gently grabbed Lina''s hand and kissed it.


    "R¡­ Rhys," Lina gasped as she finally looked at Rhys''s face again; tears, almost threatening to fall from her eyes, "Are you¡­ are you proposing to me?"


    "What¡­?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he heard Lina''s words, "I''m¡ª"


    "Can the two of you not flirt here!?" And before Rhys could say anything, Vicky finally snapped out of her stupor; her eyes, trying their best not to look at Rhys, "It''s¡­ it''s disgusting. Why are the two of you even at the same table as us?"


    "Hm," Lina raised an eyebrow as she looked at Vicky, "We''ll leave, then. Rhys¡­ follow me to the bathroom."


    "W¡­ what are you guys nning to do in the loo?" Vicky also stood up almost at the same time as Lina. And suffice it to say, all of the attention in the banquet hall was on them ¡ª none of the other guests could really hear what they were talking about, they were really only interested in Rhys and observing him.


    Unfortunately for the gossipers and lusty married women, before anything could happen, the heavy sound of a trumpet echoed throughout the entire banquet hall. And almost as if in instinct, Vicky, who was making her way to Lina, abruptly stopped in her steps as she stood straight and faced the end of the banquet hall; where a small throne and a table were neatly and carefully ced.


    [His Majesty, the King. And her Royal Highness, Queen Charlotte!]


    And with the herald announcing the arrival of the King, everyone also stood up from their seats all at the same time. Rhys also quickly stood up, saluting the King as he entered the hall.


    This caused Vicky to slightly nce at Rhys for a few seconds; her breath, slightly shivering as Rhys''s thick arm couldn''t be contained by his coat. Fortunately for her, her quivering breaths were drowned by the sound of whispers ¡ª Vicky and the other members of the Royal family found thispletely disrespectful¡­ but it did not take long for them to know the reason for the incessant whispering.


    ¡­Most of the women in the room couldn''t stand up for some reason; some of them, even covering their faces in shame. There was amon denominator in all of the women who remained seated ¡ª all of them were wearing thin dresses.


    Fortunately for them, the musicians hired for the banquet were professionals and quickly yed a more lively tune to mask everyone''s whisper as the King and Queen walked across the red carpet.


    The King smiled and nodded at everyone,pletely ignoring the fact that some of his guests did not stand up for him. The King looked quite young, one would even mistake him as Lance''s older brother instead; his glowing slicked golden hair and thick glowing beard somewhat made him look younger.


    Queen Charlotte, on the other hand, quickly noticed that a number of women did not stand up for them, causing her to raise an eyebrow as she nced at each and every single one of them. Unlike the King, Queen Charlotte''s age was obvious due to the wrinkles on her face, only slightly hidden by her make-up and glowing curly pink hair.


    Very soon, however, she saw the reason why ¡ª he stood out in a room filled with color, after all.


    "Dear¡­" Charlotte whispered into her husband''s ear, "...That''s Rhys Wilder."


    "I know," the King just continued to smile and nod at their guests. And soon, he made his way toward the table of Agatha and Lance.


    "Father. Mother." "''Sup dad, mum."


    Both Lance and Agatha bowed their heads at the King and Queen. The King only smiled and gestured to them to lift up their heads, Queen Charlotte, however, red at Agatha, gritting her teeth as she gestured to her to fix herself.


    "Act your age," Charlotte whispered with her teeth still gritted before just smiling at Annabeth, Lance''s wife, like nothing happened.


    "Y¡­yes, Mum," Agatha, however, could really only force a smile back as Charlotte actually sneakily pinched her on the thigh.


    "I did not expect so many people would attend," the King then faced his guests, "Everyone, please ¡ª we are all family here. Sit, sit!"


    All the guests smiled andughed before all of them sat back down. The women who couldn''t stand up since their thighs were wet, could really only look away in shame.


    "My grandchildren¡­" The King then stretched his arms to the side, "...Oh, how all of you have grown. But you should never be too old not to hug Grandpa and Grandma, no?"


    And out of all of Lina''s cousins, only Henry really rushed toward the King and Queen and hugged them. As for Vicky and the others, they only smiled and bowed their heads as the King and Queen looked at them¡­ and soon, the King''s eyesnded on Lina.


    "Ah, dear Lte," the King very gently let go of Henry and put him on the side as he once again stretched out his arm as he made his way to Lina, "My Queen''s favorite grandchild has returned to us, I see."


    "...Right," Lina nced at Queen Charlotte, only to see her squinted eyes looking at her from head to toe; almost as if judging all the choices she made in her life in one look, "...Hello, Grandpa."


    "Hm," the King smiled and nodded before he finally turned to look at Rhys and also saluted to him, "And could this be the famous Master Rhys? At ease, Soldier."


    "Please, Your Majesty¡­" Rhys shook his head, "...Just call me Rhys."


    "Nonsense," the King chuckled, "I have heard from my son that you are to teach these rowdy bunch a thing or two of what you know. It''s time for these children to actually know what it''s like to really serve the country and not be on their phones all day."


    "That¡­" For some reason, Rhys could not really rebuke the King''s words, and he probably shouldn''t in the first ce, "...I will do my best, Your Majesty."


    "Hm," the King smiled and nodded before gesturing to the Queen, "Dear, this is Master Rhys."


    "Everyone knows who he is," Queen Charlotte reached out her hand to Rhys, "You seem taller in person, Master Rhys. You have made quite a name for¡ª"


    And before Charlotte could finish her words, the entire banquet hall was suddenly filled with gasps as Rhys¡­ kissed the Queen''s hand.


    "Rhys¡­"


    Rhys quickly turned to look at Lina as she nudged him and tapped him on the waist. Was¡­ he not supposed to do that?


    "Pft," Queen Charlotte, however, broke the sudden stifling silence that followed as she let out a hearty giggle, "Oh my, when was thest time a proper gentleman stood in this hall? And a foreigner at that."


    "I¡­ apologize, Your Majesty. I overste¡ª"


    "No," the King held Rhys''s shoulder and interrupted him, "Do not apologize for attempting etiquette, my boy."


    "Still, I¡ª" Rhys could not finish his words again as he felt the King''s grip suddenly tightened.


    "How about some entertainment, then!?"


    Rhys could really only watch as the King suddenly backed away from him; once again stretching his arms to the side. And this time, he suddenly took off his coat¡­ revealing all the raging muscles that were hiding beneath his clothes.


    "Oh no¡­" Lance could not help but cover his face, "...I knew he was being too behaved."


    Agatha, on the other hand, could not help but smile and nod several times.


    As for Rhys, he finally realized where Agatha and half of the family got their temperament from. And judging by the smiles and ps of the other guests¡­ This was normal behavioring from the King.


    Just¡­ how random and entric are these people?


    "Master Rhys," the King gritted his teeth as he flexed his muscles, "As two people who have served our country¡­


    ¡­how about we show these young people how it''s done?"

 Chapter 172 Thirsty Women

    "Enough dilly-dallying, Soldier. Let''s dance."


    "Wha¡­"


    Rhys has never been more confused in his life than he is now. He knew that the Royal Family''s overall entricity originated from something, but he just didn''t imagine it to be from the reigning monarch himself.


    Seeing him right now, with his white glowing hair and beard, and throbbing, veiny muscles ¡ª one would not really guess he was the king of a country. In fact, Rhys would have probably believed anyone if they said that he was some sort of veteran Explorer instead.


    The King was even beckoning him with his hand; taunting him like they were in a street fight rather than a banquet hall with the most influential people in the country. And Rhys almost forgot that fact now that he was staring at the King; all of the people here are the most influential in Ennd.


    The only thing Rhys could really do was slowly turn to look at Lina, who just had a wide smile on her face as she gestured to Rhys to go on.


    "Am I¡­ even allowed to hit the King?" Rhys whispered. Lina, however, was not the one to answer him, no ¡ª he was answered by a fist on his fist, causing him to roll violently on the floor several times as he hit one of the many tables.


    "O¡­oh my¡­" And the table he hit just happened to be the old woman who just recovered from fainting after seeing his face. Fortunately for the both of them, Rhys was able to recover from the hit as he was actually able to block the King''s cheap shot with his arm, allowing him to dig his arm through the floor to soften his crash.


    "Are you okay, Ma''am?" Rhys quickly helped the old woman up as the table fell on top of her. And being a Noble, that sort of damage was truly nothing to the old woman, she did not even get a scratch, "Let me help you."


    "Th¡­ thank you, Dear. My old bones don''t¡ª!!!" All of a sudden, however, as Rhys was helping her up, Rhys''s clothes ''identally'' caught on one of the splinters of the broken table andpletely ripped off his coat all the way through his shirt, and quite cleanly at that.


    And right there and then, all the women let out a collective gasp of¡­ shock as they saw all the lines and the extremely sharp curvature of Rhys''s body; it truly was almost as if they were looking at a sculpture of a god rather than a man.


    If one knew Rhys''s story, it wasn''t that hard to know why his body was more toned and shaped better than most ¡ª he started as a powerless Lowborn. His body was the product of an unhealthy obsessive effort to be stronger than what he was.


    The Commoners, the Nobles; their bodies were given to them by the very gods themselves, while Rhys had to sculpt himself through the torment and pain. And now that he had gained herculean strength from Ayesha, his body was even more enhanced.


    It won''t be a lie to say that Rhys had the most beautiful body in the entire world, and his missing arm even seemed to amplify that instead of reducing it.


    "Oh¡­ oh my¡­" And the one who was seeing all of it¡ªno. The old woman who was touching that body could not help but feel her blood and youth rush throughout her entire body, her wrinkled hands, instinctively grabbed Rhys''s chest.


    "Ma''am!?"


    Unfortunately for the old woman, the excitement seemed to have been too much as her eyes started to show their whites and her breaths began to convulse, to the point that she was almost foaming through her mouth.


    "She''s¡­ not breathing," Rhys turned to look at the man who was seated beside the old woman.


    "What¡­? Mum? Mother!?" The man was about to rush toward the old woman, but before he could do so, she felt a chilling cold pierce through the back of his neck as he saw his mother who was supposed to be unconscious ring at him; warning him not to meddle.


    Of course, Rhys did not fail to see this, causing him to just let out a sigh as he gently ced the old woman on the floor. And as he stood up straight, a collective gasping moan could be heard filling the entire room.


    Lina, who heard this, could not help but cover the smile on her face. She then turned to look at Vicky, and as soon as she saw her with her mouth slightly open, she let out a small and confident chuckle.


    "Jealous much¡­?"


    "What? No!" Vicky breathed heavily as she lightly pushed Lina away, "Go away! I just¡­ I just need a drink from all the stupid shit that has been happening here."


    "Hm¡­"


    "Wh¡ªDon''t just sneak up behind me like that, Auntie!"


    And all of a sudden, Agatha was breathing behind Vicky''s back, humming at her ear before standing beside her,


    "I''ve never seen you quite thirsty, little Vicky."


    "...Please don''t call me that," Vicky''s eyes suddenly twitched. Perhaps the worst part of Agatha joining their conversation was that Vicky couldn''t talk to her like she does with Lina, causing her to just smile her pain away, "And no one is thirsty for Rhys!"


    "Rhys¡­? I didn''t mention any names," Agatha giggled. Soon, however, her eyes darted to Lina, "You seem to really like unting your rtionship with the hot ckie there, Lte¡­


    ¡­would be a shame if you end up breaking up."


    "We won''t."


    "Oh my, how can you be so sure?" Agatha covered her mouth as she giggled, "Want to make a bet? Before Master Rhys goes back to Amerkan¡­


    ¡­I''ll snatch him from you."


    "Mum¡­" Daniel could not help but reprimand his mother, "...You''re seriouslypeting with my cousin for a man?"


    "And why not?" Agatha licked her lips as she stared at the half-naked Rhys, looking at him from head to toe, "I''ve already tasted the tip."


    "You¡ª" And as soon as Lina heard that, she quickly red at her aunt; her eyes, filled with fire, "...There''s no use in betting, Rhys is mine, and I am his."


    "Well," Agatha smirked, "...We''ll see."


    And as the women of the Royal Family were now literally fighting over him, Rhys was still at a loss on whether or not he should actually fight the King. But seeing as no one from his knights was doing anything, and if he could hear it right¡­


    ¡­some of the guards were even tantly cheering for Rhys to kill the King.


    "Kill him! Beat his dick!"


    No¡ªthey really are vulgarly telling him to kill the King. And upon realizing that, a small smile crawled on Rhys''s face. This kind of environment¡­ itpletely reminds him of the Underworld Corps.


    It would seem the King of Ennd was extremely close to his vassals and men, most likely trained with him too since he was part of Ennd''s military.


    And so, Rhys just let out a small sigh as he stepped forward.


    "A King that attacks a one-armed man, I don''t think that''s right," Rhys smiled at the King.


    "I know what you are capable of, Master Rhys¡­" The King stretched his arm to the side, summoning a spear which seemed to be made out of water, "...I also know your weakness. It''s not ying dirty, it''s strategy."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys nodded. And without even any warning, he suddenly pulled his arm back.


    "!!!"


    And as soon as he did so, the King found himself suddenly flying toward Rhys. He quickly looked at his wrist, only to see several sharp threads almost threatening to cut his hand open. The King only smiled upon seeing that, however, before he quickly let go of his aqua spear; catching it with the other andpletely slicing the threads with it.


    Upon seeing this, Rhys could not help but squint his eyes ¡ª although his thread wasn''t as strong as Arachnea''s, for the King to just slice them off like that showed that he truly wasn''t all talk, unlike his grandchildren.


    "You think too much."


    "Hm," and as Rhys was lost in thought, he tilted his body to the side as the King threw the aqua spear toward his head, "What makes you think my weakness is wat¡ª"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, Rhys ducked down as the aqua spear suddenly changed form as soon as it was right beside him, almost threatening to slice his neck as the spear became a chakram.


    "You are irritated by it," the King breathed out; his muscr chest almost puffing as he walked calmly toward Rhys, "Distracted by it, is that not weakness? Is Ss West not eating your thoughts, Master Rhys?"


    "Hm¡­" Rhys stood up straight as he red at the King; the respectful tone he had, slightly fading away, "...Contrary, it made me stronger, Your Majesty. Let me show you how...


    ...but don''t me me for embarrassing you in front of your people."

 Chapter 173 Rhys vs. The King of Enkland

    "...Let me show you how."


    "Oho¡­"


    There was a certain silence that followed after that. The knights, the guests, and perhaps even the very ambiance itself all shushed as Rhys and the King just stared at each other; clearly amused but still very much wary of each other.


    And without even saying another word, Rhys grabbed a part of the broken table and threw it straight toward the King without even any hesitation. The King, of course, just smirked as he created another weapon made of water in his hand ¡ª this time, it was a greatsword.


    If one were to see this for the first time, one would probablyugh at it. Who actually brandishes a weapon made out of nothing but water? Wouldn''t that just bepletely defeated with just a simple force?


    No. The King did not even brandish or swing the greatsword at all, he just held it in front of him¡­ and itpletely sliced the table hurtling toward him into two without even a slight resistance.


    The greatsword wasn''t just a bundle of water, it was practically a water jet that waspressed to its limits looping over and over again to resemble the shape of a sword ¡ª if anything, it would be better to call it a high-pressure water chainsaw¡­ it was deadly. No wonder it was able to cut through Rhys''s threads.


    "I would not advise that if I were you, Master Rhys." With his right hand still holding the aqua greatsword, he stretched his left hand behind him and summoned a shield that was almost asrge as him. And there, Rhys''s fist stopped just inches away from making contact with the aqua shield ¡ª if he did, his knuckles would have probably disintegrated,


    "But then again, one should know when tomit¡­


    ¡­like this."


    "!!!"


    Rhys quickly leaped back; somersaulting in the air as he avoided all the water tendrils that suddenly shot out from the shield.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys did not even have time to properly breathe, however, as the tendrils just continued to extend toward him; following him like a homing missile. Each of the tentacles was capable of fully shaving the floor even though they were just grazing it; the obviously expensive tiles and carpets, ruined.


    "Sooner orter, you will get tired or dodging, Master Rhys," the King has not even moved from his spot as the streams of water just continued to shoot out from his aqua shield, "No, I heard a certain rumor that you do not get tired¡­


    ¡­so I just need to brute force my way to victory."


    The King suddenly moved from his spot, finally waving the greatsword toward Rhys; creating a violent crescent wave that seemed to slice the very air itself.


    This time, however, Rhys met the water jet head-on, stretching his palm toward it as he also stedpressed air, not onto it, but inside it ¡ªpletely breaking the water jet apart and causing it to just shower everywhere.


    But as Rhys moved through the st and continued to rush toward the King, he was no longer to be found¡­ and was instead hovering above him with a wide smile on his face, carried by a thick stream of water. And with a deep breath, the King kicked down, violently pouring all of the water straight down toward Rhys.


    Rhys, upon seeing the smile on the King''s face, also could not help but grow a smile on his face as the waterpletely devoured him¡­ or so everyone thought. Before the violent waterfall could even create a pool in the hall, Rhys was also no longer to be seen.


    The King, who was still hovering in the air, quickly turned his eyes to find Rhys in the hall. But as soon as he turned his head, he felt a sharp pressure suddenly wrapping then tugging around his neck; the King thought for a fraction of a second as to when Rhys could have done this¡­ and the answer was now.


    The King quickly turned to look up, only to see Rhystched onto one of the chandeliers, already holding several threads in his hand. And without even any hesitation, Rhys jumped up onto the ceiling, before kicking himself down¡­ with the chandelier acting like a pulley as he pulled the King up by the neck.


    "This¡­" An almost maniacal smile formed on the King''s face as he realized what Rhys was doing. Was he actually trying to decapitate him right in front of all his guests? But of course, the King wouldn''t just let that happen.


    The King did not slice the thread, no ¡ª instead, he shot out a water jet onto the chains of the chandelier, causing it to fall along with Rhys and making him lose bnce.


    "Come here, you little runt!" The King''s maniacal smile turned intoughter as he pulled on the threads ¡ª perhaps a mistake, as Rhys also pulled back, causing the King to quickly let go unless he wanted to have all of his fingers chopped.


    The King then quickly summoned a pair of aqua daggers and immediately cut off the threads before rushing toward Rhys. And Rhys, upon seeing this, grabbed a scalpel from his trusty utility belt¡­ which he was still wearing even during the party.


    And with aughter also escaping his mouth, Rhys also rushed toward the King as the two just started exchanging blows with their des. But there and then, however, the guests and audience realized who was going to win this match.


    The King obviously had more style and technique with his strikes; fully utilizing his abilities as he manipted the daggers in his hands so he could hit Rhys, and he was hitting Rhys; but each time he grazed Rhys with his aqua daggers, Rhys proceeded to graze him twice or thrice¡­ even with one hand.


    The two were almost dancing, but Rhys was dodging almost all of the King''s strikes¡­ not to mention that with each of his strikes, the King could really only take a step back from the sheer force.


    "Are you sure we should continue this head-on match?" Rhys finally spoke; his hand, almost as if moving on their own. He doesn''t try to deflect the King''s daggers; there was no use in doing so ¡ª and so, he was just focusing on targeting his vital points, causing the King to mostly be on the defensive instead, "You could turn your daggers into swords and I would probably lose."


    "Where is the honor in that, Master Rhys!?" The King smiled.


    "...You did punch me when I wasn''t looking."


    "Have you not heard of the King''s advantage, my boy!?" The King once againughed¡­ but it was obvious from the drops of sweat on his face that he was already struggling to keep up with Rhys.


    "I think I have, actually¡­" Rhys thought of Ayesha. But if he were topare the two, Ayesha clearly outmatched the King; the King had more grace and technique in his moves, but Ayesha was just a different beast altogether ¡ª if Ayesha wanted to, she could probably overwhelm Rhys each time during their training.


    But of course, the King also provided Rhys with an exciting battle; fighting those with overwhelmingly more experience than him truly was a different... experience.


    "Please, don''t think of something else while fighting me, Master Rhys," the King''sugh turned weak, "It is disheartening to know I do not have your full attention."


    "...Of course, Your Majesty," and with a small breath escaping Rhys''s lips, he suddenly let go of his scalpel as he spun in ce; pping the King''s wrist away at the same time before stepping beside him and moving to his back. He then grabbed another scalpel from his utility belt, but he held it on the sharp end.


    Rhys was about to end the King''s entire career as the blunt end of his scalpel was now heading toward his neck¡­ when Rhys saw the expressions of all the guests. A mix of shock, fear, and perhaps even disappointment. Even the knights, who were previously cheering for the King''s defeat, had their eyes and mouth wide open.


    And as soon as he saw this, Rhys suddenly stopped his attack mid-way, letting out a small sigh as he nced at the King who was now turning toward him.


    "Ho¡­" The King just took a nce at the scalpel before letting out a deep breath, "...The throne owes you for this, Master Rhys."


    "Yes, you do."


    And as soon as Rhys finished his words, the King let go of his aqua daggers and punched Rhys straight down his cheek, causing him to violently bounce on the floor.


    "For Ennd!"


    And as the King roared and raised his hands in victory, the only thing that Rhys could really do was shake his head and sigh; the cheers of the guests and the knights in the banquet hall, enough to turn one deaf from how loud it was.


    "For the Throne!"


    "For the King!"


    And before Rhys could even fully stand up, however, the King suddenly grabbed his arm and also raised it in the air.


    "For Master Rhys¡­


    ¡­and his wedding to Princess Lte!"


    "Huh¡­?" Rhys''s eyes could not help but turn wide as soon as he heard the King''s words. Once again, he was getting dragged by the Royal Family.


    "All of you are invited to their future wedding that will be happening this month!" The King roared, and the guests just reciprocated.


    "For Master Rhys and Princess Lte! Long live Ennd!"


    Rhys then turned to look at Lina, who quickly mouthed the very same thought he had in his mind.


    As soon as Rhys got what he wanted in Ennd, they needed to leave as soon as possible.

 Chapter 174 The History

    "You truly have my gratitude for letting me win, Master Rhys."


    "Grandpa!?"


    "...Your Majesty."


    Rhys almost gasped as the King bowed to him ¡ª there were no other guests since the party was over and Rhys was currently in the King''s study, but the King''s immediate family was all still there, and they could not help but stand up from their seats and gesture to the King to quickly raise his head. Even Rhys did not know what to do.


    "What¡­ do you mean he let you win, Dad?" Agatha, who was fidgeting with his father''s books and flipping the pages in the corner of the room while everyone else was seated at the table, raised an eyebrow as she looked back and forth between Rhys and the King, "Are you saying he held back?"


    "...Did you hold back, Master Rhys?" The King let out an amused breath as he questioned Rhys.


    "Of course not, Your Majesty," Rhys raised his palm and shook his head, "I gave it my all, but since it was just an exhibition match, I¡­ did not really see a reason for any of us to get hurt."


    "He let me win," the King turned to look at Agatha and Lance, "You have done well bringing this child here, Lance. I believe he is just what my grandchildren need for them to finally get out of their shell."


    "Grandpa, we don''t need to have a trainer! We already have the best the country has to offer!" Vickyined.


    "The best this country has to offer is scared of you dimwits!" The King raised his voice, causing Vicky and the other cousins to just lower their heads, "Your training will start in 3 days! Make sure you do not embarrass me, or I swear to King Aethelc that none of you will inherit something from me!"


    "You''re already giving away thend that was promised to me!" And surprisingly, Vicky also raised her voice as soon as she heard her grandfather''sst words, "The house andnd that father promised me was given to this stupid ckie!"


    "Vicky! You dare raise your voice against your grandfather!?" Annabeth bellowed at her daughter; her scream, enough to cause all the books in the study to tremble.


    "I hate this, and I hate all of you!" Vicky stomped her foot on the floor before just leaving the study; mming the door on all of them.


    "Please excuse me, Your Majesty."


    "Go, take your children with you too," the King let out a small but deep sigh, "No, every one of you ¡ª leave¡­ except for Master Rhys."


    "I''ll bring the two of you some tea," Queen Charlotte slightly bowed and nodded to the King as she gestured everyone to leave; slightly pushing Agatha away as she seemed to want to stay, "Master Rhys, would you like some biscuits?"


    "N¡ª"


    "I baked them."


    "Please," Rhys could really only smile as Queen Charlotte also smiled at him. The Royal Family¡­ doesn''t take no for an answer, do they? But at the very least, Queen Charlotte seems to be the most normal of the entire family.


    "Husband," Queen Charlotte then once again nodded to the King before closing the door and leaving just the two of them in the study.


    The King then walked away from the table and moved to the corner of the room where Agatha was previously flipping his books.


    "My daughter can be a little intrusive and downright insufferable, Master Rhys ¡ª but trust me when I say that Lance is not the only one cunning between my children," the King then grabbed several books from the shelf in front of him, seemingly rearranging their ces, "Agatha had always had a very adventurous mind, you see. And they are not usually allowed in my studies unless with my permission¡­


    ¡­she was probably trying to find this."


    And as soon as the King put thest book in ce, the King''s desk that was at the end of the study moved; sliding to the side and revealing a pathway down.


    "Master Rhys. Please, follow me if you may."


    The King did not even wait for Rhys to follow him down as he disappeared into the floor. And as he did not really have a choice in the matter, Rhys followed the King to the mysterious dungeon beneath his study ¡ª no, it couldn''t even be considered a dungeon at all. Rhys was expecting it to be dark, but not at all; it was probably the brightest room in the entire castle.


    It was just a small room, even smaller than the King''s study¡­ and yet, it seemed infinitelyrger.


    "Wee to my mancave, Master Rhys¡­" The King cleared his throat as he stretched his arms to the side, "...That is how the young ones in Amerkan say it, correct?"


    "...Mostly," Rhys just breathed out,pletely distracted by all the paintings that filled the entire room, making it seem bigger than it really is. There were paintings of different sceneries, different beasts and monsters ¡ª and at the center of them all, a silhouette carrying long ck hair.


    "...Aethelc," Rhys breathed out.


    "You know," the King closed his eyes as he took in a very long and very deep breath; the exhale that came after,pletely filling the entire room with a sense of¡­ relief, "You''ve seen her, I have too. I was told you were found unconscious in front of her portrait in my children''s estate, I was hoping that was true¡­


    ¡­finally, someone else to carry the burden."


    "Forgive me for intruding, Your Majesty," Rhys turned to look at the King, only to see his eyespletely solemn, "...But what burden?"


    "The truth ¡ª about the gods, about us, about our history," the King pointed at one of the many paintings in the room, with Aethelc''s silhouette and 4 other people justpletely drowned in white, in¡­ light. He wasn''t in the light, he was facing the light¡­ against it.


    The King then once again turned to look at Rhys, and as soon as he saw the confusion in his eyes, the excited smile on the King''s face faded away,


    "She¡­ she didn''t tell you?"


    "No¡­" Rhys returned the King''s re, "...He¡ªshe told me something about Fate not getting to me yet¡­ about resisting it."


    "Resisting¡­ Fate?" The King backed away from Rhys as he looked at him from head to toe before pointing at him, "It''s you¡­


    ¡­You''re the one."


    "...I would appreciate it if you just tell it to me straight before we get interrupted by something, Your Majesty," Rhys sighed, "That seems to happen a lot."


    "Very well, Master Rhys¡­" The King smiled as he once again focused on Aethelc''s painting, "...But for that, we have to start at the beginning. King Aethelc was known to be the first demigod to be born a thousand years ago, the daughter of¡ª"


    "Your Majesty."


    "Yes, perhaps we can skip some parts," the King cleared his throat, "You may already be aware, but King Aethelc is a woman."


    "...Yes," Rhys turned to look at King Aethelc''s portrait ¡ª the very same portrait that was in Lance''s castle, the only thing different was that her hair waspletely ck.


    "They had to hide that fact since only men were supposed to fight against the beasts back then. But that is not important in our story," the King waved his hand, "The truth is, the monsters and beasts from the Hole were not our only enemies, Master Rhys¡­


    ¡­the Gods are too."


    "...Arachnea said something simr to me."


    "Of course, of course¡­" The King smiled as he looked at Rhys, "...I have heard reports of you meeting the God of Spiders. What else did she say to you?"


    "Nothing ¡ª she refuses to borate like King Aethelc," Rhys sighed, "She only told me to be wary of the gods."


    She also told Rhys that the owner of the blood flowing through his veins, Eros, was considered a traitor by the Olympians¡­ but the King did not need to know that, yet.


    "She told me that the gods did not descend from the heavens at all, but¡ª"


    "They came from the same ce where the monsters lie," the King looked down, "Master Rhys¡­


    ¡­it is the gods themselves that sent the monsters to us."


    "...How would you know all of this?" Rhys''s eyebrows began to lower."


    "Because King Aethelc fought with Zeus himself," the King looked Rhys in the eyes; the words that escaped from his mouth came out without even a tinge of hesitation.


    "...What?" Rhys could really only watch as the King moved closer to the white-filled painting of King Aethelc.


    "This picture," the King stared at the painting, "This is the moment King Aethelc and herpanions fought the King of the Gods."


    "Fought¡­ against a god?" Rhys recalled the moments Arachnea just yed with them. And King Aethelc¡­ fought against Zeus?


    "And they won?"


    "No," the King quickly turned to look at Rhys, "They lost. We lost, Master Rhys¡­


    ¡­humanity never won anything."

 Chapter 175 A Hero

    "...We never really won anything."


    "...Howe you''re the only one that knows this version of our history, Your Majesty?"


    Rhys was not trying to sound doubtful, but he was. Throughout his entire life, he had been taught the same history over and over again ¡ª the gods were their saviors. But most importantly, it did not, and should not really matter to him.


    "Because we have kept this secret for a thousand years, Master Rhys," the King breathed out; the relief that his exhale contained still very much filled with a hopeful weight, "And we are not the only ones that know this ¡ª around the world, there are protectors of our true history."


    The King once again pointed at the painting where King Aethelc supposedly faced Zeus, or more specifically, he pointed at the other silhouettes who were with the First King.


    "There is a prophecy, a prophecy that King Aethelc left us," the King then looked Rhys in the eyes,


    "The prophecy states that a saviour will rise¡ª"


    "No."


    And as soon as Rhys heard the King''s words, he did not even let him finish his sentence as he took a step back; shaking his head as he looked away from the King.


    "...No?" The King muttered.


    "No," Rhys once again shook his head before staring at King Aethelc''s portrait, "After themotion in Amerka has died down and I train your grandchildren ¡ª I am going home."


    "But Master Rhys¡­" The King forced out a chuckle as he approached Rhys, "...This is your destiny. Everything that has happened to you has led you down this path. Can you even imagine the odds of you being here, in this same exact ce, Master Rhys? You, an Amerkan, meeting one of my wayward grandchildren and¡ª"


    "I''m not a savior, Your Majesty," Rhys bowed to the King; his voice, slightly trembling along with his hand as he turned to look at it, "The things that I have already done, the things that I will do ¡ª I''m not on the path of a savior, I''m far from it. I''m sorry¡­


    ¡­but I have other ns."


    "Other ns¡­" The King also turned to look at Rhys''s trembling hand before closing his eyes and letting out a deep sigh, "I see¡­ The world has been unkind to you, Master Rhys. And for that¡­


    ¡­I truly do apologize."


    And once again, as the King also bowed to him, the only thing that Rhys could do was quickly gesture to him to raise his head.


    "If only you were born here, I know you would not have been treated the way you have," the King looked at Aethelc''s portrait, "The Amerkans and some of the other countries are still stuck in their ways. But what is done is done¡­


    ¡­I just hope that you could find it in your heart to forgive, Master Rhys."


    "Forgive¡­" A smile escaped Rhys''s face, "...Thank you, Your Majesty. I too, wish that you''ve met a more hopeful version of me. And I am sorry that we''re not the same ¡ª I didn''t join the military, the Underworld Corps to serve my country; I joined for a different reason. I''m¡­ not a hero."


    "Master Rhys, heroes are not born and created¡­" The King shook his head and chuckled, "...They are called upon by the people. And I believe¡­ I believe that when the timees the world calls for you¡­


    ¡­you will answer."


    "If I don''t end up in prison yet."


    "Pft," the King''s chuckles immediately turned into a burst ofughter as he started patting Rhys''s arm, "You still have a sense of humour, you''re not that far gone, Master Rhys."


    "...That wasn''t a joke, Your Majesty," a chuckle also escaped Rhys''s mouth as he followed the King and he started moving back up the stairs.


    "There is actually also another who had seen visions of King Aethelc and talked to her," the King then casually revealed to Rhys, "Victoria."


    "...Is that why you previously promised her King Aethelc''s birthce? In Wessex?"


    "Yes ¡ª and now that you yourself have chosen thatnd as your reward for rescuing my family¡­ I know that it is meant for you, Master Rhys," the King breathed in proudly, "Do you see? Destiny, Master Rhys, destiny. I was hoping to spare my family that burden of the world, and now you are here."


    "...I chose it because I wanted to know more about King Aethelc," Rhys sighed, "His hair is¡­ ck. Maybe I could talk to him again in the ce where he was born."


    "I do hope so, Master Rhys¡­" The King nodded before walking back to the table where they were previously discussing with the others, which now had a set of tea and biscuits ready for them,


    "...I heard Lte and the others would like to tour you around the cities tomorrow. But for now, how about we talk some more? No more prophecies, I just want to know more about you, Master Rhys."


    ***


    "Say ''Ah''..."


    "You guys are insufferable, why am I even here?"


    "Because you''re our tour guide. It''s been years since I''ve been here, and you have nothing better to do."


    "How dare you, I have many activities."


    "Oh, really? Like picking flowers in the castle and crocheting with your mother?"


    "At least I have a mother, you¡ªI¡­ I''m sorry, Rhys."


    "Why the fuck are you apologizing to him and not me!?"


    Rhys was hoping to rx.


    He finally had a good night''s sleep, with Lina by his side,pletely exhausted from their nightly activities. And now, he was hoping to rx and just tour around the city before he started training Lina''s cousins¡­


    ¡­but it would seem that Fates truly had other ns for him as Lina and Vicky had been arguing for more than an hour now, and the people at the small restaurant they were in had been staring at them for just as long.


    "Uhm¡­ excuse me."


    Fortunately for Rhys, the real savior has arrived in the form of a waiter holding a piece of paper in her hand.


    "Why are you here?" Vicky quickly red at the woman, "We''re already done ordering. Now scoot, darling."


    "Uhm¡­ I''m sorry," the waitress seemed extremely ufortable, but she didn''t leave and instead turned to Rhys, "Is¡­ is it okay to have your signature, please!?"


    "Oi, leave him alone," Vicky almost snarled at the waitress, "Don''t you know who we are?"


    "That¡ªY¡­Your Highness!" And as soon as the waitress realized who Vicky was, she quickly bowed her head and backed away. Before she could take her second step, however, she felt a certain warmth grasping her wrist. She quickly turned to look as to who was holding her, and as soon as she saw who it was, her legs almost gave out there and then.


    Fortunately for her, Rhys stood up and pulled her closer to catch her.


    "I''m¡­ I''m¡­" The woman''s eyes froze along with her breaths.


    "It''s okay, give it to me," Rhys then gently stepped back from the woman and grabbed the piece of paper from her hand¡­ which turned out to be a cut-out page of him in a magazine when he did a photo shoot for a certain perfume brand. He stared at the photo for a few seconds, before just cing it on the table and signing it.


    And as Rhys handed the photo back to the waitress, the waitress instinctively embraced Rhys.


    "Oi!" Vicky stood up from her chair, but Lina grabbed her hand and gestured to her to calm down, "Wh¡ªare you mental? That''s your boyfriend."


    "He is," Lina smiled as she just looked at Rhys, "And we''re going to have hot, steamy sex once we get home. Vicky, if you want to be able to handle Rhys, you shouldn''t be so insecure."


    "Excuse me? Insecure?" Vicky sat back down and scoffed, "Me? I''m not insecure."


    "Everyone knows you have aplex about your height and looking like you haven''t even had your puberty even though you''re already like 40."


    "I''m 30, you fucking dimwit. You¡ª"


    "Oh my god, it''s Rhys Wilder!"


    And before Vicky and Lina could start arguing again, several more women started approaching their table. No ¡ª it wasn''t just several. All of the women in the restaurant and even those who were outside started running toward them.


    "F¡­ fucking hell," Vicky and Lina could not help but just raised both their hands as they were suddenly being pinned down, "Where the fuck did all these horny womene from!?"


    Rhys, the one at the center of this mob, could not help but also back away as he started getting drowned by the mob; his vision, blocked by all the flickering hearts floating above everyone''s head. And so, the only thing he could really do was gently push away all the women and grab Lina''s hand before quickly sinking into the shadows.


    "Run¡­" And as they emerged from outside the restaurant, Rhys did not even hesitate to drag Lina and run ¡ª escaping into the mall beside the restaurant and quickly hiding in one of the public restrooms,


    "...Are you alright?" Rhys asked, "We should probablye back for your cousin, she¡ª"


    "Huf¡­"


    Rhys abruptly paused with his words as he turned to look at the hand he was holding, only to realize it was smaller than Lina''s hand. He then slowly turned to look at the owner of the hand¡­


    ¡­only to see Vicky gasping for her breath.


    "This¡­" Vicky breathed out,


    "...This is awkward."

 Chapter 176 A Very... Sticky Situation in the Lavatory

    "Uhm¡­"


    If there was a moment when one could hear the beating of one''s heart ever so loudly; like a thunder seeping into the cracks of the deepest corridors of one''s heart, then this was probably it.


    Vicky, as the oldest of all the cousins, has always been mistaken as the youngest out of all of them due to her height and the way she looked ¡ª she was already 32 years old, and yet people still mistake her as someone who was just in her secondary education.


    She already had it checked with Ennd''s best doctors, and yet the only thing they could reallye up with was that the blood of Poseidon that was flowing through her veins was slowing the rate of her aging; that would have been alright, if her siblings were in the same predicament ¡ª but no.


    At first, she considered not aging as a sort of blessing; but as she grew older, as she watched all of her peers get married and have children, the only thing she could do was watch and pretend that it didn''t bother her at all, but it did.


    She used to have a long-term boyfriend, the son of a viscount and a very distant cousin; but it ended when he was the only one who grew older. It did not help that her choices were limited too, as she had to marry a Noble¡­ and most of the Nobles in the country were her rtives.


    She tried meeting up Nobles in another country, and even once dated the Ranked 9 Strongest Explorer in the world, Hanamichi Rukawa. But it turned out he had a¡­ perverse taste.


    Dating was extremely hard for someone like her, almost impossible. But now, she is currently inside a cubicle in a publicvatory with one of the most popr men in the entire world¡­ and probably the most handsome.


    And the craziest part in all of this is this was her first time inside a public restroom. The only thing she could really do was look back and forth between Rhys and the floor; not knowing if the violent beating of her heart could be heard by him¡­ because it was certainly ringing in her ears.


    "Lina said there''s still a lot of crowd outside." As for Rhys, he seemedpletely oblivious to Vicky''s thoughts as he checked his phone from time to time, as Lina volunteered to lure the mob away¡­ but s, it would seem it was ineffective as they seemed to be searching for Rhys inside the mall.


    Of course, Rhys was not actually oblivious to Vicky''s thoughts ¡ª it was all he could hear, after all.


    ''Talk to me. Please talk to me.''


    One of the Hearts floating above her head was already filled up, but she wasn''t alone. Most of the crowd that mobbed him earlier already had one of their hearts filled, some even had two. While he is here¡­ he should probably try to actively conquer someone.


    Rhys turned to look at Vicky, causing her to slightly flinch and look away. But after a few seconds, Rhys just turned to look at his phone again. Rhys knows Vicky is older than him, but she truly does look like a girl¡­


    ¡­their aunt, Agatha, would be a better fit. The only problem is that she is married, and even though she was clearly flirting and even outright sexually harassing him already¡­ the Hearts floating above Agatha''s head had no signs of filling up ¡ª is that because of her experience?


    "You¡­" And as Vicky saw Rhys looking away from her; her breaths started to turn heavy as the disappointment started to drown her, "...You also see me as a child, don''t you?"


    "Yes," Rhys did not hesitate to answer Vicky, "I''m sorry, Ma''am."


    "...Then why are you calling me Ma''am?" Vicky lowered her eyebrows, "You''re the first one to ever call me that."


    "It''s¡­ a habit," Rhys let out a sigh as he hid his phone back into his pocket, "I think I have a lot of things to apologize to you for ¡ª I received thend you were supposed to inherit."


    "...No," Vicky also let out a sigh as she shook her head, "I did try to kill Lte."


    "Were¡­ you really going to kill her?"


    "I¡­ don''t know," Vicky closed her eyes, "But I know Addie would, she hates her in the deepest parts of her core. She would¡ª"


    "Check here!"


    And before Vicky could finish her words, several voices suddenly entered the restroom. And before she could even react, Rhys suddenly crouched down and leaned closer to her.


    "Hang on," Rhys whispered.


    "Wh¡ª" Once again, she was not able to finish her words as Rhys suddenly grabbed her hand and ced it over his shoulder. She wanted to scream at him, but stopped herself as the women might hear her; the only thing she could do was bite her lip as Rhys also ced her other hand over his shoulder.


    "Hold tight," Rhys once again whispered; this time, his lips were almost touching her ear.


    "Hun¡­" Vicky instinctively moaned as she felt Rhys''s breath tickling her ear.


    "Did you hear that!?"


    And as the footsteps grew closer to them, Vicky quickly covered her mouth as she tightened her embrace around Rhys, who shot out a thread onto the ceiling and lifted both of them up.


    "Uh¡­ no one''s here, but it''s locked."


    Vicky could not help but widen her eyes as one of the women even crouched down to look at the bottom of the cubicle. Just¡­ how desperate are these women?"


    "Maybe they''re inside? Should we break it?"


    "...Are you stupid, girl? It''s probably just out of service."


    "Ugh, you''ve heard, haven''t you? Rhys''ll be staying here for a week or sumthin''. This might be thest time we''ll ever get a chance to see him in person."


    "What do you fancy our chances would be?"


    And as the women seemed to have taken it upon themselves to stay inside the restroom and chat, Vicky could not help but just once again bite her lip as she felt the warmth of Rhys''s neck on her cheek. They were so close, to the point that she could hear the blood running through his veins.


    It wasn''t only the warmth of his neck; due to her small breasts, she did not really gain the habit of wearing any bra. And so now, her nipples were directly hitting Rhys''s chest through their clothes¡­ and they were slowly starting to perk up.


    "Khn¡­" Vicky tried to adjust herself, but it only made it worse as her small breasts brushed onto her clothes and Rhys''s toned, hard chest. And so, the only thing Vicky could really do was to lift herself up by wrapping her legs around Rhys''s waist¡­


    ¡­a clear mistake on her part as she was wearing a small skirt.


    "Wh¡ª!!!" Vicky once again covered her mouth as she could feel something rubbing between her thighs; the juices which were actually already dampening her panties wet, now transfering to Rhys''s shirt, "That¡­"


    "Someone spotted him outside!"


    Fortunately for Vicky, the women started leaving thevatory and Rhys quickly ced her back on the floor. Unfortunately for her, the damage was already done.


    Vicky''s eyes widened as she saw the wet spot on Rhys''s shirt¡ªno, it wasn''t just wet, it was drowned.


    "No¡­" And as Vicky saw Rhys looking at it, the only thing she could really do was sit on the toilet and bury her face in her palms. Was¡­ Was she truly that deprived of sexual attention that she got wet just by hugging a man? No, Rhys was not just any man.


    Perhaps this entire situation caused her to feel extremely hot. Rhys was her cousin''s boyfriend, and the most good-looking man she had everid eyes on.


    "Oh my god, oh my god¡­" Vicky''s words muffled through her hands, "...I''m¡­ I don''t know what¡­ just leave, please leave."


    "Vicky," Rhys breathed out.


    "No, don''t talk to me. Don''t look at me, please¡­ just leave," Vicky stuttered as tears started seeping out between her fingers, "I''m¡­ I''m already embarrassed as it is, so please¡­ just¡ª"


    And before Vicky could finish her words, her hand was suddenly pulled away by Rhys, who was now crouching on the floor as he looked her directly in her red eyes. She quickly looked away, but Rhys just very gently held her cheek before wiping her tears away with his thumb.


    Rhys did not even say anything, he was just looking at her with a gentle smile on his face.


    "It''s¡­ it''s that look¡­" Vicky bit her lip, "...You''re looking at me like I''m a child. I''m not 15, I''m not 16 years old ¡ª I''m more than a decade older than you. And yet why do you look at me like I''m some sort of¡ªGh!?"


    And before Vicky could finish her words, Rhys suddenly leaned closer to her and ced his lips on her cheek; the warmth of her tears and Rhys''s lips, melding together.


    And as Rhys pulled away and Vicky saw his wet lips¡­ her hands just instinctively grabbed Rhys''s face. She looked at his eyes for a few seconds while her breaths grew wilder and wilder. And soon, she leaned closer to Rhys and just ced her lips on his¡­


    ¡­hard.

 Chapter 177 I am Not a Kid (R-18)

    "Why are¡­"


    Those were the only words that escaped Vicky''s lips; she fully wrapped her arms around Rhys''s neck while pecking his face continuously in the most passionate way; her heavy breaths, threatening to turn into moans ¡ª they would have probably already been if they were not in a public restroom.


    "Why are¡­"


    And once again, Vicky repeated her words as she stuck out her tongue and licked Rhys''s lips.


    There was something about the descendants of Poseidon that made them easy to differentiate from other people ¡ª all the liquid thates out from them, no matter what, almost has a unique and peculiar sweet scent. A sweet perfume that almost rolled like mild honey on his tongue¡­ and it was more prevalent with Nobles. And Rhys¡­


    ¡­Rhys fucking hated the scent.


    "Kh!" Vicky could really only hold her breath as Rhys suddenly pushed her away; her back hitting the tank of the toilet as Rhys held her by the neck. She looked at Rhys for a few seconds with a slight worry in her eyes, but her fear onlysted for a millisecond as a smile crawled on her face and she lifted up her top and revealed her small breasts; her nipples, firmly perked up.


    "This¡­ this is so filthy," Vicky wheezed as she just hurriedly lifted her hips and removed her panties; quickly wrapped her legs around Rhys''s waist and pulled him closer to her,


    "Choke¡­ choke me harder," she whispered before fervently kissing Rhys''s mouth; once again sticking out her tongue and rolling it inside his mouth, while unbuttoning off his pants at the same time. She slightly stopped when she felt a slight resistance when she tried to pull his pants down, but she continued¡­


    ¡­and then it hit her¡­ quite literally.


    "!!!" Vicky''s eyes widened as Rhys''s thing practically jumped out of his pants, hitting her between the thighs andpletely covering the entire thing. Vicky very slowly turned to look down while slightly pushing her hips away, only to realize that Rhys''s cock extended farther up than her belly button.


    And this time, Vicky was truly worried. She tried her best not to show it on her face, however. But her almost panicking and thirsting breathspletely failed her.


    "This is¡­" Vicky took in a gulp as she held Rhys''s cock; needing both hands to fully cover its girth,


    "Oh¡­ my god," she whispered before spitting on Rhys''s cock and stroking it feverishly. She then turned to look Rhys in the eyes, and as soon as she saw his hypnotizing silver eyes, she just lifted her hips up; cing Rhys''s cock right between her legs,


    "Uhn¡­ no. I''m wet¡­ I''m so wet¡­" Vicky''s entire lower body started to tremble as they slowly, and excitedly weed Rhys inside; her legs, almost unable to bnce themselves as her toes started to curl¡­ and unfortunately for her, her legs did fail her as she just fell on top of Rhys,


    "It¡­ it hurts!"


    She almost cried there and then; almost ripping off Rhys''s shirt as she clung to him. The only thing she could really do was once again vite Rhys''s mouth; her right hand, almost instinctively ying with her clit, while her other hand made sure that Rhys won''t remove his hand from her neck.


    "It¡­ hurts," she once again whispered as she tightened her legs around Rhys''s waist and swallowed all of him, "It¡­ hurts," she whispered as her hips started moving on their own.


    "Rhys¡­ no," a somewhat warped smile crawled on her face as she leaned away; arching her back as she looked Rhys in the eyes,


    "D¡­destroy me, Master Rhys."


    ***


    "I think we''re clear. Lina also said she lured them far away."


    "Hmn¡­"


    After almost an entire hour, Rhys and Vicky were finally out of the public restroom; with Rhys leaning over the corner of the wall while holding Vicky''s hand. And while Rhys was looking out for the crazy fan girls, Vicky was busy looking at their intertwined hands ¡ª for the first time in a very long time, someone was finally holding her hand and she didn''t feel like a child at all.


    It felt¡­ nice. But then again, she knows this will only be for a very brief moment ¡ª a taboo. She just¡­ she just made hot and extremely intense love with the boyfriend of her cousin. How is she even going to recover from this, and¡­


    "Let''s walk¡­"


    "W¡­ wait."


    And how was she physically going to recover from having her insides literally turned around by Rhys?


    "Can we¡­ can we walk slowly?" Vicky slightly stuttered as she felt her legs trembling with just a single step.


    "Do you want me to just carry you on my back? We can travel through the shadows and¡ª"


    "I''m not a kid!" Vicky immediately kicked Rhys''s leg, but there was absolutely no force on it as she truly was too weak to exert any, "Let''s just¡­ walk slowly. You¡­ you destroyed my insides. I¡­ I can still feel something moving."


    "You told me to."


    "Just¡­ please don''t look at me," Vicky winced and closed her eyes as she tried her best to walk forward.


    As for Rhys, he just smiled at Vicky before looking at the 5 Hearts floating above her head; 4 of them, nowpletely filled to the brim. Just one more, and he will be able to get Vicky''s ability to summon and control water.


    It feels wrong to use her like this, it feels even more wrong than practically killing a pregnant smuggler¡­


    ¡­it felt even more wrong than massacring all of his schoolmates back in the cafeteria of Old York High. Was his morality truly thispletely skewed? For him to think that manipting someone''s feelings was worse than killing people?


    Or is it because of the blood of Eros flowing through his veins? Arachnea did say that Eros was the God of Love, Desire, and¡­ Sex ¡ª was he starting to get affected by that? He did promise himself that he would treat everyone he conquered equally and cherish them even more¡­ but with Vicky holding the same blood as Ss, there was a small hesitation growing inside him.


    "We really are in the clear," and while Rhys was lost in his own thoughts, Vicky let go of his hand as she made her way to a bench in front of one of the stores, "Can¡­ we rest for a few minutes?"


    "...Sure," Rhys looked around as he made his way to the bench, and aside from some people just giving him curious nces, no one really bothered him anymore. Some seemed to want to approach him, but they quickly just shied away as they met with Rhys''s eyes.


    "I know why you hide your face now," Vicky sighed as she saw Rhys being cautious, "Just what sort of blood do you have flowing in your veins for you to look like that? Your sister''s beautiful too, but not like you."


    "You¡­ know my sister?"


    "I¡­" Vicky let out an awkward chuckle as she looked away, "I might have searched you up a bit. I mean, I know¡­ I only know some things about you. And¡­ it''s truly inhumane what you had to suffer through in Amerka."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys did not really say anything as he just once again looked at the people staring at him¡­


    ¡­and it''s true.


    The people of Ennd treat himpletely differently from the people in Amerka, and it wasn''t just because he was already famous, no. They were treating Lowborns differently in general ¡ª with just a nce inside the stores, Rhys could see Lowborns in front of the cashier, he could see them in front of shops weing and calling people¡­ that doesn''t happen in Amerka.


    The jobs for the Lowborns there usually happen in the back end, literally.


    "It''s like the entire world has been paying for their mistakes and for mistreating your people in the past," Vicky let out a sigh as she shook her head, "And yet the Yankees seem like they haven''t moved on at all¡­ and I''m sorry, Rhys."


    "It''s¡­ not your fault, Ma''am," Rhys also let out a sigh as he finally looked at Vicky with a genuine smile on his face; his hand, gently brushing her cheek.


    "Rhys, you know¡­" Vicky momentarily closed her eyes as she rested her face on Rhys''s palm, "I¡­ I don''t care that you cheated on my cousin. I can¡­ you know I can love you and take care of you more than her. If¡­ if you want to leave her and just stay with me, I can¡ª"


    "I''m going back to Amerka after I finish training you and your cousins, Ma''am," Rhys gently moved his hand away from Vicky, "I have¡­ a lot of things to do there."


    "Then what if¡­ what if I go home with you?" Vicky looked Rhys in the eyes; her face filled with resolution.


    "Katarina, Ayesha, and Maria."


    "Hm¡­?"


    "There are three other women waiting for me back home," Rhys sighed, "And I¡­ cherish all of them equally. If you''re going to go home with me back to Amerka, you have to understand...


    ...that they are also going to be there."


    "I¡­" Vicky''s eyes trembled, "I think¡­


    ¡­I can."

 Chapter 178 Training Starts... When?

    "I¡­" Vicky''s eyes trembled, "I think¡­


    ¡­I can."


    "But can you, really?"


    Rhys and Vicky were not really given time to think. The two were just at the corner of the mall, almost in their own world ¡ª but they were quickly brought back by Lina, who just suddenly descended from the 2nd floor of the mall and sat beside Vicky on the bench.


    "Where¡­ did you even pop out from!?" Vicky almost jumped from the bench as she looked at Lina.


    "Can you?" Linapletely ignored Vicky''s shock as she returned her gaze and looked her in the eyes, "Can youpete against all of us?"


    "You¡­ heard our conversation?" Vicky took in a small gulp as her words started to stutter, "Lte¡­ I can exin, we¡ª"


    "L¡­Lte, this¡­ I can¡­"


    "No need to exin anything," Lina let out a sigh as she stood up from the bench and stood beside Rhys, resting her head on his arm, "It''s just weird because you and I are literally cousins. I never really imagined I''d have a literal rtive in the fucking harem¡­ that''s awkward as fuck."


    "Harem¡­?" Vicky squinted her eyes in confusion, "You''re¡­ not mad at all? Are you¡­ mental?"


    "I am," Lina said without any hesitation, "The question is¡­


    ¡­can you be?"


    ***


    "Master Rhys, you''re back! Just in time for us to show you where you will be training my children and the others."


    A few hourster, Rhys, Lina, and Vicky returned to the King''s pce via a helicopter. And Rhys wasn''t even able tond both his feet on the ground before Prince Lance approached him and pulled him away.


    "Leave the twodies for now," Prince Lance said as they left Vicky and Lina. There was a certain quiet awkwardness obviously lingering between the two, and Lance did not want anything to do with whatever caused it. And so, he just quickly continued dragging Rhys deeper into the castle until they reached a colossal door; with more than several guards seemingly protecting the perimeter.


    "We''re going to train inside the castle?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he remembered Agatha and how destructive Nobles could be if they tried, "I think it is more advisable to train outside in the field, Sir."


    Rhys was actually starting to think that the Royal Family actually had a more sensible side, but that was once again slowly going down the drain.


    "What? No, no¡­" Lance let out a small chuckle as he raised his hand, ordering the guards to open the gigantic door¡­ which created an almost wailing hymn as they slid open. The outside of the door looked like wood, but it wasn''t at all ¡ª it was metal, a very thick b of metal,


    "...I know why you would be surprised, some countries treat the Holes as a business, after all ¡ª especially Amerka. But for Ennd, we treat the Holes as a gue. And I am aware that they don''t teach you this in your textbooks or tattle them on the news¡­


    ¡­but the current Ennd has already covered 99% of all the Holes that appeared in the past thousand years."


    "...What?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Lance; his eyes filled with utter disbelief at what he just heard. The only thing he could do was follow Lance as he stepped into therge and vast hall ¡ª and there, inside, were several groups of people.


    Some were running around, while some were just sitting in front of their screens; the cups of coffee they had already drank, reflecting on their exhausted faces.


    There were a lot of machinery and gadgets everywhere, and right at the very center of this; covered in what Rhys could only assume to be a thickyer of cylindrical ss, was a Hole.


    "The remaining 1% includes this Hole, Master Rhys," Lance gestured to Rhys to have a look around the ce, "The others are newly formed ones, and dedicated entry points for Explorers.


    We put all of our budget into sealing all of the Holes ¡ª perhaps someone like you who came from Amerka sees this as a foolish endeavor, as it is true that there are a lot of riches to be had in the Underworld¡­ In fact, most people disagree with how we run things."


    "Hence all the people aiming for your family," Rhys let out a breath as he looked at all the screens, and from what he was seeing, they contained data about the Underworld and even live footage of it.


    "Yes," Lance nodded as he walked toward the deck; his face slightly being reflected by the ss as he looked down at the deep abyss of the Hole, "I know you have reservations against us too, Master Rhys."


    "You did drug me and Lina, set up a trap to test me, and then your children tantly want Lina''s head," Rhys breathed out as he took a step back, avoiding one of the men who were busy running around to the point that none of them even greeted their prince.


    "Well¡­ yes," Lance cleared his throat, "And I apologize for that. But I know you see us as weak,x, cowards¡­cent. But Master Rhys¡­


    ¡­we are also safe."


    "Hm¡­"


    "How many die in Amerka due to Hole-rted issues? Due to monster storms?" Lance turned his back from the Hole to look at Rhys, "Even you suffered from your country''s greed and negligence. Monsters, appearing right at the center of your campus¡­


    ¡­none of your suffering would have happened here, Master Rhys."


    "I''m not going to migrate to this country, Sir."


    "Well¡­" Lance let out a small chuckle as he heard Rhys''s words, "...It was worth a try. My wife made the speech for me. Did it work even a little bit?"


    "It did," Rhys approached the viewing deck and stood beside Lance, "But as I have told His Majesty¡­


    ¡­I have other ns that can only be done in Amerka."


    "A pity, then¡­" Lance then turned to look at one of his people, "...I''ll have them open the gate so you could scout the Hole, I assume you would want that?"


    "Trust me, Your Highness¡­" Rhys stared down at the Hole; his silver eyes, reflecting it entirely,


    "...You do not want me anywhere near here. I have the tendency to¡­ attract monsters. It is best if we just train out in the open field."


    "But¡­ how are they going to learn?" Lance''s eyebrows started to lower as his voice changed, "Master Rhys, I have already sent you the payment for this straight to your bank ¡ª and forgive me for being blunt, but I expect the best from you since I have literally paid you a quarter of a billion pounds for your services."


    "You do not have to worry, Sir¡­" A small smile crawled on Rhys''s face as he nced at Lance,


    "...I will make sure you will get your money''s worth."


    ***


    "Let''s do this!"


    "Watch me, Margie ¡ª I''m not going to lose to you again."


    "Say that to me when you''ve actually won against me even once."


    A day after, all of the grandchildren of the King were dressed inpletely different sets of training clothes; with one of them even wearing a full te of armor. All of them prepared for this day since their grandfather himself would be watching them ¡ª they were also excited to dive down into the Underworld¡­


    "Master Rhys, are we¡­ really going to do this here?"


    ¡­only for Rhys to ce their training right dead at the center of the nearest city from the royal pce.


    Suffice it to say, Lance''s wife, Annabeth, was furious as to why Lance even approved of this. But the only thing she could really do was keep quiet and bow her head as the King also gave his permission.


    Of course, the streets and surrounding area were cleared of civilians, but they couldn''t actually control all the poption, and most returned to watch.


    "You¡­ like the attention, don''t you?" Vicky asked as she looked at the crowd of people who were trying their best to sneak a peek, "Why¡­ here? We''re vulnerable here, what if one of those rebel groups tries to attack us?"


    "You''re Nobles," Rhys ced his hand on his back as he started walking and looking at Vicky and the others from head to toe, "You already have an insane amount of power."


    "...But we''re not trained," Vicky turned to look at her siblings and cousins, who were just goofing around; seemingly oblivious of the danger, "...That''s exactly why father hired you. It''s¡­ dangerous here, people could get hurt."


    "Exactly," a small smile crawled on Rhys''s face, "Lose control like your aunt did¡­


    ¡­and all these people are going to die."


    "W¡ª"


    "None of that is going to happen."


    And before Vicky could actually gather Rhys''s thoughts, the knights and guards who were preventing the crowd from going near them all stood to the side and made way ¡ª not for the crowd, but for a group of people in ck suits; all of them, wearing sunsses even though the sky in Ennd was forever dim.


    "Mr. Rhys Wilder," the one leading them showed his ID to Rhys, "We''re from the International Intelligence Agency¡­


    ¡­we need you toe with us right now."


    "The IAA?" Lance, who was watching all of this unfold from the side, could not help but rush toward Rhys and the others¡­ only to be stopped by the IAA and his own knights, "You have no¡ª"


    "Stand back and stay away from Rhys Wilder, Your Highness¡­


    ¡­He is now under investigation and is suspected to be the head of a terrorist organization that bombed an Amerkan federal agency. Whatever immunity he has or has been granted has been temporarily revoked as a suspected terrorist ¡ª He is to be sent back to Amerka to be held and interrogated immediately¡­


    ¡­I hope you do not resist, Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    "...Right," Rhys just let out a short but very deep breath, shaking his head before just very slowly cing his hand at the back of his head.


    "What¡­? Victoria, call your grandfather!"


    Prince Lance and the others could really only watch as the IAA unceremoniously dragged Rhys away before he could even teach Vicky and the others anything. Very soon, however, as Rhys disappeared into the crowd, Lance realized something, "Wait¡­


    ¡­what about my half a billion pounds?"

 Chapter 179 Dragging Rhys

    [Although the reports we have are still a blur, the reports that we are getting in now is that a bombing has happened¡­]


    [3 Bombs were set off in the Underworld Trade Center, resulting in thousands¡­]


    [One of the people believed to have been killed is the Secretary to the President¡­]


    [There have been a series of terrorist attack¡ª]


    [Reports areing in that a new up-anding guild is responsible¡­]


    [The guild master of Wilder''s Harem, Rhys Wilder, is a Lowborn that¡­]


    [The guild, known as Wilder''s Harem, has posted live on the inte that they were responsible for¡­]


    [...A terrorist organization¡ª]


    [Rhys Wilder is a terrorist.]


    [We are the Wilder''s Harem, and we are responsible for the bombings that have happened in the Underworld Trade Center. We have grown tired of being oppressed, silenced, and¡ª]


    "This is bullshit!"


    The entire world was busy as they all watched and listened to the news of the horrific bombing that had happened in Amerka. Most of them were also watching a video where someone supposedly from the Wilder''s Harem admitted andid im to all these horrific crimes¡­


    ¡­and Lina and the members of the Royal Family were watching it too in the King''s study.


    "So, everyone can just wear a mask and say they''re from our guild!"


    A hint of smoke was currently whispering in the room as Linapletely destroyed therge TV, throwing the remote at it as her rage resounded through everyone''s ears.


    "How can they just take Rhys like that!?" Lina then turned to look at the King, who was still reading on the news through one of his grandchildren''s tablets, "Couldn''t you have done something to stop it!?"


    "Lte!" Lance could not help but raise his voice, "You will speak to the King with respect and¡ª"


    "Enough," the King let out a small groan as carefully ced the tablet on his desk as he looked Lina in the eyes, "Master Rhys is not under arrest, he is just being detained for questioning."


    "Come on, do you really believe that?" Lina scoffed as she once again pointed at the TV.


    "I can see that you destroyed my telly, I quite liked that. It was a gift from Victoria''s ex-boyfriend. Say what you want about Nihon, but their technology is far more advanced than the rest of the world," Queen Charlotte casually took a sip of her tea even with all the chaos brewing around her, "And Lte, dear ¡ª why don''t you take a seat and rx? Prancing around like an ape does not¡ª"


    "I will not rx!"


    "Okay," Queen Charlotte just shrugged as she looked at her husband.


    "You don''t know how much they just want to get rid of Rhys," Lina gritted her teeth, "In fact, the government just probably set this entire thing up."


    "...You mean they bombed their own people?" Vicky, who was just trying to let everything she had been hearing sink into her brain, also joined in on the conversation, "I tend to disagree with you, Lte, but from what I have heard and what I have been hearing, I think the Amerkans truly are capable of doing something like that."


    "Yes!" Lina pointed at Vicky, "I mean, seriously? How could they think something like this would happen when Rhys was here the entire time?"


    "If what you say is true, and I am not saying it is¡­" Agatha had her tongue slightly sticking on her upper lip as she also read on the news, "...Then this is the best time to do something like this, frame Rhys. He''s not there."


    "That''s stupid as hell," Lina raised her voice; her ent, slowly showing itself.


    "Well¡­" Daniel, Agatha''s oldest son, let out a small hum. Unlike the others who were either looking at the news or watching it, he was fixated on one of Rhys''s topless photos, "...It is sort of his fault as well, letting his members wear a simple mask that is easily replicated. I would put intricate markings and gems on it."


    "You¡ª"


    "But what do I know¡­" Daniel let out a slightly humming chuckle as he tapped Rhys''s face on the photo, "...The only thing I know is that if I were this lovely man''s sweetheart, I would already be on a jet and going back to Amerka."


    "She can''t leave," Lance shook his head, "If she leaves for Amerka, then as a member of Rhys''s guild, a supposed terrorist organization, her diplomatic immunity as part of the royal family will not be able to help her."


    Lina did not really say anything anymore and just stared at Daniel and her uncle, but after a few seconds, she just ran and left the King''s study.


    "I''m¡­ I''m going with you!"


    "Victoria!"


    Vicky also rushed out from the study, causing Prince Lance and Annabeth to follow her. But before they could even take 3 steps, however, Agatha blocked their path,


    "What are you doing, Sister?"


    "I''ll go with her," Agatha softly chuckled.


    "But¡ª"


    "Shush," Agatha covered Lance''s lips with her finger, "I''ll make sure your daughter''s going home in one piece, don''t worry."


    "That¡­" Lance could really only blink as Agatha followed Lina and his daughter out of the study,


    "...I''m even more worried now that you''reing with them."


    ***


    "Mr. Wilder, I am not going to read you your rights as I am sure you know it already considering your¡­ history."


    Rhys had not even stepped foot on the ne back to Amerka, and yet the familiar tone of disdain was already weing him back as the International Intelligence Agency handed him back to Amerkan authorities.


    If it wasn''t for the harsh wind blowing on the airstrip, Rhys could probably even hear someoneughing within their breaths.


    "Thanks, we''ll handle it from here."


    "The suspect is not resisting," one of the people from the IIA said while cing his hand on Rhys''s shoulder, "And I expect he will be in the same condition we handed him to you once hends on Amerka."


    "We''ll handle it from here," the Amerkan only scoffed as he grabbed Rhys''s arm, which was cuffed to his waist and dragged him away, lightly pushing him to the stairs of the ne, "And can''t you see? This Lowborn''s getting all the VIP treatment using our taxes. Private jet, and even women on board."


    "...Women?" Rhys could not help but let out a tiny whisper as he nced at the man. He then slowly made his way up to the ne ¡ª and as soon as he entered, he was received by a hug.


    "Rhys!"


    Rhys couldn''t really see who it was, but from how heavy and soft they felt on his chest¡­ he was sure it was¡ª


    "Kat?" Rhys leaned away as he looked at Katarina''s face.


    "Recruit."


    "...Ayesha?" Rhys then blinked a couple of times as he turned to look at Ayesha, who was just casually sitting on one of the seats with her feet up, "Why¡­ are you here?"


    "What do you mean ''why are we here''...?" Katarina could not help but look Rhys in the eyes, "Aren''t you here to pick us up for¡ªwait, why are you in handcuffs?"


    And as Ayesha also noticed that Rhys was bound, she stood up from the seat, "What¡­ is going on here?"


    "I''m¡­ under suspicion of being a terrorist," Rhys seemed visibly confused, "Wait, why would I be picking the two of you up? I thought you were here to pick me up."


    "Terrorist¡­ what?" Katarina then turned to look at the men behind Rhys, obviously asking for answers. The men, however, just quickly avoided her and Ayesha''s eyes as the ne of the door closed, "We¡­


    ¡­we were caught trying to cross the border to Ennd."


    "What¡­?" Rhys could really only stare at Katarina, who was slightly avoiding his eyes in guilt.


    "Who knew they tightened up the security?" Ayesha awkwardly chuckled, "But¡­ did you just say you''re under suspicion of being a terrorist... again? When did that happen?"


    "Not only him, but all of you are. Well, I am too."


    "What the¡ªsince when were you here!?" The ne almost bounced as Ayesha stepped back in surprise as Maria suddenly appeared behind her.


    "From the start," Maria shrugged, "I secretly followed the two of you when you started your adventure in the Underworld. I have to say, there is irony watching someone of Latin, and Native descent being arrested for illegally crossing the border, even if you''re Amerkan citizens by birth."


    "You were following us the entire time? Wait¡­ what''s all this talk about terrorism?"


    "Basically, someone bombed the Underworld Trade Center ¡ª and someone wearing a Wilder''s Harem mask and someone saying they are from Wilder''s Harem admitted to the act," Maria just casually shrugged her shoulders as she sat down on one of therge seats, "I figured I''m also a suspect and they are also going to search for me since I''m part of the government, so¡­ might as well make it easier for them and get it over with."


    "Wait, no one is watching Wilder''s Harem right now!?" Katarina let out a loud gasp as she looked at Rhys, "What¡­


    ¡­what are the chances it really is them, Rhys?"


    "Whether it is them or not doesn''t matter," Maria added as she let out a sigh, "It''s not looking good for him or any of us, really. One of the people who were killed in the st was Secretary Karen, who had been open in her dislike for Rhys. By all ounts¡­


    ¡­that''s a motive. And knowing a lot more people at the top dislike Rhys¡­


    ¡­They are going to pin this down on him hard, no matter what."

 Chapter 180 Everyone Is Thriving In Chaos

    [I knew this fucking dregger was up to something!]


    [lol. Where are the rizz supporters now?]


    [Sure. Take responsibility for the crime and then get yourself caught immediately? Just how stupid are you Amerkans?]


    [Stupid? We have the greatest army in the entire world and Underworld.]


    [I agree with you being the greatest army in the Underworld because no one else fucking has military there. Oh? There''s adamantine? Guess you''ll be needing freedom.]


    [Make Amerka Great Again! Just throw Rhys to the Underworld where he and his kind belongs!]


    Once again, one man was turning the entire world upside down. If Rhys wasn''t known to the entire world yet, he is now, as almost everyone who could talk about him was talking about him. One news dies down, and another even more controversial takes its ce.


    Rhys had consumed everyone''s mind so much so that some of them were thinking that¡­ a higher power was making sure that Rhys would always stay in the limelight.


    But of course, the only thing closest to the higher power they were talking about now was the media and reporters, who were making sure they would milk everything they could from Rhys, perhaps even literally as they were absolutely not giving him any space at all.


    "Stand back! I said, stand back! You are interrupting a police operation, do you lot hear me!? We can have you arrested!"


    "Zeus, Bill. Where did these hounds evene from!? How did they know we were here!?"


    The force who were tasked to make sure Rhys and his femalepanions were not going anywhere was currently escorting them inside a secured building.


    But unfortunately for them, microphones and cameras suddenly surrounded them before they could even take 3 steps away from their vehicle; their path,pletely blocked by all the hungry reporters wanting a piece of Rhys ¡ª and they did not even seem to care that the police were already violently pushing them away.


    One gets thrown, and two take its ce like a hydra.


    "Rhys, why did you do it!? Why did you kill all of those people!?"


    "Do you have anything to say, Rhys!? Were you making a statement!?"


    "Was this revenge!? We''ve heard that you and the Secretary do not see eye-to-eye in these matters!"


    The soldiers couldn''t contain the reporters at all, with some even being able to tug on Rhys''s clothes as they pulled and forced him to answer their queries.


    "Rhys is innocent! He didn''t do anything!" Katarina screamed, but her screams were drowned by all the questions and voices of the reporters. Maria did not seem to care, as she just stood behind Rhys with a smile on her face.


    "Hey!" Ayesha, who was just quietly hiding her face as she did not really want that much attention to herself, shattered the cuffs binding her as she moved in front of Rhys, "I swear if you do that again I will let that pig gobble up on your balls while you eat that man''s ass."


    "Get back, stand down! Get back, Commander! We are warning you."


    "With what?" Ayesha red at the soldiers as they surrounded her, pointing their extremely high-caliber bullets and elemental attacks at her, even knowing they could do absolutely no damage against Ayesha.


    "Ayesha, it''s fine¡­" Rhys ced his forehead on Ayesha''s back as his hand was tied to his waist, gesturing to her to calm down before turning to look at the reporters, "...I''ll only answer one question and one question only. And in return, I ask that all of you not make these men''s jobs harder than it already is."


    "Lowborn! You''re not allowed to¡ª"


    "Listen, Captain Leary." The captain of the force stood in front of Rhys, but Rhys no longer lowered his head and stood up straight as he looked the captain straight in the eyes, "The only reason I have been this cooperative is that I am following and abiding thew because right now it''s the right thing to do. You outrank me, so I follow your orders.


    And now, I''m helping you de-escte the situation¡­


    ¡­don''t waste that."


    "You¡ª" Captain Leary almost growled at Rhys for literally looking down on him, but as he saw Ayesha stepping closer and standing behind Rhys, he just let out a scoff and moved aside, "Make it quick."


    And as soon as the captain stepped away, the reporters no longer tried forcing themselves in as they just focused on pointing their microphones at Rhys and letting out their questions without pause.


    Rhys, however, was only looking at one of them.


    "Mr. Rhys Wilder, who do you think could have really done this!?" It was a reporter Rhys had the pleasure of encountering personally before ¡ª the one who infiltrated the first-ever recruitment of Wilder''s Harem, Karl Harper.


    "It¡­ doesn''t matter who," and as Rhys finally spoke to them, the reporters all turned quiet to make sure their mics were hearing all of his words, "Ever since I''ve heard of this brutal and devastating news¡­


    ¡­all I''ve heard are people, civilians and those with power alike, trying to point the me to someone. The fact is, instead of focusing on who did it, focus on the victims. Focus on the lives that were lost, focus on their families. They are the ones who need attention right now, not me. Not the horrible person who did this. Focus on them, the¡­ gods know they could need it."


    "Are you saying you are not involved in this!?"


    "I''m done asking questions," Rhys nodded at the reporters, "Now please, let these people do their job. And¡ª"


    "Coborators! Fucking dreggers!"


    "H¡­ help!"


    Rhys was about to follow Captain Leary away, but before they could do so, screams of anguish suddenly thundered in the air; causing the reporters who were busy hounding Rhys to quickly turn their cameras around to the noise.


    And there, dozens of Lowborn members of Wilder''s Harem were currently being escorted and protected by the military as they marched to the building¡­ with a violent mob on their tail.


    "What the¡ªwhy did you bring them here!? And who let those fucks even get near!? This doesn''t make any fucking sense!"


    "But sir¡­" Leary''s second-inmand approached him, "...You ordered them to bring all of them in."


    "Yes, but not bring them here¡­ and exposed like that in the streets like it''s some death march!? What were you thinking!?" Captain Leary could not help but raise his voice in frustration.


    "But sir¡­ you did. You ordered our men to bring them here. ''Parade them for everyone to see''."


    "What¡­? I didn''t order¡ª"


    "Die!"


    And before Captain Leary could even finish his words, one of the crowd let out a powerful fireball and threw it straight toward the members of the Wilder''s Harem; the fire, quickly spreading.


    "H¡­ help!" Several members of the Wilder''s Harem rolled on the ground as one of the soldiers tried putting the fire out with water. But s, as they were busy doing that, the angry mob took this chance to charge toward the members of the Wilder''s Harem and started hitting them violently and without mercy.


    "What the fuck is happening!?" Captain Leary roared before ordering his men to follow him.


    "Ayesha. Don''t interfere, no matter what."


    "What are you¡ª"


    "Wilder!"


    And all of a sudden, before Captain Leary and his other men could provide backup, Rhys suddenly leaped through the air over the reporters, causing them to all back up and even fall hard. Rhys, however, did not care at all as he rushed toward the chaos.


    And as soon as he arrived there, the angry mob could not help but just stop whatever it was they were doing; taking in nervous gulps all at the same time as they truly did not expect Rhys to just suddenly appear right in front of him.


    "Why¡­ why does this fucking dregger look bigger in person?"


    The one closest to Rhys could not help but back away as he saw Rhys towering over him. But as soon as he saw Rhys''s hand being tied to his waist, he quickly turned to look at his otherpatriots and nodded to them.


    They then very slowly surrounded Rhys as the rest of them made sure to make the military busy.


    "Die, you fucking dregger!" And with those words, they all rushed toward Rhys¡­


    ¡­and Rhys did not dodge at all.


    In fact, he did not do anything at all. He just let the angry mob hit him¡­ he let them strike him on the face, strike him on the legs causing him to drop to his knees¡­ and then eventually to the ground as they did not stop hitting him at all.


    "What¡­ Rhys!" Katarina was about to rush to help Rhys, but Ayesha stopped her, "What are you doing!?"


    "He said not to interfere, no matter what," Ayesha whispered.


    "Ayesha, you¡ª" Katarina gritted her teeth as she looked Ayesha in the face, only to see blood escaping from her mouth as she seemed to have bitten her tongue; her eyebrows trembling in anger as she watched Rhys get beaten to the ground.


    "He said not to interfere¡­" Ayesha sucked in a breath, "...No matter what."


    "But¡ªMaria," Katarina turned to look at Maria, only to see her with a wide¡­ and almost perverted smile on her face.


    "You should know by now, K¡­" Maria did not even nce at Katarina as she just continued to watch Rhys be beaten, "Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­loves the attention."


    And as the women were experiencing all sorts of emotions, Rhys waspletely devoid of one; his eyes, just focusing on Karl Harper¡­


    ¡­and making sure his camera was getting every bit of the view.

 Chapter 181 Messy Messsy

    [What¡­ did the Amerkans just kill someone live on the news?]


    [Did we just watch some get burned alive?]


    [They are beating up Rhys!]


    [lol gg Rhys. All dat hype for him to get cucked by nobodies.]


    [Why isn''t he fighting back!?]


    [Fight back? Dude could lift an entire bus filled with people. Everyone''s dead if he fights back.]


    [lol yeah.cope more. GG rizzboy. Das what u get.]


    [Who let illiterate people out on the inte again?]


    Rhys truly was not fighting back. He just groveled on the ground while more than dozens of people stomped and stepped on his head ¡ª still, he kneeled and sat up from time to time; his face, once again hidden from the world as his hair and face was covered in his blood, so much so that even his eyes were tinted red.


    No.


    His face was not the only thing covered in red; even his blood was starting to dampen his knees as he truly was bleeding heavily and without pause.


    "No¡­ no," Katarina''s eyes also started moving without pause as they widened by the second; her breaths became scarce as she gritted her teeth and stared at all the people hitting Rhys, "I''m going to kill all of you¡­ all of you¡­ I know your faces¡­ I''m going to kill all of you and your families."


    "..." Ayesha, who was trying to hold her back, could not help but slightly move away from Katarina as she heard the words escaping her breaths. But as she remembered Rhys''s orders, she just let out a sigh and stood in front of her before hugging her,


    "Kat, it''s okay."


    "It''s okay¡­ yes, it''s okay to kill each and everyst one of them," Katarina started letting out a menacing chuckle as a scalpel very slowly emerged from her skin arm, "You too, Ayesha. I am going to kill you if you don''t move."


    Ayesha did not move, but she was thinking about it as soon as she realized where Katarina was actually hiding her weapons this entire time. Was it¡­ actually hidden through her flesh, and then she''s just healing herself each time?


    Ayesha truly did think Katarina was the most normal one of them all¡­ but each time she was learning something new from her, she could not help but think she was the most psychopathic of them all.


    "Kat, think about it," Ayesha did not let go of Katarina and tightened her embrace on her, "Do you really think people like them could make Rhys bleed? The pervert''s right, Rhys is making a show out of this."


    "Did you just call me a pervert?" Maria raised an eyebrow at Ayesha, "Well, I guess I am. But only Rhys can call me that ¡ª and you''re right. As I said¡­ Rhys likes to turn everything into a show."


    "That¡­" Katarina''s wild eyes very slowly started to calm down as she looked closer at Rhys. She wanted to look away, but as soon as she truly focused on him, she noticed that Rhys was actually really only bleeding from the mouth, "...Did he bite his own tongue?"


    And as the three were quietly discussing Rhys, the chaos was ensuing and getting worse, and it did not help that there were more than a dozen reporters there showing everything live.


    "Turn off all your cameras! Off!" Captain Leary was trying his best to throw all the reporters away, even breaking their cameras. Sadly for Leary, most cameramen being hired by stations have the blood of Hephaestus and always have an extra camera they could summon instantly¡­


    ¡­he was just making the situation worse.


    [Seriously? They are prioritizing the reporters? Help the Lowborns for fuck''s sake.]


    [Just let them all die. They''re terrorists.]


    [Right, because it''s guilty before proven innocent. Fk the world.]


    [Cope more. They just confessed they were the ones who bombed the building.]


    [So I can just buy a mask and pretend to be a member of Wilder''s Harem and say all the shit I want? Are you guys stupid?]


    [lol. Doesn''t matter. Fk him up! That''s what he gets for filling up my feed even though he''s just a Lowborn. Tired of seeing the dude''s face, he''s nto even that handsome.]


    [We from Hermania approve. Kill the Dregga!]


    [Dafuq? Who let the nazi here¡­?]


    [Dregga shi ne!!! W]


    [Fucking ssists! They should have bombed you two more times!]


    "No, fuck!"


    And while the entire world was divided by what was happening, Captain Leary waspletely confused as to why it was happening. No one should have known.


    No one should have known they were bringing Rhys Wilder to this building. Everything was supposed to be incognito ¡ª they did not even choose an auspicious location or a government building for this. Even their car and escort werepletely inconspicuous to the point they just looked like any other civilians.


    And yet not only are there reporters, there''s also an angry mob of ssists seemingly just waiting for them, and the members of the Wilder''s Harem weren''t even supposed to be brought here since they weren''t as High Value as Rhys and his women.


    His second-inmand told him that he ordered to bring them here, and yet he did not remember giving any orders ¡ª and why would he even give an order like that? It just doesn''t make¡ª


    Captain Leary''s eyes then widened as he saw something from the crowd of angry mobs ¡ª he saw himself, staring at him with a smirk on his face before very slowly morphing into the face of someone else.


    "What the¡­" Captain Leary could really only blink a couple of times; perhaps a mistake, because as he did so, the doppelganger disappeared, "...This is a set-up! Someone is trying to assassinate¡ªno¡­ Rhys set this up himself! Men, arrest everyone!"


    [lolol. First Rhys bombed the building, now Rhys let himself get mobbed. Go Amerka. Wtf.]


    [Next they are going to say Rhys started the Holocaust.]


    [Just kill the Dregger!]


    [stfu.]


    [lol, its just a word you snowkes.]


    [your moms a hoe bitch.]


    "Everyone¡­


    ¡­arrest everyone!"


    ***


    [The suspect in the horrific bombing of the Underworld Trade Center, is currently being treated at an undisclosed location¡ª]


    "They are still treating him as a suspect¡­?"


    "Well, K ¡ª everything is stacked against him. Right now, he is the perfect suspect for this."


    A few hours after Captain Leary and his men sessfully calmed the angry mob, Rhys and the other women were brought to another location; this time with sacks on their heads. Suffice it to say, that was also caught on camera and some people did not like it, especially when they saw them putting a sack on Rhys''s bloodied face.


    Captain Leary, however, did not care anymore as he just knew that it was Rhys who caused the entire chaos earlier; he just doesn''t know when or how he was able to conquer such a thing when he was fully guarded the entire time ¡ª and the only time he was actually outside was when they transferred him to a car from the private ne.


    Captain Leary, of course, was going to ask Rhys no matter what; he knew he wasn''t unconscious. But as soon as Rhys was transferred to a hospital, Ayesha blocked his path. He warned her that he would charge her with obstruction¡­


    ¡­but Ayesha told him she would obstruct his face with her fist.


    And so, the only thing Captain Leary could really do was leave the room and stay outside; making sure even the windows were protected. The worst part of this all, is that Rhys was clearly uninjured even with all the blood ¡ª but Katarina just said that she healed him.


    "Fuck damn it¡­" Captain Leary could not help but click his tongue, "...If only his whores aren''t with him."


    "Why¡­ are his women with him, Captain?" His second-inmand asked as he heard their Commander''s whisper.


    "Ayesha," Captain Leary scoffed, "She threatened us she would run amok if we separated them. And no one from the Top 15 is willing to help us either, fuck."


    "Why not just¡­ force her?" The second-inmand asked, "Surely, thew¡ª"


    "Thew doesn''t apply to people like her," Captain Leary looked his second-inmand in the eyes, "The world has no idea how monstrous Ayesha or the other people from the Top 15 truly is. They are the closest beings to gods you will ever see."


    "But I heard she lost to Arachnea twice already."


    "I''ll shoot you right now for your own good," Captain Leary scoffed, "The fact that she survived against a real god just proves what a monster she is. She¡ª"


    "Move."


    And before Captain Leary could finish his words, a woman suddenly stood right in front of her, gesturing to him to move away from the door.


    "Princess Agatha, please¡­!!!"


    Captain Leary could really only look at the woman in front of her. And as soon as he felt the air heating up and the air distorting around her, the only thing he could really do was close his eyes and step to the side.


    ¡­Why was he even here?


    "Master Rhys!"


    "Wh¡ª"


    Agatha did not care at all about anyone as she just barged into the room, not even knocking at all. Katarina, Ayesha, and Maria could not help but raise their guards as soon as they saw a Noble suddenly barged into Rhys''s room.


    But once again, Agatha did not care for them at all as she just shrieked excitedly and literally leaped toward Rhys, who was lying on the bed. Ayesha was going to block and catch her, but she retracted her hand when she felt the extreme heating out of Agatha''s body¡­


    ¡­the only thing they could really do was watch as Agatha started kissing the unconscious Rhys.


    "Rhys¡­" As for Katarina, her eyes started to twitch as her scalpels once again emerged from her arms,


    "...You better wake up and exin this."

 Chapter 182 The Live Broadcast

    "Tell me again who these women are. And why is there a girl, Rhys? Don''t tell me¡ª"


    "I''m older than you, bitch. The only thing you have going for you are your titties!"


    "She''s got some balls, I guess it runs in the family."


    Rhys has woken up from his slumber, only to be woken up by a room filled with different types of women. In most cases, a man would be d ¡ª but Rhys truly was feeling groggy, and their arguing voices felt like they were drilling through his brain.


    Thest time he felt this way was back when the arachnes infiltrated his school ¡ª perhaps there was no difference at all, the arachnes were only reced by Katarina and the others. It¡­


    ¡­did not help that Agatha was now suddenly lying beside him on the bed.


    "What the¡ªAgatha!?" Lina, who was busy scouring the inte for news about the bombing, almost dropped her tablet as she pointed at her aunt, "Weren''t you just in front of me seconds ago!?"


    "Oh my, I feel quite threatened¡­" Agatha covered herself with Rhys''s nket and embraced him tight, "...All these scary old women¡ª"


    "You''re more than twice Rhys''s age!" Vicky also pointed at her aunt before pulling the nket away, only to see Agatha''s hand already inside Rhys''s pants, "W¡ªthat''s sexual harassment!"


    "Is it now¡­?" Agatha ced her lips closer to Rhys''s neck, "It''s not my fault youdies aren''t as aggressive ¡ª your man is lying here injured, and yet all of you are busy with something else instead of servicing him. Am I right, Mas¡­ Ter¡­ Rhys?"


    "W¡ª"


    "You guys shut up!" And before anything could start, Lina suddenly raised her tablet in the air and increased its volume. She then quickly moved toward Rhys and ced the tablet on his chest; removing Agatha''s hand at the same time, "Watch, watch!"


    Everyone then huddled up around Rhys; his head,pletely pinned down by all sorts of scents, sizes, and softness. They literally had arge TV in front of them, and yet no one was using it.


    "Who''s the old cunt?" Vicky raised an eyebrow as the old man in the video seemed familiar to her.


    "Their President, dear¡­" Agatha let out a sigh as she only nced at the video before just taking the chance to stick closer to Rhys; even putting one leg over his thighs as tight as she could, "...You''re a princess, you should know every political figure."


    "I¡­I know who he is!" Vicky clicked her tongue as she focused on the video.


    [...Not tolerated! Our great country has been threatened before, but I will not, we will not rest until these aliens leave! Or so help me god, we will eradicate each and everyst one of them!]


    "Is¡­ he talking about Rhys and other Lowborns?" Vicky could not help but blink a couple of times as she looked at the otherdies.


    "Technically, no ¡ª he is being careful," Maria, who suddenly emerged from the faded shadows on top of the hospital bed''s headboard, ced her bare feet on Rhys''s forehead, "But the President is known for his¡­ dislike of the Lowborns."


    "He is?" Lina blinked a couple of times as she looked at Maria, "But I thought his campaign was¡ª"


    "Politicians, Princess," Ayesha scoffed and shook her head, "Even their balls are fake."


    "Ssh!" Katarina shushed everyone as she focused on the news; herrge breasts, upying most of the space on top of Rhys and almost suffocating Agatha ¡ª and perhaps Katarina was actually doing it intentionally.


    [Now, it is not known if it is truly the work of the individual known as Rhys Wilder,] the President continued to address the masses with his index finger raised, [Now, I know everyone here has heard of him ¡ª he is a celebrity, very popr amongst the new generation. But this is the problem!


    Even if this is not the work of Rhys Wilder, he is still the catalyst that started this ¡ª and if ites to light that he and his organization are the ones responsible for this¡­


    ¡­then Rhys Wilder and his associates will meet the hands of justice!]


    "Justice¡­"


    "That is Rhys''s favorite word," Maria said as she moved her feet; her toes, now slightly touching Rhys''s lips, "I think it is time we consider our escape, Rhys Wilder."


    "Can¡­ you please remove your feet?" Rhys could really only let out a sigh, "Can everyone just please give me some space?"


    "Rhys¡­ you''ll be okay. We will¡ª"


    "I meant give me space, literally," Rhys breathed out as everyone was now practically on his small hospital bed; how it was possible with 7 of them, no one could really know.


    "That''s right, you girls shoo," Agatha was finally able to breathe well as Katarina moved away.


    "You too, Your Highness," Rhys sighed.


    "No," Agatha snuggled even more, "I''m making sure your body''s in ideal temperature."


    "I''m sweating, Ma''am."


    "I know," Agatha giggled before licking the sweat off of Rhys''s neck, "Want me to wash you¡­


    ¡­down there?"


    "What the¡­" Katarina could really only furrow her eyebrows as she heard Agatha''s words, "...My god, there''s two of you now, Lina."


    "I''m not like that," Lina rolled her eyes.


    [The men, women, and children of Amerka ¡ª I swear this to all of you¡­]


    "Oh, he''s not done?" Everyone once again focused their attention on the tablet. This time, however, Rhys made sure to quickly sit up and move to the edge of the bed. But sadly for him, everyone still huddled around him and pinned him; this time with Katarina''s gigantic breasts sitting on top of his head.


    [...these terrorists will be apprehended! I will make Amerka grea¡ª]


    [Good afternoon.]


    "...Why did you change it, Rhys?" Katarina stretched her hand toward the tablet to change it back, but Rhys grabbed her hand before she could do so.


    "I didn''t, this is the same stream," Rhys then said.


    "Huh¡­?" Everyone focused even more on the screen as the image suddenly changed¡ªno. Most of the background was still the same, with the Amerkan g behind, and someone speaking in the front. This time, however, the one speaking had a mask on; the same mask as the members of the Wilder''s Harem are wearing.


    "It''s them!" Lina raised her voice as she tried increasing the volume more even though it was already at max volume, "Did¡­ did they hack the feed!?"


    "Well hot damn," Ayesha chuckled, "Whoever these guys are, they are giddy god damn impressive."


    "Oh my, I like the way you talk¡­" Agatha smirked as she brushed a finger across Ayesha''s arm, causing her to slightly back away from her, "...You''re a native, right? I''ve never been with a Native before."


    "..." Ayesha could really only look away; squinting her eyes as she tried her best to avoid Lina''s aunt. She was truly starting to think she was the most normal one here ¡ª they''d only just met an hour ago, and yet Agatha was already touching her without her permission.


    "Shh, shut up, Agatha! We can''t hear!" Lina covered Agatha''s mouth.


    [It has been approximately 35 hours since we bombed the Underworld Trade Center. And not only did you manage to bring Rhys Wilder back from another country, you were also able to hold him in a new facility ¡ª I did not know Amerka could move that fast for a Lowborn.]


    It wasn''t really clear whether the one speaking was a man or a woman, as the voice was clearly edited ¡ª but one thing was for sure, the trace of frustration and anger contained within the cadence of the masked individual''s voice was obvious for everyone to hear.


    [Now, I wonder if you could move fast when it involves a Commoner?] The masked individual then started walking toward the camera before grabbing it and rotating it.


    "That''s¡­" Maria was the first to react as she saw someone bound on a chair, "...Secretary Karen."


    "...I thought she died?" Katarina whispered as she also stared at Secretary Karen, whose face was filled with dirt; the trails of tears on her face, already dried up.


    [Tic-toc,] the masked individual then showed himself on the camera again as he approached Secretary Karen, causing her to flinch and shake her head vehemently. She was screaming, but it waspletely muffled due to the cloth in her mouth,


    [For those of you who do not know who this woman is ¡ª well, I won''t introduce you to her.]


    The masked individual then tilted their head and leaned closer to Secretary Karen; cing their finger on Secretary Karen''s cheek.


    "Oh my god!" Vicky could not help but look away from the screen as the masked individual did not actually only ce a finger on Karen''s cheek¡ªno. The finger pierced straight through.


    Everyone could see the tears just bursting forth from Secretary Karen''s eyes; her muffled screams, guttural.


    [It''s okay,] the masked individual then pulled on Secretary Karen''s hair, [This is not even a fraction of what the Lowborns have gone through. So, I am going to make a deal ¡ª let go of Rhys Wilder right now¡­


    ¡­or I will set the Secretary on fire.]

 Chapter 183 Kaboom

    [So, I am going to make a deal ¡ª let go of Rhys Wilder right now¡­


    ¡­or I will set the Secretary on fire.]


    "Rhys Wilder!"


    And without even a secondter after the words of the individual in the video, Captain Leary barged inside Rhys''s hospital room; practically kicking it down as he and the rest of his men quickly surrounded Rhys''s bed.


    "Put your hand behind your head and surrender yourself now, Rhys Wilder!" Captain Leary raised both his hands, and as he did so, a rifle that was probably almost the size of a rocketuncher appeared in his hands, "Surrender, or we will use lethal force!"


    "Stop it!" "Try it," Katarina and Ayesha were the first to stand from the bed, with Katarina moving in front of Rhys and Ayesha moving in front of her, "Tell your men to calm down or I will rip off all of your balls, and let you eat it before you could even blink."


    "Commander, please move," Captain Leary did not budge as he looked Ayesha in the eyes, "You are protecting a terrorist. If you''re really willing to kill us for someone like him, then all I can say is that I am truly disappointed in you. Me and my men are following orders¡­


    ¡­our lives are in your hands now. I hope you make the right choice."


    "Hm¡­" Ayesha''s left eye slightly twitched as she looked at Captain Leary and his men. It is true that these men probably knew they were going to die if they even tried to take even a single step forward; even without her, Rhys was surrounded by other women who werepletely on a different level in terms of strength ¡ª not to mention there were two Nobles too. But still¡­ they have made their choice¡­


    ¡­and so has she.


    "...Try even moving closer, and all of you are going to die."


    "For a Lowborn¡­?" Captain Leary let out a very long and deep sigh as he closed his eyes, "Very well, just remember that our deaths are your¡ª"


    [Well, time''s up.]


    [Graah!]


    And before Captain Leary could even finish his words, a loud scream suddenly shrieked throughout the entire room; causing everyone to just sucked in a deep breath as they all looked at the tablet that Rhys was holding; its sudden increase in brightness, now strong enough to reflect on everyone''s skin.


    Captain Leary only nced for a few seconds, before quickly turning on the TV in Rhys''s room. And as soon as he did so, the horrifying scream almost deafened their ears with dread. It made even him, who had seen many deaths throughout his missions, slightly shiver where he stood; his eyes, glowing as they reflected Secretary Karen burning¡­ alive.


    Everyone could really just stare at the TV, and perhaps the worst part of it all was that they all knew Secretary Karen would be alive for a few more minutes while the mes melted and ate through her flesh.


    Vicky almost wanted to puke there and then ¡ª and she truly might have if she didn''t look away. But fortunately, Secretary Karen''s screams soon stopped; not because she died, but because her lips already melted together and closed shut. But¡­ not even secondster, screams once again resounded as the Secretary''s melded lips ripped apart as she continued to shriek.


    Vicky could really only move closer to Rhys and bury her face on his back; even though she was older than most of Rhys''s women, she was probably the most sheltered among them ¡ª seeing something like this¡­ was not something she ever truly expected to see.


    "Rhys Wilder!" And once again, Captain Leary pointed his colossal rifle toward Rhys as he let out a roar, perhaps hoping to drown out Secretary Karen''s shrieks, "Stop this right now! End it!"


    "I¡­ can''t," Rhys breathed out, "I''ve already told you a thousand times, I and my guild are not involved in this."


    "Men, apprehend the¡ª"


    [Hahahaha!]


    And before Captain Leary could give the order that would mean the death of his squad, Secretary Karen''s screams were reced by the sound of a somewhat maniacalughter. Everyone once again turned their focus back to the TV, only to see the masked individual standing in front of the camera and covering the burning Secretary Karen.


    Her screams were still there, but they were now being drowned by the masked individual''s voice.


    [I didn''t really have a n on releasing the dear Secretary,] the masked individual then said as he pulled away a part of the mask that covered his hair, revealing a long, lush, and vibrant silver color; not glowing, however,


    [I''m here to make a statement, not make a deal or whatever. I''m not even a part of Mr. Rhys Wilder''s fancy guild. I would have loved to be¡­


    ¡­but the fucking bitch decided I wasn''t good enough!]


    "Rhys, could it be¡­?" Lina turned to look at Rhys, who just squinted his eyes in response.


    [But I''ll calm down. I apologize for calling you a fucking bitch, Mr. Rhys,] the masked¡­ woman ced her hand on her chest before bowing her head, [But look, look!]


    The masked woman then stepped to the side and gestured to Secretary Karen, whose flesh was nowpletely melted and her bones slightly revealing themselves for everyone to see ¡ª and perhaps the worst part of it all was that she was still showing signs of movement, of life.


    [I did this,] the masked woman cackled, [And see? See how fast they judged you, Mr. Rhys!? Just because you are a Lowborn, they immediately believe that you''re guilty. They immediately believe that you will do something like this, even though you''ve shown them nothing but kindness. Even though everything you''ve done was to free your fellow Lowborn¡­


    ¡­they treat you like a criminal. It doesn''t matter if you really did it or not, it doesn''t matter if you are guilty or not¡­


    ¡­they want you to be.]


    "Fuck¡­" Lina closed her eyes, "...It''s a fucking fanatic."


    [It''s fine that you didn''t recruit me, Mr. Rhys,] the masked woman once againughed, [You''re right. I¡­ I don''t belong there, not yet ¡ª not until I''ve proven myself. Do you know why¡­ why I wanted to join in the first ce?]


    The masked woman then grabbed the camera, rotating it and pointing it back to the Amerkan g she was previously standing in front of.


    [Because this¡­] The masked woman frantically pointed at the g, [...This killed my brother and sister. Unlike me, they were¡­ they were born Lowborns ¡ª a gic defect, they said. Theycked the blood. And that''s okay, they were beautiful, my beautiful baby siblings¡­


    ¡­but one day I came home, and I found them in front of our house... dead. Someone¡­]


    "Oh no¡­" Katarina covered her mouth and closed her eyes as she saw tears seeping out from the woman''s mask.


    [Someone burned both of them alive in front of our house. They were 10 and 12,] the masked womanughed, [Andter¡­


    ¡­I found out my parents did it. My parents did it because they were ashamed of having Lowborn children. Funny, right?]


    "Zeus fucking everyone," Ayesha could not help but breathe out a curse, "This is¡­"


    [Well, thankfully social media wasn''t a thing then ¡ª if not, they might have also posted it on the inte like with Mr. Rhys,] the masked woman then stood in front of the g and grabbed it, [You see, Mr. Rhys ¡ª you and I are the same, and we have the same goal. My methods are just¡­


    ¡­a little more extreme.]


    The masked woman then pulled down the g, and as she did so, several more masked individuals appeared on the screen as the g slowly danced and dropped from the air. No one was focusing on them, however, as everyone''s eyes were on the insignia that reced the Amerkan g.


    [We are the Dregs of Society¡­] The masked woman then ced her palm on her chest again. But instead of the left hand like the Wilder''s Harem, she and the rest of herpatriots were using their right hand,


    [...And we are only just beginning.]


    [...Live? Are we live again!?] And with the so-called Dregs of Society ending their broadcast, the feed once again returned to the President''s address, with the President and his assistants quickly collecting themselves as he faced the camera again.


    [Citizens of Amerka,] the President mmed his fist on the podium, causing the entire stage he was standing on to quake and tremble, [We have just been dered war by a most heinous and evil organization. I will not even give them the pleasure of uttering their name! But I am telling all of you now, this will not be tolerated! I will¡ª]


    "!!!"


    And before the President could finish his address, a violent light suddenly exploded behind him; a thunder, erupting and causing even the TV to tremble due to the bass it produced. And not even a second after, the feed waspletely cut off.


    "Sweet baby Zeus¡­" Ayesha turned to look at Rhys, "Did¡­


    ¡­they just bomb the President?"

 Chapter 184 Cooperation

    "...Everything checks out. You''re free to leave, Lowborn. But I am telling you now, just make one mistake and I''ll¡ª"


    "Shut the fuck up."


    With the Dregs of Society announcing that they have no ties with the Wilder''s Harem and Rhys Wilder, althoughpletely unwilling, the government had no choice but to let Rhys go.


    After all, he was detained due to the words of the leader of the Dregs of Society ¡ª and with her saying that Rhys was not involved with her, the government was obligated to retract their orders¡­ of course, only on the surface.


    "I do believe you have a more urgent matter to attend to, dear." Agatha was stillpletely attached to Rhys''s arm, escorting him out of the hospital room along with the other women, "Your president just went poof."


    "The President''s alive," Captain Leary breathed out as he red at Rhys, "I do not know what sort of tricks you''re ying here, but¡ª"


    "Shut the fuck up."


    And once again, Captain Leary''s words were interrupted as Lina shut the door on him, leaving him alone inside Rhys''s hospital room.


    "And can you stop clinging to Rhys!?" And as soon as they were out of the room, Lina tried pulling Agatha away from Rhys, only to fail as Agatha seemedpletely stuck like a ko; the smirk on her face, however, was not helping with Lina''s frustration.


    "Just let the old woman be," Katarina said with a smile on her face, "She probably needs Rhys to assist her with walking."


    "Oho¡­?" Agatha quickly let go of Rhys as she tilted her body and leaned closer to Katarina while walking, "You''re quite a feisty one, aren''t you? And here I thought the reports are saying you''re the gentlest one of the concubines."


    "...Concubines?" Katarina''s eyes twitched. Her sudden heavy breath, fortunately drowned by the sound of the elevator opening, "I think you''re delving deep into a misunderstanding here, olddy."


    "Am I?" Agatha smirked at Katarina and the others as she was the first to get into the elevator, "I am sure Rhys could¡ªHey!"


    Katarina quickly pressed the closed button from outside, almost shutting Agatha alone in the elevator if it wasn''t for her forcefully opening the door, "Just because your titties are the biggest, it doesn''t mean you''re the main wife, no?"


    "Ack."


    Katarina just rolled her eyes as the rest of them stepped into the elevator. The 7 of them, almost filled up the entire space. And unfortunately for Rhys, the only ones who were keeping quiet amongst thedies were Ayesha and Maria, while the rest were arguing about who the main wife was ¡ª even Vicky was joining even though only 4 out of 5 of the Hearts floating above her head were filled.


    But perhaps the most baffling was Princess Agatha, who really only had a single Heart filled and yet she was clinging to him the most. Rhys knew he had a lot of other things he should be focusing on, but he could not help but just stare at Agatha ¡ª was this all just an act?


    Of course, Rhys knew that one filled Heart already meant that Agatha liked him, but from everything he had learned so far, one Heartfelt more like curiosity. Agatha was treating him like some sort of toy, or in this case, a sex toy.


    How exactly would he fill her Hearts? It doesn''t feel like it would just happen naturally unlike with the rest.


    "Oh¡­? What''s this? Do I have the chance to be the main wife after all?" Agatha then covered her mouth as she noticed Rhys staring at her, "I''m sorry, littledies. It would seem Rhys''s penchant for older women gets more sweeter the older the fruit is."


    "Aunt, can you not¡­" Vicky could really only cover her face in embarrassment.


    "Is it just me, or is this elevator taking too long to go down?" Ayesha looked at the floor they were in, only for it to pass the ground floor and straight into the basement, "Were¡­ we parked in the basement?"


    Ayesha''s eyebrows started to lower as she moved in front of everyone. It wasn''t only her, except for Agatha, everyone else put up their guard as the gravity started to shift. And while everyonended on their feet, both Agatha and Vicky dropped to their backs due to them being slightly unfamiliar with a gravity shift a Dig brings.


    "Are you two okay¡­?" Rhys quickly helped Vicky up, as Agatha was able to slightly collect herself since she was holding Rhys''s arm.


    "Why¡­ why are we not upside down?" Vicky asked as she hugged Rhys when he helped her up.


    "We''re not moving through a Hole," Lina, however, moved her hands away as she answered her cousin''s question, "A Dig just shifts the gravity 90 degrees or something. Wait, don''t tell me you don''t know that?"


    "I¡­ Of course, I know that!" Vicky cleared her throat as she crossed her arms, "W¡ª"


    "Heads up, boys and girls," Ayesha raised her hand as the elevator door to their right opened. And there, waiting for them¡­ was no one.


    "Wait, wait¡­ should we really go outside?" Vicky took in a small gulp as she saw Ayesha and the others stepping outside the elevator. But as soon as she was alone inside, the only thing she could really do was follow after them and grab Rhys by his shirt.


    "For fuck''s sake, Vicky. You''re a Noble," Lina rolled her eyes and sighed, "That already makes you stronger than most of the poption."


    "Shut up!" Vicky growled at Lina, almost like a cat; her small stature did not help.


    "Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    And as a voice echoed through the entire basement parking lot, Ayesha and the others quickly raised their guards even further; with Maria even slowly disappearing into the shadows ¡ª but as soon as the silhouette behind the voice revealed himself, Ayesha immediately shook her head in disapproval.


    "Dad."


    "You did note out of my balls, you little twerp!"


    It was General Banner, who immediately raised his middle finger at Ayesha as soon as he was out of the shadow, "I told you to bring back Sergeant Rhys, and yet you ended up quitting the military altogether and joined his little group of groupies! I did not raise you like that!"


    "Well, you didn''t raise me at all," Ayesha crossed her arms and scoffed. And as the others saw Ayesha lowering her guard, they also soon lowered their arms.


    As for General Banner, he just squinted his eyes and observed Rhys and his friends before turning to look to the side.


    "I don''t appreciate being sneaked upon, girl," he then whispered. And as he did so, Maria slowly revealed herself from the shadows behind General Banner; the tip of her de, already touching the general''s back. Maria, however, still did not move.


    "Maria."


    "Hm," it was only when Rhys beckoned her that she moved away and returned to his side with the others, "Be careful with him, he had been in several meetings with thete Secretary. We do not know if he is a friendly, Rhys Wilder."


    "Of course, he''s not," Ayesha scoffed as she looked the General in the eyes, "What do you want, Pops?"


    "To apologize," General Banner cleared his throat before focusing his attention on Rhys, which was quite hard since he was literally surrounded by several women, "You should not have been dragged around like that and restrained, but I know you understand why it had to happen."


    "I¡­ do," Rhys nodded, "I''m a Lowborn, General. I was already guilty the moment I was born."


    "Rhys¡­" Katarina''s eyes quickly softened as she nced at Rhys.


    "Oh, so there she is¡­" But as soon as Agatha smirked, Katarina''s eyebrows once again lowered as she red at her, and then General Banner,


    "...I think this is the first time we''ve truly met, General Banner. But I also hope you understand that Rhys needs to rest, we''re going home."


    "What she said," Ayesha followed.


    "I¡­ am afraid I would have to intrude," General Banner shook his head. And as soon as he did so, more than a dozen people stepped out of the shadows and revealed themselves.


    "Seriously¡­?" Ayesha groaned, "You do know this is not going to end well for you, right?"


    "It won''t end well for everyone," General Banner cleared his throat before raising his hand. And as soon as he did so, one of the men who stepped out of the shadows opened up a briefcase he was holding, "What he has there is a bomb ¡ª do anything, and that would explode and kill everyone within 60 yards, or worst, open a Hole right in the center of the city."


    "What ¡ª don''t tell me you work for those terrorists!? I knew the government couldn''t be trusted!"


    "No, he doesn''t," Ayesha gripped her fist as she stepped forward, "What are you nning?"


    "Orders from the President himself, I''m afraid," General Banner let out a long and deep sigh, "The guy might look like a pansy fool, but he didn''t reach his position for not having balls. What do you think would happen if this thing exploded, right in the hospital where Rhys was staying?"


    "He''ll be incriminated again," Maria crossed her arms, "Even worse, this time around."


    "If he survives, which we all know, he will," General Banner scratched his beard, "But of course, that is not going to happen. I am truly sorry about this, Sergeant ¡ª but I can''t disobey the President''s orders."


    "I thought you had more balls than that, old man," Ayesha scoffed. She was about to say something more, but Rhys stepped forward and ced his hand on her shoulder.


    "...What does he want?" Rhys looked the general in the eyes.


    "Your cooperation," General Banner nodded, "We need you to join the task force¡­


    ¡­in charge of eliminating the Dregs of Society."

 Chapter 185 Underworld, Sea, Air, and Land

    "What the fuck!? How is this even legal!? And after they dragged you around like that everywhere!? I mean, we''re the only ones allowed to drag you like that, Rhys!"


    "...Thank you, Lina¡­ but can all of you let me get dressed first?"


    After they were cornered by General Banner in the parking lot, Rhys and the others were brought to arge warehouse, where the task force assigned to take out the Dregs of Society was currently stationed. Rhys was provided with his own tent, but it proved to be too small when Ayesha and the others also decided to stay there.


    And right now, the only thing Rhys could really do was stretch his hand to the side as Katarina dressed him up with his coat, while everyone else just loitered around the small tent¡­ with Agatha even staring at him like he was some sort of buffet table.


    "Let''s just go. Fuck all of this," Lina scoffed and rolled her eyes, "I don''t really like it there, but let''s just return to Ennd."


    "I don''t tend to agree with the doll, but that''s a viable option, Recruit," Ayesha crossed her arms and sighed, "You¡­ don''t need to do this."


    "But I do," Rhys shook his head as Katarina started fixing his coat and ced the red band of the Wilder''s Harem around his arm, "Even if the government did not force me to do this¡­


    ¡­I would have hunted the Dregs of Society myself."


    Maria, who had been keeping quiet on the side and just checking her tablet, nced at Rhys as he said that; the two of them, looking into each other''s eyes for a few seconds before just looking away.


    "...But are you sure you want to do this alone, Rhys?" Katarina let out a very long and deep sigh as she ced her hands on Rhys''s chest, "You do know I''m here, right?"


    "We''re here," Lina quickly added as she approached Rhys, cing her cheek on his back. As for Ayesha, she really only ced her fist on his arm, lightly hitting it and smiling.


    Vicky was about to join them as she awkwardly stretched out her hand, but Lina quickly red at her while shaking her head.


    "I''m sorry, but you don''t belong in the harem just yet."


    "W¡ª"


    "No one''s in a harem," Katarina groaned as she backed away from Rhys, "All of this is just¡­ a mutually beneficial arrangement."


    "Then¡­" Agatha stood up and also started very slowly approaching Rhys, "...I think I want some of those benefits."


    "No!" "Can you please just go away?" "I don''t think so." Katarina, Lina, and Ayesha all raised their voices at the same time as they saw Agatha carrying a weird smile on her face.


    "I can take that woman''s ce," Agatha only shrugged before pointing at Maria, "She doesn''t seem to be joining the lot of you."


    "I prefer a more steamy scenario than this one, Your Highness," Maria did not even nce at Agatha as she spoke and just continued to scan her tablet.


    "Y¡ª"


    [Officers, please gather at the central site for briefing ASAP. Officers, please¡­]


    And before Rhys''s mutually beneficial arrangement could start arguing, an announcement calling for him resounded throughout the entire warehouse.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys nodded as he moved away from Katarina and the others, "Please make sure our members are fine. They must have been¡­ traumatized by what happened."


    "Don''t worry," Katarina smiled and shook her head, "Most of them are back in the HQ. We''ll handle it, don''t think about anything else."


    "Right¡­" Rhys nodded, looking at everyone before leaving the tent. And as soon as he stepped out, all eyes were on him; with most of them ring at him as if he was the worst criminal they have ever seen ¡ª aplete contrast with the way he was being looked at inside the tent.


    There were several other tents there, but Rhys heeded them no mind at all as he made his way to the center of the warehouse. There were already a few people gathered there, but Rhys made sure to keep his distance from them, as none of them even needed to say anything for him to know they didn''t like him at all.


    And so, Rhys just grabbed one of the chairs and decided to drag it to the back of the briefing area.


    "I don''t think so, pal."


    Before he could even take 3 steps, however, one of the officers there also grabbed the chair.


    "Go stand in the corner, Army Boy."


    "..." Rhys looked at the officer for a few seconds. The badge on the officer''s uniform showed he was of higher rank than him ¡ª but sadly for him and everyone else in this room, he wasn''t here as a member of the military.


    "Did you hear me, Lowborn!? What is wrong with¡ª!!!"


    And before the man could finish his words, he found himself suddenly being dragged across the ground as Rhys just casually continued dragging the seat away along with him. The man let go of the chair, spinning on the floor for a little bit before immediately standing up and rushing toward Rhys.


    "Woah, woah! Everyone needs to chill the F down. Especially you, Stretcher."


    Another officer moved between Rhys and the man, Stretcher, with both of his hands raised, "We''re all brothers and sisters here, chill."


    "That Lowborn doesn''t belong here, he''s unlisted ¡ª and from the Army. I''d suggest you move away, Lincoln," Stretcher did not back down and pushed Lincoln away as he made his way toward Rhys again; standing in front of him and not being fazed at all even though Rhys towered over him,


    "Let go of the chair, pretty boy."


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything and just looked at the other empty chairs in the briefing area. And with a small sigh, he really did let go of the chair.


    "Good boy," Stretcher smirked and nodded, "You¡ª"


    Rhys did not wait for him to say anything else, however, as he just walked back to the briefing area and sat at one of the empty chairs there instead.


    "Pft," Lincoln, as well as the other officers who were watching the scenario unfold, could not help but almost snort as they saw Stretcher being ignored.


    "You little¡ª"


    "That''s enough! All of you take your seats!" Unfortunately for Stretcher, before he could even do anything, a man carrying the badge of a Captain arrived, with several people behind him pushing arge screen.


    Everyone quickly saluted and found their seats as he ordered¡­ As for Stretcher, since he was holding the chair that Rhys ced at the very back of the briefing area, he had no choice but to just stay at the back.


    "While all of you areparing who has the bigger balls here, we have managed to find a possible location where members of the so-called Dregs of Society are gathered," the Captain said before pointing at the screen behind him, which showed an image of a map,


    "They have a very skilled hacker within their ranks, so it took us a while to pinpoint their location. There is also a possibility that they are leading us to somece else ¡ª but we have no choice but to check on-site and raid the building. Stretcher, you and your team¡­ What in god''s name are you doing all the way out there!?"


    "S¡­ Sorry, Sir!" Stretcher quickly stood up and started dragging his chair.


    "God damn it, Lieutenant!" The Captain once again raised his voice as the noise of Stretcher dragging the chair whistled in the air. The Captain then turned to look at the other officers before his eyesnded on Rhys, "I changed my mind. Wilder, you will be leading the main assault along with Lincoln."


    "But sir, he''s from the Army!" Stretcher could not help but exim as he looked back and forth between Rhys and the Captain.


    "Lieutenant, what are we?" The Captain took in a short but very deep breath as he looked at Stretcher.


    "Navy USEALS, Sir!" Stretcher saluted.


    "No, we are soldiers," the Captain red at Stretcher, "And our primary order is to follow orders. So¡­


    ¡­what exactly are you doing now?"


    "Sir¡­" Stretcher could really only look down as he heard the Captain''s words.


    "I see," the Captain let out a small scoff as he noticed that some of the officers in front of him also held an expression of objection, "Perhaps the lot of you feel you are superior to Mr. Wilder. But you see, Mr. Wilder offers something none of you have ¡ª advantage. We''re hunting a fucking fanatic that treats Mr. Wilder here as a god."


    "..." Rhys wanted to say something, but just chose not to as¡­ the atmosphere wasn''t really allowing it.


    "And if you are still displeased with my decision, then your unit will also be joining Wilder, Lieutenant Stretcher."


    "Sir!" Stretcher smiled before looking at Rhys.


    "And to ensure this misbehavior by you does not happen again¡­ Wilder," the Captain then turned to look at Rhys, gesturing to him to stand up from his seat,


    "¡­Effective immediately, for this mission alone, you are hereby given the rank of Commander."


    "...Sir?"

 Chapter 186 Mission

    "Do we really have to listen to the orders of a fucking influencer!?"


    "Don''t let him hear you, he might cancel you to death, Pft."


    "Man, fuck this woke shit. Why do we have to follow a dregger?"


    The location of the suspected base of the Dregs of Society was in a small town near the edges of the Safe Zone, very much like the HQ of the Wilder''s Harem ¡ª one of the reasons why the defense staff thinks there is a high chance of probability that it may truly be the base of the terrorist organization.


    And right now, the soldiers who were tasked to take them down were on their way there. The ride on the truck was bumpy and filled with all sorts of noise due to the fact that they were not traveling on the roads, but the voices of the other soldiers seemed to be even stronger as they talked about Rhys.


    Rhys, however, ignored all of them as he just reviewed theyout of the building they were going to infiltrate.


    "I admire your restraint, Sir."


    "...Lieutenant," Rhys lowered his tablet as someone sat beside him before turning to look at the other soldiers with him on the truck, only for them to smirk and scoff at him. He then turned to look at Lincoln, who was handing him a piece of jerky.


    "If I were you, Sir¡­" Lincoln let out a short but deep sigh, "...I would have already ordered them all to walk to our destination. Well, how about it? Learned something new about our mission?"


    "No," Rhys smiled and shook his head, "There''s really nothing here but the position of their building and theyout. There''s a lot of civilians in the surrounding areas, so we need people to quietly evacuate and iste them first, and observe them just in case there''s a hostile hiding within them."


    "I think it would be best for Stretcher and his men to handle that, Sir," Lincoln suggested, "It would also prevent¡­plications during the assault."


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "You and your men will be handling the safety of the civilians, Lieutenant. I do not really know any of you to make a judgment this early, but based on all of your records, I can really only trust you with this."


    "That¡ªyou''ve read our files?" Lincoln could not help but force out a chuckle before just nodding, "Of course, sir. I''ll go brief my men about our assignment. Also, I''m actually here to inform you that we will be in the vicinity in 3 minutes, 2."


    "Hm," Rhys stood up as he heard that. He then leaned his head into the cab to look at where they were before tapping the driver on the shoulder, "Stop here."


    "...Sir?" The driver was confused with Rhys''s orders, "But our waypoint is¡ª"


    "Just stop here."


    "Yes, sir."


    And as the driver stepped on the brakes, everyone turned to look at each other to see what was going on; lifting up the drapes covering their truck and wondering if they reached their destination, only to see the city was still a mile away.


    "Alright, listen up!" Rhys then stood up and looked at the other soldiers on the truck, only for half of them to just nce at him and look away, "I know most of you don''t like me, but this is not the time to be a sensitive pussy and act like an insecure bitch. If you want toin,in after this mission is done."


    Rhys then started walking across the truck before just stopping right in front of Stretcher, causing him and his men to stop smirking.


    "You, follow me out of the truck."


    "Ho¡­?" Stretcher immediately stood up as he looked Rhys in the eyes. Rhys, however, just walked away and stepped out of the truck without even saying another word.


    "Well¡­" Stretcher once again smirked as he looked at his men, "...Looks like the new Commander wants to prove us something, boys. Ready the med kits ''coz I am going to fuck him up."


    Stretcher and his men burst out inughter, with Stretcher high-fiving everyone as he made his way out of the truck.


    "Men¡­" Stretcher then gave a cocky smile at Lincoln as he stepped back out of the truck, "...Meet your new Comm¡ª"


    Before his feet couldnd on the ground, however, he found himself losing bnce as Rhys suddenly pulled him by the feet. And before even giving him a chance to react, Rhys grabbed him by the back of his head and started mming him on the edge of the truck for everyone to see.


    "What the¡ª!?" Lincoln''s men stood up, but also lost their bnce as the truck started bouncing from how hard Rhys was smashing Stretcher''s face; his blood, spraying everywhere along with all the shards and cracked debris of the truck.


    "C¡­ Commander," Lincoln could not help but just carefully approach Rhys with both his hands in the air, making sure to keep his bnce as the truck continued to bounce, "He¡­ He''ll die if you don''t stop."


    "That''s the point, Lieutenant," Rhys calmly said as he continued bashing Stretcher''s face; to the point that it was alreadypletely mangled and unrecognizable. And very soon, everyone heard a crisp crack as Stretcher''s face just exploded; his flesh and blood, just oozing out from the cracks of his face and onto the bed of the truck.


    Those who were near the edge of the truck could really only move and lift their feet away from the¡­ ooze.


    And finally, Rhys stopped. And the only thing everyone could hear inside the truck was the squelching sound that Stretcher''s face made when he tried to move it, as well as his wheezing gasps which proved he was still actually alive.


    Rhys then just calmly got on the truck again while still holding Stretcher''s mangled head; dragging him across the bed as he stared at Stretcher''s men,


    "Tie him up for the rest of the mission for insubordination."


    "You¡­ you fucking¡ª"


    "You''ll be recing Stretcher," Rhys then let go of Stretcher''s head before calmly cing his hand on the shoulder of one of Stretcher''s men. He did not even grip it or hold it, he just ced his hand on the man''s shoulder, "I hope you do better than him."


    "..." The man could not really say anything as he just looked at Stretcher''s mangled face. And of course, Rhys did not wait for him to say anything as he walked to the end of the truck bed and once again leaned into the driver''s cab.


    "Let''s go," Rhys once again tapped the driver''s shoulder; this time, causing him to flinch hard. As for Rhys, he just returned to his seat and remained quiet. He did not even need to order anyone anymore ¡ª as soon as they arrived at their destination, everyone just quickly stepped out of the truck in a very organized manner.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys could really only nod as they saw everyone lined up as soon as he stepped out of the truck, "...You know your assignments. Lincoln, once you''re done evacuating the civilians nearest to the site, you''re responsible for shutting down all the exits."


    "Roger that," Lincoln nodded before just immediately ordering his men to follow him.


    "Lincoln." Before they could leave, however, Rhys pointed at his chest, "Don''t forget to turn that on."


    "Oh¡­" Lincoln turned to look at his chest, quickly turning on the body cam and ordering for his men to do the same, "...Almost forgot. Godspeed, Commander."


    "Hm," Rhys nodded back before turning to look at the remaining men near the truck. He did not even need to say anything as all of them just turned on their body cams, "You."


    "Sir!?" The man Rhys tasked to rece Stretcher quickly stood in attention.


    "You''re running point."


    "Sir¡­?"


    "Go, I''ll follow behind," Rhys ordered.


    The man was confused, but after a few seconds, he just nodded and ordered his men to follow him, while Rhys followed behind them as they made their way through the streets, where Lincoln and his men were already evacuating everyone they could¡­ or so they should be.


    They were all just standing in front of the house, looking at the windows of the houses and establishments only for them to shake their heads.


    "Sir," one of Lincoln''s men approached Rhys, "I don''t think anyone''s here ¡ª my men has been checking everything, but there''s no sign of anyone. Some of the doors were left unlocked, maybe because they were in a hurry to leave¡­


    ¡­I don''t like this at all."


    "Do you think it''s a trap?" Rhys started looking around the street, and it truly was empty¡­ and dark. With the only signs of life being the streemps.


    "I don''t know, Sir," the soldier shook his head, "But the Lieutenant said that we should return, they know we''re going to be here. We should ret¡ª"


    And before Linconl''s man could finish his words, everyone watched as half of his face exploded right in front of Rhys. Everyone then slowly turned to look at the ground near their deadrade, only to see an arrow pierced through the thick asphalt.


    "Sniper!" Rhys quickly raised his voice, "Defensive Camo, now!"


    And as soon as Rhys said that, everyone quickly huddled up together; with some of the soldiers controlling and lifting up the ground beneath their feet to create some defensive cover, also effectively camouging them from any attackers from above.


    "Commander!" Lincoln, who was one of the people sustaining the shield, quickly approached Rhys, "We should retreat!"


    "No," Rhys quickly shook his head as he looked at Lincoln and the other men there, "Someone''s probably already waiting for us back in the truck. We''ve beenpromised...


    ...someone revealed our positions."

 Chapter 187 Among Us

    "We''ve been betrayed¡­ by who!?"


    The dreadful drumming caused Lincoln''s entire body to tremble, and yet perhaps, it was only the beating of his heart that resounded through his ears as he realized the connotation of Rhys''s words. Lincoln then started to look at everyone, before his suspicion suddenly snapped when he once again realized something.


    And very slowly¡­ he turned to look at Rhys. Out of all of them here, he was the only one who actually had a motive to betray all of them.


    "Good guess, but no," Rhys only let out a small sigh as he saw not only Lincoln''s suspicious re, but everyone''s, "I''m not even supposed to be here, I was forced and dragged."


    "That¡­" Lincoln still had his suspicions, but the only thing he could really do was just nod. They all heard Rhys''s circumstance, and they all knew he was reluctant to join the mission and was only forced by General Banner¡­ but then again, that doesn''t change the fact that he could have still revealed all their ns.


    "And if I was the one who revealed this¡­"


    Lincoln held his breath as he saw the look in Rhys''s eyes; almost as if he was going to swallow him and everyone here whole in the darkness hidden within them,


    "...All of you would have been dead even before we got out of the truck."


    Lincoln turned to look at the other men, and when he realized that Stretcher wasn''t there, he was finally able to let out a breath. Someone who was trying to blend in and be inconspicuous wouldn''t beat someone close to death right in front of the people whose trust he wanted to gain.


    "Sorry, Sir," Lincoln nodded, "You''ve already been med once, and now you''re being med again."


    "Story of my life," Rhys let out a soft chuckle. But soon his expression turned serious as he leaned his head out of the Earth shield to look at where the arrows wereing from, only for him to see the head of an arrow just a meter away from piercing him straight in the head; Rhys, however, just calmly stretched out his hand and caught it¡­


    ¡­before suddenly spinning in ce and throwing the arrow back.


    "Did you get him, Sir!?"


    And almost as if to answer Lincoln, a barrage of arrows once again started bombarding their Earth shield.


    "We should fall back," Rhys grumbled as he looked around for a ce to hide, "We don''t know how many they are, but there''s a possibility they know just how many we are and what we''re capable of ¡ª there''s a chance they''re just going to tire you and the other Earth controllers out."


    "Tch¡­" Lincoln gritted his teeth as he looked at the other Earth controllers. Although none of them seem tired yet, it won''t be long until the stress of being trapped gets to them, "You''re right, we''re sitting ducks here."


    Lincoln then slightly opened a hole in the Earth shield so he could safely check the surrounding areas, but before he could fully see every direction, he was almost hit by another arrow as it flew straight toward the hole he made.


    "Shit¡­ just how fucked are their vision!?" Lincoln could not help but curse as he almost died, "Do¡­ they have a Noble on their side with Artemis'' blood!?"


    "Lieutenant, focus," Rhys grabbed Lincoln''s shoulder.


    "...Right," Lincoln breathed out heavily, "I saw a small building at my three. We should¡ª"


    "Fuck this!" And before Lincoln could finish his words, Stretcher''s men ran toward the direction that Lincoln pointed; effectively splitting the Earth shield in half.


    "You¡ªHold it! Fuck!" Lincoln quickly rushed out of the Earth shield, taking a piece with him as he chased the other soldiers,


    "Where''d all your training go!?"


    Rhys had the same question ¡ª these people, unlike Rhys, should be more experienced in dealing with domestic hostiles, humans. They should even have more training than him, and should be even calmer¡ªno.


    Perhaps it was because he was here. Perhaps they couldn''t operate the way they are used to since he was the one leading them; but then, Lincoln''s men werepletely calm and cooperative. And even though some of them wanted to follow Lincoln, they didn''t as Rhys did not give them an order.


    Rhys could really only sigh as he turned his attention toward the building the others were running to.


    "Men, be ready to¡­wait," Rhys squinted his eyes as he watched Lincoln get closer to the building without any trouble at all, "Lincoln!"


    Lincoln quickly nced back at Rhys as soon as he heard him scream; but as soon as he saw the look of haste in Rhys''s face, his instincts started to kick in. The Earth shield covering Stretcher''s men, and his shield for that matter, was much smaller and weaker than their main shield¡­


    ¡­and yet the sniper hasn''t even attempted to take a shot at them even once.


    "Fuck¡­" Lincoln then quickly turned his attention to Stretcher''s men before rushing toward them, "...All of you, fall back! Return to the¡ª"


    Before he could finish his words, however, he felt his vision shift; an extreme tightness, covering his torso as he suddenly found himself rolling violently on the ground and back to their main cover. He quickly looked around to check what just happened¡­


    ¡­only to see Rhys outside, standing right where he was previously at.


    "Did¡­ he pull me away? Commander, you¡ª!!!"


    And once again, Lincoln''s words were interrupted as a bright sh drowned his eyes; thest thing they saw was a violent explosion lining Rhys''s silhouette.


    "Fuck!" Lincoln roared as he and the other men strengthened the Earth shield to protect themselves from the sudden st that erupted from inside the very building Stretcher''s men sought refuge in,


    "The Commander¡­ themander is¡­"


    Lincoln very slowly opened up the sides to get a look at the aftermath of the explosion, only to see the small building almostpletely obliterated. It¡­ was doubtful anyone inside could have survived.


    "Does¡­ does anyone see the Commander!?" Lincoln breathed out. And as he did so, all of his men also turned their heads to see if there was any sign of him; the disdain and hesitation they once had in their eyes,pletely starting to fade away.


    And very soon¡­


    ¡­they saw arge debris starting to move.


    ***


    "Is that him!? Is he alive!?"


    "...Yes, Captain! It''s him!"


    "Yes, yes!"


    Back in the warehouse that served as the Navy USEAL''s camp, the captain pped his hands strong enough to cause the air around him to reverberate. The excitement and relief escaping his lips, evident to their technicians as he even gripped their shoulders as he looked at all the monitors in front of him, which showed a dyed feed from the body cams of Rhys and the others.


    Soon, however, the relief and excitement in the captain''s breaths disappeared as he shook his head.


    "Someone leaked our ns, downright to our men''s positions," the captain uttered as he once again ced his shoulder on his technician''s shoulder, "Tell them to standby to retreat, we will figure out how we''re going to rescue them."


    "Sir¡­" The technician nervously looked up at the Captain, "...I can''t."


    "What?"


    "...I''ve lost signal with their radio."


    "Are you saying we can''t contact them?" The Captain red at the technician, "But how is that possible!? Their body cams are working!"


    "Captain, what''s the situation here?"


    "Commander Ayesha!" The Captain quickly straightened his back and saluted to Ayesha, "What are you doing here, Ma''am? You''re¡­ not authorized in this area."


    "Let''s skip all the bullshit," Ayesha just casually saluted as he approached the briefing area. Some of the men were about to stop her, but the Captain quickly gestured to them to stand down, "You don''t need to be so formal with me, I''ve been retired."


    "...No," the Captain shook his head, "You are still registered as the Commander of the Underworld Corps, Ma''am. You outrank me by at least two steps. But¡­


    ¡­they truly can''t enter here."


    The Captain then turned to look behind Ayesha, only to see Rhys''s entire harem there.


    "That''s fine, those people all outrank you too. 3 Princesses, and then two retired assassins who used to work for the government. They were probably from the IIA or something, that means they bank your payroll."


    "That¡­" The Captain turned to look at Katarina and the others, only for him to stray his eyes away as soon as Agatha returned his gaze with a re. He also suspected Rhys to be the person behind the leaking of their mission, but seeing all these women surrounding him¡­


    ¡­if Rhys truly did want to overthrow the entire Amerkan government, he probably didn''t even need to y in the shadows. Just Princess Agatha and Ayesha alone could call forth an army if they wanted to.


    "...We lost audio contact with the team."


    "What¡­?" Katarina''s eyes trembled as she quickly tried to find Rhys on the screen, and not even a secondter, he saw him all bloodied up and being dragged from the rubble, "If he dies, Captain¡­


    ¡­I swear all of you will¡ª"


    "Rx, Doc," Ayesha stopped Katarina from finishing her words as she also looked at the footage showing Rhys, "The Recruit''s fine. But let''s return to what you were saying before we arrived ¡ª you''re saying the mission ispromised, Captain?"


    "Yes," the Captain took in a deep breath as he looked at the monitors, "The Dregs of Society, although I am not at the liberty to say since you are considered a civilian right now¡ª"


    "Out with it."


    "They¡­ probably have a spy here in the base right now. Rhys Wilder and the others...


    ...they walked into a trap."

 Chapter 188 Exposed

    "How do they know where we''re going!?"


    Back in Rhys''s supposed secret mission, he and his supposed elite team were still taking heavy fire¡ªno.


    They were not taking heavy fire at all, but each time they moved, it was almost as if the sniper knew where exactly they were going ¡ª such a skill could really only mean that the Dregs of Society had a Noble within their ranks; but a Noble joining a terrorist group that primarily supports Lowborns?


    Such a thing is unheard of.


    "Fuck, damn it!"


    Lincoln wanted to shoot out a barrage of Earth bullets so they could at least move from their position, but once again, as soon as he created a hole to see where the arrows wereing from, he immediately got weed by an arrow going straight for his eyes.


    They have tried almost everything; their fire controllers even created a cloud of smoke topletely veil them from the enemy, but as soon as one of them stepped out of the Earth shield, he immediately got shot at.


    They also opted to move the entire Shield along with them, but remembering how the building exploded earlier, they really had nowhere to go and would just tire themselves out if they continued to move.


    They werepletely trapped.


    "Can we dig down?"


    "Commander, are¡­ you fine now?"


    "Yes," Rhys''s entire body waspletely filled with blood. Most of his wounds were superficial, however, and he was able to heal them all quickly, "Can we dig down?"


    "We could, but¡­" Lincoln touched the hard ground, "...But holeproofing has been installed in this area, we can really only dig through a meter before we hit it. No one¡­ among us is strong enough to manipte that kind of material."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "Not to mention if all of us crawled a meter underground, we would be noticed," Lincoln sighed, "It doesn''t help that these people seem to fucking know where we are at all times. How do they even¡ª"


    "Our body cams," Rhys''s eyes started to widen as he looked at all the remaining soldiers with him. And without even any hesitation, Rhys grabbed his body cam and crushed it, "They might have hacked our body cams!"


    And as soon as Rhys said that, Lincoln also grabbed his body cam and smashed it on the ground, and soon, everyone followed.


    Lincoln looked at Rhys for a few seconds, before nodding and once again trying to sneak a peek outside by creating a hole on their shield. He was getting ready to quickly duck down, but the arrow did note at all.


    "You¡­ you''re right, Commander!" Lincoln could not help but let out an excited burst ofughter, "Men, separate our shields and rush to the bui¡ª"


    "No," Rhys ced his hand on Lincoln''s shoulder, "It would be best to distract some of them here while a few of us infiltrate the building by moving underground. Lincoln, stay here and start shooting back at them while creating a smoke screen to serve as a diversion."


    "That¡­ yes, Sir," Lincoln nodded, "Hamilton, Rodriguez, Wilson, McArthur ¡ª you go join the Commander."


    "Finally, we''re gonna get rid of these fucking Lowborn coborators! We¡ªn¡­no offense, Commander," McArthur almost choked in his own breaths as soon as he remembered who their acting Commander was.


    "They¡­ are a good bunch, Commander," Lincoln could really only let out a sigh as he looked at Rhys, "McArthur may act like that, but he follows the mission at all costs¡­ and his Earth control is at a higher level than me, he can get you to the building safely."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys only turned to look at McArthur, and as soon as he did so, McArthur quickly plunged himself through the hard ground. They also once again set up a smoke screen, with one of them reaching out their hand outside to try and test if no one could really see them ¡ª and true enough, it took several seconds before an arrow even shot toward the soldier''s hand,


    "Lincoln, I''ll leave this area to you."


    "Copy that, Boss," Lincoln smiled, "I''ll also move through the ground to try and take out the sniper, serve as additional diversion for you guys."


    "Hm," and with those words, Rhys also jumped down the small McArthur made. And although they were already being provided support from the surface, McArthur was still careful not to make the tunnel obvious from above; with all of them just slowly crawling toward the building until they finally reached it several minutester.


    "...All clear, Commander."


    The group sessfully infiltrated the ground floor of the building, with McArthur quietly and carefully climbing up the hole while checking his surroundings,


    "And we might have hit the jackpot here."


    There wasn''t a sign of anyone there, but there was, however, a sign that a group was hiding there as evident with all the boxes and supplies neatly stacked together.


    "What in the¡ªwhat''s with all these guns? Most of these are extremely high caliber."


    "Fuck, we should go back. Judging from all of this shit, there should at least be more than a hundred of them."


    "...Where do you think they all are?"


    "Where else? Probably panicking outside, pft. They are¡ª"


    "Don''t underestimate them," and as soon as Rhys opened his mouth, Lincoln''s men all shut their mouths and listened, "We''ve already lost half our men before even managing to infiltrate their MOB, if this is their MOB."


    "...I''m positive this is it, Commander," Hamilton nodded, "If it isn''t, then it would be scary to think how big this group actually is ¡ª these are already top-grade supplies, if this is only one of their bases then¡­ we''re fucked. We need to¡ª"


    "We need to leave! Who knows how many more they are bringing in!"


    "But the Chief ordered us to stand our ground!"


    And before Rhys and the others could continue their conversation, all of them quickly hid themselves as a couple of terrorists approached their area. McArthur was about to attack them, but Rhys grabbed his hand and ordered them all to stand down with a shake of his head.


    "Her Highness¡­ where is she right now!? We need to talk some sense into her!"


    "The Chief''s on the top floor with the other leaders."


    "Damn it! Are they still stuck in a meeting!? Come with me, I''ll force her to leave even if she doesn''t want to! Our mission doesn''t end here!"


    Rhys and the others all looked at each other as they heard the terrorist''s words. And as soon as their voices faded away deep into the building, Rhys nodded his head as they all quietly started following the target to the top floor.


    "I¡­ don''t like this at all, Commander," McArthur whispered, "I feel like it''s too easy."


    "Easy¡­?" Wilson scoffed, "Tell that to all our dead brothers. It was just hard until it wasn''t."


    "That''s what she said."


    "What the¡ªwho said that?" McArthur turned to look at hisrades, but it was hard to tell who said it since all of them were wearing cloth masks except for Rhys.


    "Enough," Rhys could really only sigh as he tapped McArthur on the shoulder, ordering him to advance. And it is as McArthur said, nothing really happened until they reached the top floor, which was just onerge floor not divided by any rooms; if it wasn''t for the pirs near the stairs, Rhys and the others wouldn''t have had a ce to hide.


    "Is¡­ that them?"


    And right at the very center of the floor were people, gathered around a table and screaming at each other. Their shadows, widely painting the floor as several spotlights were pointed at them.


    "That''s them ¡ª look, all of them are wearing cult masks."


    "Come to think of it, Wilder''s Harem should think of changing their masks, Commander. I know a fashion designer back in¡ª"


    "Stupid, can you not talk about that now?"


    "Ssh, I can''t hear what they''re talking about."


    "Wait¡­ where''s the couple we''re following? Weren''t they just¡ª"


    "Intruders!"


    And before McArthur and the others could even finish their words, they found themselves leaping out from the pir as several spikes emerged from the floor they were hiding on ¡ª and sadly for them, they were soon exposed to the light, quite literally as several of the spotlights pointed at them.


    "Fuck¡­ fuck!" McArthur was about to lift up the ground to create a shield ¡ª but before he could do so, an arrow managed to slip through and went through one of hisrade''s necks.


    "Hamilton!" McArthur quickly rushed to catch him, but they were also soon bombarded by several arrows¡­ as well as bullets, the very same kind they saw on the ground floor.


    "F¡­ fuck, Commander!" McArthur managed to survive as he was protected by ayer of Earth. But s, his leg was hit¡­ and the only thing he could really do was crawl toward the only other remaining survivor in his group, Rhys, who was able to expertly avoid everything,


    "We¡­ we''re dead. We''re fucking done," McArthur whispered, "You¡­ you should escape, Commander. I''ll¡ª"


    "No¡­" Rhys could really only let out a short but very deep breath as he very gently lifted up the soldier with one hand.


    "What are you doing, Commander!?" McArthur screamed as Rhys carried him, "We¡­ we can''t escape with the two of us! You should go!"


    "...It''s alright, Soldier."


    "Wh¡ª" And before the soldier could even let out another word¡­


    ¡­Rhys suddenly snapped his neck.


    "All of you¡­" Rhys then whispered as he just calmly dropped McArthur''s lifeless body on the ground,


    "...were dead already."

 Chapter 189 The Path Of Rhys Wilder

    "All of you¡­ were dead already."


    There was a silence that slowly brewed in the air; the only sound that preceded it was the sound of McArthur''s body being dropped on the floor, and the only sound that apanied it was the trickling whistle that was being emitted by all the harsh lights.


    The members of the Dregs of Society really only stared at Rhys as he stood there calmly, surrounded by the corpses of his deadrades with a slight hint of sorrow on his face. This silence was allowed to persist, only broken as one of the terrorists finally moved and carefully approached Rhys.


    If anyone else was here right now, they would quickly recognize the individual as the one who was present in the video ¡ª the one who burned Secretary Karen in cold blood. The masked woman stood in front of Rhys for a few seconds¡­


    ¡­before wrapping her arms around him.


    "I did it, Sir¡­" The woman''s voice waspletely different from how it was in the video; it was sweet, quiet, and extremely gentle. But it did, however, still contain the same sadness. The woman buried her face on Rhys''s chest, causing the mask she was wearing to fall off, revealing an even kinder face seemingly devoid of any malice,


    "...my siblings ¡ª are my siblings finally going to be happy?"


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything as he just gently ced his hand behind the woman''s head; caressing it as he closed his eyes before whispering,


    "No¡­ not yet. We''re not done yet, Stacey."


    "Of course¡­ of course," the woman, Stacey, lightly sniffled before letting out a small chuckle as she leaned away from Rhys and looked him straight in the eyes,


    "But I did it, right¡­? I did?"


    "You did," Rhys smiled as he caressed the woman''s face, returning her gaze with the same passion, "And you did it incredibly well."


    "I''m d¡­" Stacey smiled as the tears endlessly trailed down her eyes; her cheeks, as red as they could be, "...I''m d that I did well for you."


    The woman did not really have any defining features; one could pass by her on the street and not even notice her ¡ª and she had lived her entire life just like that. Even then, however, she could not help but feel warm as Rhys was looking at her as if she was thest woman on Earth.


    "You did this for your brother and sister, Stacey," Rhys smiled back as he wiped Stacey''s tears. He then very subtly nced at the Hearts floating above her head; 4 of them,pletely filled up; thest one, flickering.


    "Then¡­" Stacey''s lips trembled, "...Have¡­ Have I finally proven myself to you, Sir?"


    "...You did."


    Stacey Hond ¡ª one of the people rejected by the Wilder''s Harem during its first recruitment.


    Most of what Stacey stated in the video is true; her Lowborn siblings truly were burnt alive¡­ but not by her parents, but by her.


    It wasn''t even an ident, she burnt them. But it is true that her baby siblings were being abused by their parents, they were also being abused by their teachers and everyone around them ¡ª the only person they could really rely on was her.


    But Stacey couldn''t do anything, the world was set against people like her younger siblings. Try as she might, their abuse continued ¡ª and so, she did the only thing she could¡­


    ¡­release them from their pain.


    And Rhys knew all of this¡­ because Stacey approached him outside Wilder''s Harem HQ and confessed to him everything away from the eyes and ears of the others. She kneeled in front of him, begging for a forgiveness he couldn''t give.


    Stacey wanted to die, and she wanted Rhys to give it to her. But of course, Rhys did not do so and instead just invited Stacey to talk¡­


    ¡­and Rhys learned that Stacey had a very special set of skills.


    "Sir¡­" Stacey smiled at Rhys as she ced her hands on his cheeks, "...I love you, Sir. I love you."


    Stacey, however¡­


    ¡­was even more broken than him.


    "You''re the only one I could trust," Stacey then once again embraced Rhys and buried her face on his chest; the smile on her face, almost reaching from ear to ear even as her tears fell endlessly from her already red eyes, "Don''t¡­ don''t leave me, okay? Don''t leave me."


    "...I won''t," Rhys ced his hand on Stacey''s back, and soon, the other members of the Dregs of Society started to move closer to him¡­ before all of them just burst into mes one by one; none of them screamed at all, however¡­ they just crumbled.


    All of them, just turning into dirt and ash.


    "Oh¡­ oh no," Stacey whispered out as she watched the other members of the Dregs of Society crumble, "I¡­ I lost control."


    "It''s fine, Stacey. It''s over," Rhys just shook his head as he very gently caressed Stacey''s back as he just watched all the dirt and ash be blown away by even the slightest of wind ¡ª none of them were humans in the first ce, they were golems. Golems created by Stacey.


    "Am I¡­" Stacey leaned her head away as she once again smiled at Rhys, "...Am I going home with you now, Sir? With Lady Katarina and the others?"


    "..." Rhys stared at Stacey''s eyes for a few seconds before nodding, "Yes."


    "...Really?" Stacey''s voice almost trembled as she looked back and forth between Rhys''s eyes, "I did¡­ I did everything you asked. I did¡­ I did everything."


    "Hm," Rhys once again nodded, "You did really well."


    "Then¡­" Stacey then stood on her toes as she closed her eyes. And without even saying another word, she kissed Rhys on the lips, "I''m¡­ I''m sorry!"


    Stacey then suddenly yelped like a child as she pushed herself away from Rhys and covered her face; her muffled screams, whispering through the empty floor, "I¡­ I got ahead of myself! I''m sorry¡­ I didn''t¡ª"


    "It''s okay, Stacey," Rhys shook his head as he stretched his hand toward him, "Let''s go home, okay?"


    "Ha¡­" Stacey excitedly showed her teeth as she caressed her own cheeks as she felt a tingling sensation electrify her mouth, "I''ll¡­ I''ll need to take a bath first, I wonder if¡ª"


    "It''s you!"


    And before Stacey could finish her words, someone suddenly jumped out of the shadows and pointed at them; the man''s face,pletely mangled beyond recognition. Rhys, however, quickly recognized who it was ¡ª after all, he was the one who made his face that way.


    "...Stretcher," Rhys could not help but lower his eyebrows as he looked at Stretcher. He was about to rush toward him, but he saw the body cam still hanging on his chest.


    "T¡­ that''s right, you fucking dregger!" Stretcher let out a maniacal cackle, "They saw everything! You''re done! You''re fucking done! You can''t get yourself out of this one!"


    "Stretcher¡­" Rhys shook his head, "...Our body cam doesn''t receive audio."


    "How is that even releva¡ª"


    And before Stretcher could finish his words, Stacey stretched her hand, and arge spike of Earth pierced through the back of his head and out his mouth, instantly killing him on the spot. Stacey was about to gesture down with his finger to destroy the camera, but Rhys grabbed her hand.


    "S¡­ Sir¡­ we need to destroy the camera!" Stacey looked at Rhys; her eyes, trembling in panic.


    "No," Rhys, however, just looked her in the eyes while shaking his head, "It''s fine, Stacey¡­ It''s fine. It doesn''t matter."


    "W¡­Why?" Stacey''s eyebrows lowered for a moment before her eyes widened and the smile on her face returned, "You¡­ are you and I going to run? Just¡­ just the two of us?"


    "...Yes," Rhys smiled as he let go of Stacey''s hand, once again caressing her face.


    "What about¡­ what about the others?" Stacey looked away; the expression on her face, bing wildly excited, "They¡­ they don''t matter? I¡­ do I matter more?"


    "Right now, you do¡­" Rhys then ced his hand at the back of her neck, very gently pulling her closer as he gently ced his lips upon hers.


    Stacey''s heart fluttered as Rhys leaned in closer, his lips meeting hers in a gentle kiss. Tears of joy welled up in her eyes as she closed them, basking in the warmth and love radiating from his touch.


    Tears streamed down her cheeks as the intensity of the warmth they created overwhelmed her, drowning out all other thoughts in a wave of raw emotion; the final Heart floating above her head, flickering even wilder.


    "I¡­" Rhys then slightly leaned away from Stacey, releasing her lips.


    "I love you, Rhys¡­" Stacey smiled¡­ she smiled even as she felt the sharpness of Rhys''s threads very softly wrapping and falling upon her neck, "I do¡­


    ¡­I really¡ª"


    "I''m sorry." And before all the five Hearts floating above Stacey''s head could be filled, Rhys pulled and stretched his hand away.


    "---love you." Stacey''s eyes did not waver at all as her words of love for Rhys became her final breaths. She fell to her knees, her body trembling with a sense of eptance. Her head rolled to the side, barely hanging on by a thread as Rhys quickly caught it.


    He held her limp body in his arms, her blood drowning his shirt. With trembling hands, he gently ces her head back onto her decapitated neck. But even in death, Stacey''s eyes remained gentle, staring into Rhys''s filled with love and adoration.


    "I''m¡­" Rhys very gently closed her eyes at the same time as his,


    "...I''m really sorry."

 Chapter 190 Rhys the Director

    Rhys doesn''t know how long he has been staring at Stacey''s corpse. It felt like hours, but he knew that wasn''t the case at all and it had probably not even a minute since he ced Stacey''s corpse on the floor.


    He wasn''t really thinking of anything, he was just staring at her. It wasn''t until he remembered that he was still being watched through Stretcher''s body cam that he snapped out of hispletely silent stupor.


    The terrorist attacks, the streaming of the Secretary''s execution, the entire Dregs of Society ¡ª all of this was nned by him¡­ and Stacey. They needed the right time to proceed with it, and him being in Ennd was just the chance they were hoping for.


    Stacey dying, however, was not part of that n ¡ª he truly promised her that she would be a part of Wilder''s Harem, an integral part. Everything was going well, there were major changes, of course; impromptu, as is the case with any script and y.


    Rhys wasn''t even supposed to be here, at least not yet. The Dregs of Society would have been a long and grueling arc for the country, burning Secretary Stacey was just the beginning of it ¡ª it was supposed to be a very long act, good vs. evil. But his forced involvement by the President fast-forwarded everything and they had to change the script.


    But it wasn''t supposed to end with Stacey dying. Stretcher wasn''t supposed to appear in this plot, which is why Rhys made sure to keep him away; even making a show of mming his head on the truck to get rid of him because he knew Stretcher would find a way to discredit him somehow, that he would watch Rhys''s every move.


    Everything was perfect until he reappeared¡­ or was it?


    Rhys once again turned to look at Stacey''s decapitated corpse.


    Was¡­ he actually going to let Stacey live if Stretcher didn''t arrive?


    No.


    No, he wasn''t.


    Stacey was too unstable.


    Rhys could really only let out a small chuckle as he realized that his lies were getting to the point that he was even subconsciously lying to himself. Even if Stretcher didn''t arrive, he was probably only seconds away from taking Stacey''s life.


    That was why he didn''t even wait for Stacey''s 5 Hearts to be filled. He¡­ felt guilty. Or perhaps his guilt was another lie? Perhaps he was just thinking that if he gets Stacey''s abilities, people would start snooping around as soon as they saw him using it.


    Rhys¡­ doesn''t even know anymore.


    Was he even nning on keeping Stacey alive at all from the start?


    "Commander!"


    Fortunately for Rhys, he was rescued from his overwhelming thoughts as Lincoln and the other men started arriving from the stairs. And as soon as they did so, Rhys started collecting himself; shaking his head off of all the thoughts he was having.


    The most important thing right now was to just get through with this and finish the y. His only problem now was¡­ just how much did Stretcher''s body cam capture? Seeing as he and the others broke their body cams, Stretcher''s camera was the only one being fed back to the base¡­ that would mean everyone back home was focused on his feed.


    "Commander, what¡­ what happened here!?" Lincoln''s voice turned meek by the second as he examined the area, "Isn''t that¡­ Stretcher? Commander¡­


    ¡­just what happened here?"


    ***


    "How do you exin this, Mr. Rhys Wilder?"


    "The most peaceful way to terminate the situation."


    "Lies! You''re clearly in cahoots with the woman!"


    A few days after the sessful but tragic end of Rhys''s mission with the Navy USEALs, he was now currently being kept in a dark ck box, literally. He had stayed there for more than 12 hours before a couple of men in suits entered the room and started asking him questions about the mission.


    "I had my options, I chose the path of least resistance," Rhys said as his eyes watched the footage that was currently being shown to him ¡ª and fortunately for him, it would seem the Fates were on his side as Stretcher did not really arrive until after McArthur and the others were dead.


    Theptop did, however, show Stacey being extremely close and intimate with him.


    "The target was clearly infatuated with me," Rhys calmly breathed out, "I saw no reason to be violent, I was going to bring her alive so that she could face justice for everything she has done¡­ but then Lieutenant Stretcher suddenly arrived and¡­


    ¡­asked Stacey what she was doing, and that she should kill me since I was part of the people hunting them down."


    "Are you really insinuating that Lieutenant Stretcher is involved with the Dregs of Society!?" One of the interrogators mmed theptop shut, "Lieutenant Stretcher, who is deeply known for his dislike of Lowborns!?"


    "I am not insinuating it, Sir ¡ª I am only telling you everything that I recall about the mission," Rhys let out a very long and deep sigh, "And no matter how many times you asked me the same question over and over again, my answer will remain the same because I am not lying."


    "You¡ª"


    [That''s enough.]


    And before another loop of the same questions could start again, Rhys was finally saved from his situation as a voice resounded across the ck room. And almost like clockwork, the two people interrogating him justpletely stopped and walked out of the room without even saying another word.


    And before the door could even close, Ayesha suddenly barged into the room and held it open.


    "What you cooking there, Recruit?" Ayesha smiled as she saw the somewhat stressed look on Rhys''s face.


    "I''m the one being cooked, Ayesha," Rhys just let out a very long and deep sigh as he stood up and approached Ayesha, "How are the others?"


    "Waiting back for you at the HQ," Ayesha forced out a chuckle as she ced her arm over Rhys''s shoulder and dragged him out of the room, "You have no idea the kind of trouble you''ve been creating, Rhys. Your freaking goddamn balls are everywhere now."


    "...Sorry," Rhys could really only sigh as he stepped out of the ck box; slightly squinting his eyes to adjust to the light, but as soon as his eyes were able to adjust, however, the only thing he saw were people looking at him with disdain and hostility.


    "Well, we better get out of this shithole fast," Ayesha scoffed as she shook her head, "They asked for your help, and when you gave it, they start shitting on you."


    "It''s¡­ fine," Rhys shook his head as the two of them continued to make their way out of the building, "Their antagonism is justified, it really did look like I was sympathizing with the enemy, after all."


    "And what''s wrong with sympathizing with the enemy, Recruit?" Ayesha breathed out, "As soldiers, we should always see things in the eyes of our enemies ¡ª only then will we truly know what we''re fighting for."


    "...Wow," Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times, "When was thest time you gave me words of wisdom, Commander?"


    "When was thest time I was actually your Commander?" Ayesha scoffed, "Simpler freaking times. Now everything''s just shit upon another load of shit¡­


    ¡­You''re lost, Recruit. And the worst part of this all is that you actually don''t know where the fuck you are going."


    "..."


    "And even worse¡­ is that I am willing to follow you anywhere," Ayesha then turned to look Rhys in the eyes, "We''ve already been in hell, Recruit¡­ and I am willing to follow you even further down."


    "I know," Rhys breathed in and nodded. The two did not really exchange any words after that, and just continued to make their way out of the building. And as soon as they did so, a barrage of shes once again weed Rhys ¡ª he was used to it at this point.


    "Mr. Wilder! There are people saying that people died because of you during the mission, is this true!?"


    "Rhys, did you actually jeopardize the mission by sympathizing with the enemy!?"


    "Mr. Rhys Wilder, please look here!"


    "These maggots always seem to know where you are," Ayesha was about to start pushing the reporters away, but Rhys gently grabbed her by the shoulder.


    "That''s because I tell them, Ayesha," Rhys then whispered as he stepped forward.


    "What¡­?" Ayesha raised an eyebrow as she watched Rhys approach one of the reporters; a reporter very familiar with Rhys, Karl Harper.


    "Mr. Rhys Wilder, I have heard you hugged the terrorist, is there any truth to this!?" Karl Harper asked, and he was the only reporter Rhys really turned his head to.


    "I did," and as soon as he answered, everyone gave an audible gasp, "I am sure it''s not a surprise to you that the¡­ terrorist has a certain obsession with me ¡ª I judged that the fastest and most effective way to disengage and terminate the situation was to¡­ understand the enemy. That is the only way to know what we''re truly fighting for, if we''re really right."


    "Then¡­" Karl Harper and Rhys both looked each other in the eyes, "Lieutenant Stretcher¡­


    ¡­is it true that he was working with the enemy?"


    And once again, the other reporters kept quiet as they all looked at their fellow reporter.


    "Lieutenant Stretcher¡­" Rhys breathed in for a few seconds, "...Lieutenant Stretcher is a very confused individual, very much like Stacey. Stacey''s the name of the terrorist, by the way. She has a name, much like any of us."


    "So, you''re saying that Lieutenant Stretcher really is a part of the terrorist organization?"


    "Well, I''m not at a liberty to say, but¡ª"


    "Lies!" And before Rhys could finish his words, a stone was thrown straight onto his face.

 Chapter 191 Boss Man

    "Lies!"


    The clicking of the cameras almost caused the skin at the back of everyone who could hear it crawl. If anything, they now sounded like the chitter chatter of what the ants would sound like if they endlessly crawled inside your ears.


    The shes of light and their whispers, all drowning the air as they pointed their attention to the woman who threw a stone at Rhys. The woman, however, did not seem to care for all the attention as her eyes were justpletely locked onto Rhys; the anger and rage that her eyes carried, evident for everyone to see just from her trembling eyebrows alone.


    "My husband¡­ my husband would never ally himself with your¡­ with your putrid kind! You are a demon! A disease to thisnd!"


    Husband. And as soon as the woman uttered those words, all the reporters went quiet as they realized who she was ¡ª the wife of Lieutenant Stretcher.


    "We should bail, Recruit," Ayesha deeply breathed in as she ced her hand on Rhys''s chest and softly pushed him away, "Angry wives are not someone you can deal with, trust me."


    "I do trust you," Rhys smiled and nodded.


    "Good, then¡ª" And before Ayesha could even take a single step away from their situation, Rhys took a step toward the problem, "Recruit, what are you doing¡­?"


    "You are a heathen! The spawn of the Underworld!"


    Stretcher''s widow continued to violently point at Rhys, to the point she absolutely did not care about her appearance at all as her saliva went everywhere. There are guards around the building, but no one seems to care that there is amotion ¡ª most of them even smirking as Rhys is bombarded with all sorts of drama and controversy.


    There shouldn''t even be civilians loitering around near a government building, and yet there was a crowd watching them from the other side of the streets; crowded, extremely so.


    "It''s you, I know it''s you! The world might be blinded by your charm, but that is the mark of the Betrayer!"


    "Ma''am, I¡ª"


    "Don''t you dare ''ma''am'' me, you fucking dregger!" The woman screamed from her lungs as Rhys got near her, "Go back to picking adamantines in the rotting fields! I don''t care for the words thate out of your unintelligible mouth! Wh¡ªWhat are you doing!? He''s trying to kill me! Everyone, look at that, he''s trying to kill me!"


    Rhys was only trying to hand her something, but the woman just quickly dropped to the floor and started violently waddling her legs and crying. Of course, the reporters truly liked this a lot as they focused all their cameras; making sure that they were still going live.


    As for Rhys, he really only just let out a sigh¡­ before slowly and carefully sitting on the ground and¡­ doing nothing. He just sat there, letting Stretcher''s wife degrade and spat on him without end.


    Ayesha, who was watching this from afar, could really only take in another deep breath and watch. Maria had told them that Rhys craved for the attention, and she was starting to think it was really true ¡ª but still, she did not look away and just watched.


    Rhys probably spent several minutes there without uttering a word. Fortunately, Stretcher''s wife seemed to have gotten tired as her voice started cracking, finally only letting her tears and cries speak.


    And with her words finally silent, Rhys very gently ced something on the woman''sp.


    Stretcher''s wife turned to look at what Rhys just ced, only to see her husband''s ck dog tag.


    "Ma''am. Your husband served the country for a very long time until he didn''t," Rhys then whispered gently, but not gentle enough that the cameras couldn''t pick it up,


    "Perhaps along the way something just¡­ changed. But the fact that he was a hero for most of his service will never change ¡ª perhaps you should focus on that memory of him instead¡­


    ¡­perhaps the world should focus on that instead," Rhys then turned to look at the lens of Karl Harper''s camera as he said that,


    "Lieutenant Franklin Stretcher was a hero. A hero who was failed by the people and the system around him ¡ª and perhaps he saw, he saw at the end that something was incredibly wrong with our country, and he did the only thing he could to fight it¡­


    ¡­and perhaps the only reason he hasn''t sumbed to it is because he had you by his side, Ma''am."


    Stretcher''s wife could really only look Rhys in the eyes for a few seconds. But very slowly, tears once again shed as her eyebrows turned.


    "No¡­" She shook her head, "...I knew what he was doing. I knew he was talking to another woman, I just¡­ I just didn''t know it was¡­"


    "Ma''am¡­" Rhys very gently ced his hand on her knee; barely even touching it as he shook his head, gesturing to her not to continue her words. Stretcher''s wife, however, just cried out even louder as she suddenly embraced Rhys; to everyone''s surprise.


    "It¡­ it would have been better if he was just cheating on me!" Stretcher''s wife screamed, "I¡­ I knew¡­ I knew he was working with the terrorists but I didn''t¡ªI''d rather believe that¡­"


    "Ma''am, please¡­" Everyone watched as Rhys tried to pull her away and stop her from speaking any further, but a widow''s grip was strong and unrelenting.


    "It was him¡­ he was the one who nted the bomb, he¡­ he killed all those people!" Stretcher''s wife continued to cry out, "I¡­ I saw all of it in the house and¡­ oh god¡­ why¡­ why didn''t I do anything?"


    And as Stretcher''s wife confessed everything, the people from the government building who were previously not doing anything rushed to pull her out and push away all the reporters.


    "Don''t." Before they could get their hands on Stretcher''s wife, however, Rhys stood up and blocked their path; cing his finger on the very first man who approached them,


    "Touch even a single strand of her hair¡­


    ¡­and you would really know what it''s like to have me as an enemy."


    "Recruit," Ayesha appeared from behind Rhys and tapped him on the shoulder, "I''ll handle this. You and the missus leave, take the car. It''s out in the parking lot, I drove the ''matic because I knew something like this might happen."


    "Are you sure¡­?"


    "Yes¡­" Ayesha only scoffed as she gently ced her hand on Rhys''s cheek, "...You really do have massive balls, Recruit. Go."


    "I''ll¡­ meet you back in the HQ."


    And with those words, Rhys gently grabbed the hand of Stretcher''s wife as they swiftly made their way through the crowd; not stopping until they got in the car and Rhys drove out of the vicinity away from everyone.


    The two just kept quiet inside the car, that is until they reached an expressway¡­


    ¡­and Stretcher''s wife suddenly ced her hand on Rhys''s thigh before grabbing his crotch.


    "So¡­" Stretcher''s wife then leaned closer and whispered in Rhys''s ear, "...How would you like to fuck in memory of myte dear husband? A hero¡­ innit?"


    "Stop it," Rhys leaned away, "Someone might be following us."


    "Ugh, lighten up you silly hunk of a man," and as Stretcher''s wife returned to her seat, her face suddenly started to wriggle and morph, and so did the tone of her voice; her hair, turning white ¡ª and if Lina or Agatha was here right now, they would quickly recognize this extremely average face as the impostor who pretended to be Lina back in Ennd,


    "I think I deserve somepensation after everything I''ve done for you, no? You''s a rich man, but all I ask is a good time."


    "...Thank you," Rhys only sighed as he nced at the woman.


    "What are you thanking me for¡­?" The woman forced out a giggle, "You really confused me, ckie. One moment you''re threatening to kill me if I don''t do as you say, now you''re suddenly thanking me. But I think I''ve done more than you''ve asked already."


    "You have, Heidi."


    "First, instigating the riot, and now this," the woman, Heidi, let out a very long and deep sigh.


    "And now you are free to go," Rhys then said.


    "Well, I''d figure I''d stay, actually¡­" Heidi let out a small hum as she looked out the moving scenery outside the window, "...I don''t wanna end up dead. Wilder''s Harem, is it?"


    "She would be useful, Rhys Wilder."


    "What the¡ª" Heidi almost jumped from her seat as she heard a whispering from behind the car. She looked back, only to see Maria just casually sitting there, "Where did this one pop out from then?"


    Rhys, on the other hand, seemedpletely unperturbed and only looked at Maria from the rearview mirror,


    "Maria¡­" He whispered, "...Is it done?"


    "As you ordered," Maria nodded,


    "Natasha Stretcher will be found dead 16 days from now, hanging by the neck in their living room."


    "I''m¡­ sorry you had to do something like this again," Rhys breathed out.


    "No," Maria, however, just smiled while keeping herpletely monotonous tone, "Thank you for bringing me back to this line of work."


    "...Hm."


    "What in the¡ª" Heidi could really only sit tight on her seat as she heard everything, "So¡­ I''m part of the Wilder''s Harem now, right¡­? Rhys? Boss?"


    Heidi nced at Rhys, who just kept on driving in silence, causing her to just take in a small gulp,


    "I''m part of the Wilder''s Harem now, right?" Heidi started looking around, "You¡­


    ¡­you''re not going to kill me, right? Boss man? Your Grace?"

 Chapter 192 And Then Suddenly... (R18)

    "How¡­ tall are you now, Rhys? Wait¡­ you''re 6''8"!?"


    Finally, after being dragged around across the globe, across a rollercoaster of events ¡ª Rhys was finally back to his own safe zone. The members of Wilder''s Harem threw him a surprise party as soon as he got back to the HQ, weing him back after his long ordeal with the government.


    "For real¡­? He is? I haven''t really noticed."


    And right now, Rhys was in his room just trying to get dressed, but both Katarina and Lina entered his room while he was doing so and just started helping him ¡ª he would have actually been done dressing himself ages ago if they hadn''t helped.


    "How is it even possible you''re still growing?" Lina embraced Rhys from the back in the guise of buttoning his coat.


    "I suppose one possibility is that he Awakenedte," Katarina was trying to fix Rhys''s hair.


    "Guys¡­" And while the two were having a conversation on their own, Rhys could really only let out a long and very deep sigh. And when he couldn''t wait for them to finish anymore, he gently took a step back; causing the two to just stare at him,


    "...Thank you for helping me get dressed, but we''ll be stuck here for hours if I let you two continue."


    "...So?" Lina raised an eyebrow as she nced at Katarina before approaching Rhys. "It''s not like you have anywhere to be? I mean, you''ve been gone for a bit ¡ª it''s time to rest a little, no? Maybe¡­ with me?"


    "Didn''t you just spend a few weeks alone with Rhys in another country?" Katarina red at Lina, "And now you want to spend some leisure time with him again?"


    "What''s wrong with that¡­?" Lina giggled as she ced her palm on Rhys''s chest.


    "Uh¡­ do your job?" Katarina raised an eyebrow, "Turn off your vacation mode and start training the others already ¡ª save them from Ayesha and your aunt."


    "My¡­ aunt?" Lina''s eyes widened, "Wait, why is she training our members with Ayesha¡­!? That''s supposed to be me!"


    "I guess she''s nning to rece you?" Katarina smirked.


    "That bitch!" And without even uttering another word, Lina just rushed out of Rhys''s room and left the two alone.


    "...Isn''t Agatha buying things for her ce with Vicky?" Rhys turned to look at Katarina, and as soon as he did so, he found his lips being locked by Katarina''s. She did not even give Rhys the chance to lean away as she wrapped her arms around his neck and started twirling her tongue inside his mouth and lightly sucking it.


    She then started walking and pulling Rhys to the bed; just letting herself fall backward on the soft mattress and letting Rhys fall on top of her. And while her lips were still feeling Rhys''s warmth, her hands already started taking off his pants; grabbing his cock and wrapping both his hands around while gently stroking it.


    And as soon as she felt it getting hard, she also quickly took off her pants.


    "Rhys¡­" She uttered his name as she leaned her head and let it fall on the bed; her eyes, staring directly into Rhys''s. And that was the only word she uttered as she gently started rubbing Rhys''s cock across her lower lips; her juices that were already trailing and sliding down her butt, soaking Rhyspletely.


    Due to Rhys''s size, however, Katarina wasn''t really able to rub it for long before it just entered inside her; causing her entire body to flinch and jolt as her back arched.


    "Uh¡­" She let her breaths escape as Rhys started moving inside her; she then once again stared into Rhys''s eyes before letting out a smile¡­ and licking her finger that was still wet from her own juices.


    And as she felt Rhys reaching even deeper inside her, the smile on her face prevailed as she gently pushed his chest away. And with a small moan, she turned around the bed and lifted her ass up while burying her face down on the mattress,


    "Rhys¡­" She seemed to be saying something, but her shyness and stuttering words were the only thing Rhys could hear seeping out from the sheets. And so, Rhys slightly slowed down his hips to let Katarina talk. Katarina''s hands then crawled toward herrge and toned butt, slightly spreading them open,


    "...S¡­ spit on it and¡­ and¡­ put your thumb in."


    Rhys was slightly surprised with Katarina''s sudden boldness, but he did as she said; letting his saliva just drip on her butt, letting it slide toward her anus before very gently cing the tip of his thumb onto it.


    Katarina continued to hide her face away into the sheets, but she nodded her head several times and beckoned to Rhys to continue, and so he did. And as soon as he did so, Katarina''s toes curled. And as Rhys once again began to move deep into her, the only thing she could do was bite the sheets to try and stop herself from letting out a screaming moan.


    Rhys was already big to begin with, and now with his thumb inside her other hole, Katarina felt like she was going to faint from pleasure there and then ¡ª no, she might have actuallye already.


    And as Rhys continued to move inside her, she found that she actually did cum. She thought those people who were rolling their eyes were only doing it for the videos; but now, she found herselfpletely losing control of her body as even the tiniest bit of air caused her skin to tingle.


    She wanted to tell Rhys to stop, but that wasn''t what she wanted at all. Her entire body trembled¡­ until finally, she could no longer help herself at all.


    "Rhys¡­ my god¡­" Her whispers were almost a whistle as she cried out, "Don''t¡­ don''t stop, please. Just¡­ just fuck me. Give me¡­


    ¡­give me your babies. Uh¡­ uhn¡­"


    Katarina instinctively tried to slide her fingers onto her clit, but as soon as they touched it; she found her body almost shutting down from the intense and feverish feeling as she once again came there and then.


    "Rhys¡­ I''m¡­ I''m cu¡­ again¡­" Katarina could barely even form words as her vision just became a blur as shepletely lost herself. Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately for her¡­


    ¡­Rhys was only just starting.


    Katarina found herself being trapped in a cage of pleasure for what seemed like an eternity; the two, just lost in each other''s world¡­


    ¡­as well as Lina''s.


    "!!!" Katarina''s eyespletely widened as she saw Lina suddenly sitting in front of her on the bed, "W¡­ what the fuck!?"


    "Lina¡­?" Rhys could not help but stop moving as he also did not realize that Lina was actually in the room with them, "When¡­ did you even¡ª"


    "Out! Get out!" Katarina could really only once again bury her face on the mattress; she would cover herself with a nket, but they were currently on top of it.


    "I didn''t think you were this¡­ this naughty though, Kat," Lina, however, did not move at all and only smiled as she looked at Katarina. Although she seemed confident, the redness in her face and the slight stutter in her voice showed her nervousness, "Don''t mind me."


    "I mind, I really, really fucking do!"


    "Well¡­ I don''t," Lina leaned her head away and rested her back on the bed''s headboard; resting her feet on the bed as she very slowly spread her legs, pushing away her skirt and revealing her pink panties that were alreadypletely soaked. And with a smile crawling on her face¡­ she started brushing her finger on her wet panties.


    "What. The. Fuck?" Katarina''s eyes widened even further, "You¡ª"


    Katarina was going to say something else, but her entire body froze as she felt Rhys suddenly getting bigger inside her. She doesn''t really know what to feel right now¡­


    ¡­but her body does, it surely does.


    "It''s fine¡­ Kat. This¡­ this was bound to happen anytime soon," Lina then whispered as she looked Katarina in the eyes as her fingers started to move, "And¡­ and I wanted it to be you. Seeing the two people I¡­ I love the most intertwined together is¡­


    ¡­it''s fucking hot."


    "N¡­ no," Katarina took in a small gulp as she felt her body almost convulsing and turning weak as soon as she heard Lina''s words.


    "You say that¡­" Lina''s mouth slightly opened as a small moan escaped her lips. She was so wet to the point that the visage of her lower lips and clit could already be seen from her soaked panties, "...But none of you even pulled away even once. What about you, Rhys? Do¡­ you want to?"


    "I¡­" Rhys slowly whispered, "...I''ll respect what Katarina¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, Katarina suddenly started moving her hips on her own.


    "N¡­ no," Katarina started shaking her head as she slightly turned her head to nce at Rhys, "Stop¡­


    ¡­ please stop respecting me."

 Chapter 193 A Three Way Situation in More Ways Than One (R18)

    "Stop¡­


    ¡­please stop respecting me."


    Rhys did not really know what to do. His feelings weren''t as conflicted as Katarina, his gut, however, was another thing altogether.


    Rhys knew hecked some things in the mental department, but he knew enough that if they went through with this, their rtionship would never be the same again ¡ª and that is what he valued the most, even more so than himself, were Katarina and the others and his rtionship with them.


    But then, all of a sudden, any thoughts of hesitation Rhys was having instantly disappeared as Katarina grabbed his hand¡­ pulling it and pushing his thumb deeper into her ass.


    "Dis¡­respect me, Rhys."


    And with those words, something inside Rhys began to move alongside his hips; his eyes, darting back and forth between Katarina and Lina.


    "Oh my god¡­" And as Lina met with Rhys''s eyes, she let out a short but very deep gasp as her hand started getting faster along with Rhys and Katarina''s movements,


    "...I think¡­ I''m¡­ already¡­"


    And as a high-pitched moan escaped from Lina''s lips, Katarina could really only hold her breath as she watched as Lina''s head turned back and her toes curled; her entire body trembling as if a jolt of electricity just zapped her. Was¡­ this what she looked like whenever she came in front of Rhys?


    "Oh fu¡­" Lina''s body continued to tremble as she let her hands just fall to her sides. Her breaths were incredibly heavy, but as soon as she returned her gaze to Katarina and saw her face filled with a sense of shyness and extreme pleasure, she could not help but just fully take off her panties.


    Katarina quickly looked away at first as Lina continued to undress herself ¡ª but there really was no escape for her. Her back was currently being destroyed by Rhys, to the point that all she could really feel was him.


    "Uhn¡­"


    And as she heard another soft moan in front of her, the curiosity became too much for her eyes to bear as she just looked in front of her. And there, she saw Linapletely bare.


    She had already seen Lina naked numerous times, but this was perhaps the very first time she was actually seeing her truly bare, vulnerable¡­ open, in more ways than one. Her fingers were rubbing and ying with her clit; her juices, perhaps as much as her as it just dripped and soiled Rhys''s sheets.


    Lina also looked at Katarina, and then back at Rhys as she started pinching her nipples and just surrendering herself to the moment. And soon, Lina stopped ying with herself and leaned forward; crawling toward the two with her facepletely flushed and almost exhausted.


    Katarina could really only look at Lina as she moved to her side; the sweat on their skin, melding together as Lina brushed past her¡­ before touching her butt.


    "Wh¡ªdon''t," Katarina whispered out, "Don''t look."


    "Why¡­?" Lina let out a soft giggle before she lightly kissed Katarina''s butt.


    "I''m¡­ I''m notfortable with this," Katarina shook her head.


    "Okay¡­" Lina quickly leaned away as she heard Katarina''s words, "...I''ll respect that. But, it''s my turn now, you know?"


    "Wh¡ª!!!" Katarina''s entire body curled as Lina pushed Rhys''s hips away. She then quickly turned to look back¡­ only to see Lina wrapping Rhys''s cock with her mouth,


    "W¡­ what are you doing!? That''s¡­ that''s not unhygienic!"


    "Sis¡­" Lina gasped as she removed Rhys''s dick from her mouth, "You have a thumb stuck up your ass, literally."


    "That¡­" Katarina could not help but very gently move forward; her body, jolting even stronger as she removed Rhys''s thumb from inside her. She was about to say something else, but as soon as she turned herself on the bed and looked at Lina, she saw her already brushing and twirling her tongue around the tip of Rhys''s cock.


    "...You don''t have to worry, Kat," Lina let out a small giggle, "You taste quite¡­ nice."


    Lina then pulled Rhys further onto the bed, gesturing to him to lie down ¡ª and it just so happened to be right beside Katarina. Katarina didn''t really know whether to get off the bed or not, but Lina made the decision for her as she grabbed her hand while she continued to fill her mouth with Rhys''s warmth.


    And so, Katarina stayed.


    She stayed and watched as Lina got on top of Rhys, and she watched as Lina very slowly slid Rhys''s cock inside her¡­ all while still holding her hand.


    Katarina''s breaths started to stutter as she watched as Lina started moving her hips. Katarina then turned to look at Rhys, before finally removing all of her clothes; she then moved closer to Rhys, lying beside before very passionately kissing him on the lips¡­


    ¡­while her other hand started to crawl between her legs, and without thinking any more about it, she started masturbating at the sight of Lina and Rhys making love.


    ***


    "It took you 2 hours to get dressed?"


    "I¡­ fell asleep."


    After a good two hours, Rhys, Lina, and Katarina finally left Rhys''s room and showed themselves to the rest of Wilder''s Harem. Most of them saluted Rhys as they saw him, cing their hand on their chest whenever they made his way to his office.


    "And why are the two of you walking like that?"


    Lina and Katarina were walking ahead of Ayesha and Rhys, and Ayesha could not help but squint her eyes as she realized the two were walking rather¡­ awkwardly,


    "The two of you did leg day or something? Because it looks to me like you have balls up your asses."


    "P¡­ please stop minding about how we walk, Ayesha," Katarina slightly stuttered as she nced at Ayesha, "You said we have guests? I thought we were just supposed to train the others."


    "Yup, there are guests¡­" Ayesha ced her arm over Rhys''s shoulder, "Representatives of the Cerberus guild."


    "...Cerberus guild?" Rhys whispered, "Did they say what they want?"


    "Wait, who cares what these fuckers want!" The four reached the door of Rhys''s office, but Lina quickly blocked it as she looked at Rhys, "That guild has not been subtle with their hostility against you, Sir ¡ª you will not meet with them. And why did we even let them in!?"


    "Because they are not our only guests," Ayesha said. And as soon as she did so, the door opened behind Lina, with Maria weing them in ¡ª and there, they saw several more¡­ somewhat familiar people.


    "Rhys Wilder," Maria beckoned to Rhys to enter, "The new guildmaster of the Cerberus guild, Adam, and his associates would like to meet you. Ciin, the guildmaster of Ages of Man, is also here. As well as the guildmaster of the Stonehart guild, Lady Esme. Andstly, H."


    "H¡­?" Rhys turned to look at the people waiting and sitting inside his office, only to see the people Maria mentioned there; all looking at him as he made his way toward them¡­ and Hannah of the Explorer Association was also there, her eyes already judging him again even though they haven''t met for quite some time.


    And also¡­ Ss and Emilia were also there.


    "What''s up, fuckboy?" Hannah was the first to address him while still chewing her gum, "You really like wasting my time, huh?"


    "Why¡­ are all of you here?" Rhys asked the question Ayesha and the others all wanted to know.


    "I''ll answer that," Cillian stood up from his seat as he raised a finger, "We are here to solve a certain issue in¡­ hierarchy, Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    "Hierarchy?" Rhys turned to look at Cillian, trying his best not to be bothered by the 5 empty Hearts floating above his head.


    "Yes," Ciin let out a coquettish giggle as he looked at the other guildmasters, "You may not be aware of this, but the previous guildmaster of Cerberus guild, may he rest in pieces, was not only fighting for the spot of top 2 against me due to his ego¡­


    ¡­the top 3 guilds gain a certain, well, benefit from the Association."


    "That¡­ still doesn''t exin why all of you are here," Rhys uttered.


    "Because our guilds have always been the ones fighting for the spot, Mr. Rhys Wilder," Cillian turned to look at Adam and Esme, "You see, we''ve been at it for a duration of time with just us¡­


    ¡­we''ve been going at it with a threesome."


    "Kukh¡ª!!!"


    Everyone turned their heads as they heard someone suddenly seemingly choking, only to see Katarina grasping for her breath.


    "S¡­ sorry," Katarina whispered, "Please excuse me, I¡­ got something in my throat," Katarina waved her hand as she gestured to Cillian to continue what he was saying. Ayesha and Maria, however, could not help but squint their eyes at the same time as they started looking back and forth between Katarina and Lina, who were acting quite awkwardly.


    "Gods bless you, darling," Cillian nodded his head at Katarina before he once again focused on Rhys, "What I am trying to say here, Mr. Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­is that you''re being considered as a contender."

 Chapter 194 Audience with the Wild

    The top three guilds of Amerkan are offered quite an alluring incentive by the country for one reason, and one reason alone ¡ª they wanted their country to have the best of the best. The country offers anything, mary, privileges,nd; as long as it could be discussed and negotiated, the country was willing to give it¡­ especially the top 1 Guild.


    Those who belong in the ranks of the best are decided by both the government as well as the citizens ¡ª strength, feats, and poprity are usually what they are judged on. And recently¡­


    ¡­Wilder''s Harem has been climbing up thedder like wild.


    "I hope you got all of that, because I am not going to exin it a second time ¡ª I don''t even know why I''m here, I already know what the oue will be."


    Hannah, who was seated at Rhys''s desk for some reason, stood up from his chair as she finished exining some brief information as to why she was there,


    "You should be grateful that I''m even willing toe here, Wilder ¡ª this is honestly some grunt work someone in the lower food chain does."


    "...But aren''t you a receptionist, Ma''am?" A small smile crawled on Rhys''s face as he looked at Hannah.


    "That''s right," Hannah almost smirked as she put another piece of gum inside her mouth, "I''m the most important person here ¡ª without me, none of you would have be Explorers."


    "Come to think of it¡­" Adam, the new guildmaster of the Cerberus Guild, squinted his eyes as he stared at Hannah; pushing back his glowing green hair to get a better look at her, "...You were the one who gave me my license way back when I registered as an Explorer."


    "Damn right I am," Hannah scoffed as she also looked at the guild masters of Ages of Men and Stoneheart guild. Cillian really only winked at her, while Esme bowed her head, "You all should know your ces. I''m not just any receptionist, Wilder¡­ I''m The Receptionist."


    "...Right," Rhys just breathed out and nodded as he took a seat at his desk. Ayesha, Katarina, Lina, and Maria stood behind him as he did so; their eyes all squinted and their eyebrows lowered as they seemed to judge everyone else in the room. Katarina, however, was only focusing on one person ¡ª Emilia.


    Katarina knew how much Rhys used to dote on his sister. He wasn''t talkative at all in the past, and yet he always seemed to mention his sister during his visits to her clinic; she was practically his foundation, his tower, the reason why he was getting off the bed each day¡­ but then Katarina watched the video of her saying that the tragedy of what happened to them was Rhys''s fault.


    There maye a time when Rhys forgives her, but Katarina would never ¡ª and she even had the audacity to stand beside their mother''s killer?


    "If I may be so blunt," Adam cleared his throat before raising his hand, "At the risk of sounding like our previous guild master, and I have nothing against Rhys at all, nothing. But¡­


    ¡­Rhys''s feats are his own and not his guild."


    "Hm¡­" Everyone turned to look at Adam as soon as he said that.


    "By all means, Wilder''s Harem is impressive," Adam continued, "They are basically an army that raids the Underworld, but the number of Holes they''ve dived down to can probably just be counted by hand."


    "Well¡­" And surprisingly, Esme suddenly spoke up, causing everyone in the room to turn quiet; her bright glowing white hair, almost reflecting in everyone''s eyes, "One could argue that Rhys is the Wilder''s Harem himself. You mentioned his feats, but his feats alone put most of the people in this room to shame¡­


    ¡­perhaps even me."


    Rhys could really only stare back at Esme as she looked at him. Esme''s overall aura and ambiance right now were rather casualpared to when he first met her during the tragedy in the city of Mankappan, but Rhys was not forgetting that Esme is still considered to be the most powerful Explorer in the country.


    In fact, it actually would not be a lie to say that the strongest people of the country were currently present in Rhys''s office right now. Esme was at rank no. 2 in the world, Adam was at 10, and Ayesha was ranked 14.


    "Rhys not only managed to survive an encounter with a god not once, not twice, but thrice," Esme continued to speak while still looking at Rhys, "And¡­ not to mention he sort of tried to save me back in Mankappan. He¡ª"


    "Well, that''s good and all¡­" And while everyone was careful not to interrupt Esme as she talked, Hannah did not seem to care at all as she even popped her bubble gum as she talked over Esme,


    "I actually have a feeling I really am wasting my time here ¡ª You''re not really interested in all of this, are you, Wilder?"


    "It¡­ is not that I''m not interested," Rhys closed his eyes and let out a very long and deep sigh as Hannah stood in front of his desk, "But Adam is right, I don''t think it''s fair and just to even consider Wilder''s Harem as one of the top three guilds, or one of the top guilds, for that matter. For one¡­ I''m just a Level 3 Explorer."


    "We can work around that with our mutual friend," Hannah ced her hand on her desk as she popped her gum again, "I am sure he will be more than happy to help. I don''t even know why he likes you."


    "...Your father has helped me enough, Ma''am."


    "Th¡ªI told you not to call me Ma''am!" Hannah lightly mmed her palm on the desk before pointing at Katarina and Maria, "You two need to control your man. Maria, I can understand since she likes being controlled and chained. But you, K¡­? What happened to¡ª"


    "You''re not here for me," Katarina did not let Hannah finish her words as she just red at her¡­ hard. She was already pissed that Rhys''s sister was just casually there, and so she might have inserted more feelings into her re than normal, which caused Hannah to slightly back away and just roll her eyes.


    "I was wondering about that too¡­" Rhys then breathed out, "...I can understand why you''re here, Ma''am ¡ª but why are important people like the guild masters of the top guilds here?"


    "Oh, I shall answer that¡­" Cillian clicked his tongue several times as he stood up from the sofa, "...I wanted to meet you again. I told the two in the group chat that I was going to visit you, and they said they also wanted to do the same ¡ª and it''s a happenstance that a piece of information fell upon us that Ms. Hannah here is visiting you too, so¡­


    ¡­we decided to all go together."


    "...Why does everyone seem to have a group chat these days?" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he nced at Katarina and the others, who also had a group chat where he was not included, "And¡­ why did you want to meet me, Sir?"


    "Please, just call me Cillian, or Cilly, if you want to be silly with me," Cillian let out a coquettish giggle as he looked Rhys in the eyes, "And I just wanted to see you to nce at that perfect face again. And now that I''ve had my fill, I''m good¡­ I''m only staying for the drama."


    "Right¡­" Rhys just nodded awkwardly before turning to look at Esme.


    "I wanted to see how you were doing," Esme shrugged, "Thest time I saw you, you were being carried and dragged away by Arachnea. Honestly, I considered you dead then ¡ª and as I said earlier¡­ I''m here to thank you for trying to save my life, even if it wasn''t needed, I truly appreciate it."


    "He has a habit of doing that," Ayesha breathed out and remarked, "Lost an arm and a leg to save me, even though he didn''t need to. Big fucking balls, though."


    "I''d bet," Esme smiled before shaking her head, "And also, I''m also here to know how strong you truly are, Mr. Wilder. For all these women to be so submissive and caring for you, I truly wonder just what secrets you hold. They can''t all be here just because of your godly looks."


    "My secret¡­" Rhys also smiled, "...They are my secret. I''m¡­


    ¡­only here because of them."


    "Then if you do not mind, since we are already at the boundary of the Danger Zone¡­" Esme stood up from her seat and looked Rhys in the eyes,


    "...I would very much like to have a friendly spar with you, Mr. Wilder."


    "Going straight for the Boss?" Ayesha smirked as she stepped forward.


    "I only feel it right, we are both guild masters, after all."


    "Then¡ª"


    "If I may rudely intrude," Adam once again raised his hand to speak, "Before all the shit goes down, is it perhaps alright for me and my¡­ associates to have a private audience with Mr. Rhys? I am actually here not just for myself, Emilia has¡­


    ¡­something she wishes to say to her brother."

 Chapter 195 The Talk

    "Emilia has something she wishes to say to her brother¡­ and as the guild master, it is my responsibility to consider the mental health of¡ª"


    There was already a deafening tension in the air when Adam mentioned Rhys''s sister. Outside of Rhys''s women, the others could be said to be strangers to Rhys ¡ª and yet all of them know about the dynamics between Rhys and his sister. How could they not? As Explorers, they needed to be up to date with whatever the other explorers were up to.


    And when Cerberus guild recruited the infamous Ss West, all of them were tuning in, and they also watched the interview where Emilia med her brother for their mother''s death. Suffice it to say, the only reason why Emilia wasn''t outright canceled and punished for her words was that Rhys was a Lowborn, and nobody cared for him then.


    But now, however, it was apletely different world altogether.


    And almost as if to add tension to the fire, Katarina was the one to break the silence with a firm, "No¡­


    ¡­I don''t think it''s right for the two of you to talk just like this after everything that has happened. I also don''t think it''s right that you used this moment to ambush your brother."


    "Kat, it''s fine," Rhys could really only sigh as he lightly grabbed Katarina''s wrist.


    "It''s not fine," Katarina shook her head, "She wasn''t there, Rhys. She wasn''t there when I saw you dying each and every day ¡ª and now she just wants to stroll into your life¡­ with your mother''s killer? That boy should be in jail."


    And as Katarina red at Ss, the only thing he really did was close his eyes and look away.


    "Ss has served his time," Adam cleared his throat as he came to the defense of his guild member, "And I do believe he is not the same person he was back then."


    "It doesn''t change anything," Katarina shook her head, "Not for Rhys, not for anyone else in this room."


    "And how many have Rhys Wilder killed during his time in the Underworld Corps?"


    "Really¡­?" Katarina scoffed, "Do you really think that''s the same thing?"


    "No," Adam shook his head, "But it doesn''t change the fact that he has killed more people than Ss ¡ª people who also had families of their own. In fact, out of all of us in this room, Ss could be considered to have the fewest body count, one."


    "...I thought you were more sensible than your predecessor," Katarina shook her head, "It turns out you''re just calmer."


    "...I sense a certain hostility here," Cillian then suddenly intruded in the heating conversation, "Sadly, I don''t wanna leave just yet because I love drama ¡ª and I also want to see if Mr. Wilder''s spar with the ck White Ice Princess actually ys out."


    "ck White Ice Princess¡­?" Esme, who was keepingpletely silent because she found the entire thing awkward, could not help but look at Cillian as soon as she heard that.


    "Yes," Cillian shrugged and winked at Esme, "Glowing white hair, ck skin, and ice powers."


    "...Right," Esme then turned to look at Rhys, "If you have other things to do, then it is alright if you refuse my silly request, Rhys Wilder."


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "I also want to try fighting you, Ma''am. It gets tiring only to spar with Ayesha and the others."


    "You didn''t seem tired when it was Katarina and I against you, Sir," Lina casually blurted out, causing Katarina''s eyes to widen. Fortunately, no one really seemed to notice the¡­ sexual innuendo attached to her words.


    With the atmosphere around the room suddenly lighting up, Ayesha''s very long and deep breath suddenly resounded in the air.


    "Rhys, did you know that when you were dragged by Arachnea down the Underworld back in the mall of Mankappan¡­ there was someone who dived down the Hole to follow you?" Ayesha then said as she looked at Emilia,


    "Your sister ¡ª everyone else was frozen in fear, even that water-sniffing bitch of a Noble didn''t move at all. But your sister dived down the Hole¡­ for whatever reason? Who knows. What I''m trying to say is that takes balls, and maybe you should hear her out. Or not, she''s still a bitch."


    "No," Katarina quickly shook her head, "It''s best to just not make contact with her at all, Rhys. For your sake, and hers."


    "..." Rhys looked back and forth between Katarina and Ayesha before turning to look at Lina and Maria, who both just shrugged their shoulders.


    "Well¡­" Rhys then turned to look at Adam, "...I''ll hear her out."


    "Rhys!" Katarina gritted her teeth, but Rhys quickly but very gently grabbed her cheek.


    "And only hear her out," Rhys sighed, "It doesn''t mean I''ll talk to her, Kat."


    "Then on one condition¡­" Katarina then red at Emilia, "...As your doctor, I''ll be present in your talks¡­


    ¡­I can''t leave you with her, Rhys."


    "Well¡­" Cillian then once again inserted himself in the conversation, "...What about we all just be present? No¡­? Gals?"


    To Cillian''s disappointment, most of them were asked to leave Rhys''s office, and only Emilia, Adam, and Ss West were left with Rhys and Katarina. That was several minutes ago already, and yet not a single word had been exchanged between the group.


    And after another minute had passed, Katarina was once again the one to break the silence as she shook her head and stood up from the sofa,


    "If no one is going to say anything, then¡ª"


    "Emilia and I are dating now."


    And before Katarina could finish her words, Ss suddenly spoke up and looked Rhys in the eyes. Katarina nced at Rhys, and seeing he wasn''t reacting at all, she just sat back down and moved closer to him.


    "Thest time we met, you said you didn''t care¡­" Ss''s words were almost a whisper, "...And maybe you don''t ¡ª but I think it''s really important for Emilia to¡ª"


    "Ss," Emilia then held Ss''s hand as she stopped him from talking, "Brother¡­ Rhys, this is thest time ¡ª this is thest time I am going to try and bother you. I know you hate me, and I deserve it¡­


    ¡­so, I''m here to say goodbye."


    Katarina subtly nced at Rhys, only to see his eyespletely empty.


    "And I want you to know that I didn''t really mean it," Emilia then said as she seemed to try to stop her tears from falling, "It''s not your fault, Rhys. It''s¡­ it''s not. And I''m sorry, I''m really sorry. Just, please¡­


    ¡­I want to hear you talk to me onest time, even if you want tosh out, curse at me. Please, I just want to hear you talk to me, Rhys."


    "..." Katarina once again nced at Rhys as she held his hand, only to see his eyes were stillpletely empty and nk.


    "I''m¡­" Emilia then nced at Ss, "...I''m moving in with Ss in his apartment, and I''m happy¡­ Rhys, I really am. And I know you don''t want to hear this¡­ but he has really changed, really. He helps people, and he''s been trying to make amends for what he did. And¡ª"


    "Emi¡­" Ss shook his head as he stopped Emilia from speaking, "...This isn''t about me."


    "Wait," Katarina raised a finger as she squinted her eyes at Emilia, "Move in with him? Aren''t you just 17? I know kids these days are incredibly stupid and rash, but this is¡­ just on another level. Do¡­ you know what Stockholm syndrome is?"


    "I know¡­ I know it''s unfair, and that''s why I''m saying goodbye now," Emilia closed her eyes and took in the deepest breath she had ever taken, "I just want to hear your voice onest time, brother. So, please¡­


    ¡­just say something, please."


    A second passed as everyone just held their breaths.


    And then, an entire minute with the silence just prevailing.


    But still, everyone in the room waited for Rhys to say something¡­ but not even a quiet breath escaped his lips.


    "...Well then," Adam then stood up from the sofa and nodded at Rhys, "I hope we meet again soon, Rhys Wilder ¡ª unlike my predecessor, I do like the friendlypetition between guilds. I hope you do more Explorer stuff from now on and stay away from the dirty politics¡­


    ¡­you belong in our world, you know that."


    "Rhys¡­" Ss also stood up; a small hint of redness lingering in his eyes, "...I want you to know that if I could trade my life to prevent what I did from happening, I would. And if you want to kill me¡­ I''ll make sure no one tries to arrest you after you do so. Emi, shall we go?"


    "Brother¡­" Emilia did not stand up and leaned closer, almost begging for Rhys to say something. Katarina, who initially wanted Rhys to not even talk to Emilia, now actually wanted him to at least say one thing ¡ª but she remained quiet and just stood up while shaking her head.


    "I''ll escort you guys out," Katarina then said as she walked out of the room.


    Adam followed Katarina out, while Ss waited for Emilia to leave. And after a few more seconds, Emilia just nodded and walked away; only ncing once as she stepped out of the door.


    "...Maria." And as soon as everyone else left, Rhys stood up and whispered.


    "Yes, Master?" Maria then emerged behind him and embraced him from the back.


    "I want you to find out where Ss lives," Rhys slightly nced at Maria.


    "I take it you''re nning something, then?" Maria smiled, "I''m really happy you''re confiding all your evil ns with me and me alone, Master. But you don''t need to wait."


    "Hm?"


    "I already know where Ss lives," Maria let out a small chuckle as she walked around Rhys and stood in front of him, "What you need to worry about¡­


    ¡­is your spar against the most powerful Explorer in Amerka."

 Chapter 196 The Strongest Lowborn vs. The Strongest

    "I have to admit, you have an amazing backyard."


    "...Thanks."


    The air almost whistled with how barren and empty thend Rhys and Esme were standing on.


    The Danger Zone is vast, a desert of nothing but ruins that reminded one of the violent war that permanently scarred the Surface; the traces of the gods, as well as the ancient people, could still be seen there ¡ª perhaps the most fitting battlefield for one who is considered to be the most powerful person in Amerka.


    "I never thought something like this would ever happen in my lifetime, but here we are," Esme looked at her opponent, and by all ounts, her total opposite. She had ck skin and glowing white hair, while Rhys had jet-ck hair and extremely perfect fair skin,


    "I thank you for this opportunity, Mr. Rhys Wilder."


    "No, I should be the one thanking you," Rhys just raised his palm and smiled, "Even during the very first time we met, you haven''t shown me any signs of prejudice¡­ or maybe you''re just good at hiding it."


    "Look at me, Mr. Rhys Wilder," Esme let out a small but deep sigh as she gestured to herself, "Maybe in another dystopian world, I would be the one that is being discriminated against with the way I look."


    "Why would you be discriminated against¡­?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked a Esme from head to toe, "Because you''re beautiful?"


    "Boo!" And as soon as he said that, Lina, who was watching along with the others from far away, raised her hands and gave Rhys a thumbs down. How she was hearing their conversation even though they were meters away; well¡­


    ¡­there was a drone hovering above Rhys and Esme, currently streaming their uing fight ¡ª this was the condition Rhys gave to agree with Esme''s request.


    "Oh¡­?" Esme raised an eyebrow, "Be careful, Mr. Rhys Wilder ¡ª you don''t want me in your harem, too much trouble."


    "I have a feeling you won''t be at all," Rhys just let out a breath as he looked above Esme''s head, the Hearts, nowhere to be seen at all.


    "Don''t sell yourself short, Mr. Rhys Wilder¡­" Esme covered her mouth as she giggled, "...You''re a very attractive man ¡ª one could say even more beautiful than the gods."


    "...Thank you, but I''m sure I''m not," Rhys shook his head.


    "You are," Esme smiled.


    "You sound so sure that it looks like you''ve actually met them, Ma''am," Rhys also let out a soft chuckle as he once again shook his head.


    "Trust me, Mr. Rhys Wilder¡­ If I wasn''t the way I am, then I would have already fallen head over heels for you."


    "Boo!" And once again, Lina ced her thumbs down as she raised her voice, "Are you guys fighting or flirting!? Just start it already!"


    "One of your girlfriends is very impatient," Esme shook her head and smiled as she looked at the people watching them, "Well then, shall we give them what they want now?"


    Most of Wilder''s Harem was present there, plus their other guests, Cillian and Hannah.


    "I''m wasting my time here, I already know the oue of this match," Hannah whispered while casually chewing her gum.


    "Yeah, and what''s that?"


    "...Who let a kid out here?" Hannah could not help but blink a couple of times as she saw Vicky.


    "I''m not a kid," Vicky''s eye slightly twitched, "But answer my question, Commoner. Who is going to win?"


    "Then you really are a kid if you don''t know," Hannah shrugged as she just focused on Rhys and Esme, "I won''t waste my time exining it to you."


    "Well¡­" Agatha joined in on the conversation; her and Vicky just returned from shopping, and went straight out to the Danger Zone near Wilder''s Harem HQ as soon as they found out what was happening,


    "...Whatever the oue is, I''m sure the ckie would need someone to soothe and massage him after all of this is done ¡ª I volunteer."


    "Can you not?" Lina rolled her eyes, "If anyone''s gonna soothe him, it''ll be me ¡ª the original wife."


    "Why would it be any of you?" Katarina joined in on the conversation, "I''m literally his doctor."


    "..." No one really said anything after Katarina''s statement as they all just looked awkwardly at each other; except for Agatha, who just smirked and stood closer to Agatha, "Well¡­


    ¡­the more hands the better, right? You''re obviously wee to the idea."


    "You¡ª" "What¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And before Lina and Katarina could wonder what Agatha meant by that, a loud thunder erupted in the air as the ground they were standing on slightly trembled. They all quickly turned to look to where the noise wasing from, only to see the ground erupt as Rhys stomped his foot down on where Esme was standing.


    Esme, however, avoided the attack by sliding back across the field of ice beneath her feet; a crystal field that soon crawled everywhere; even freezing the ground that erupted due to Rhys''s attack.


    Rhys could really only stare at his reflection on the wall of ice that formed in front of him, before punching it and shattering it intorge pieces; he then proceeded to kick all therge chunks of ice straight toward Esme.


    And while all the chunks of frozen earth flew toward her, Rhys ran to the side while rushing and running toward her. Esme just calmly looked at him; not even bothering about the gigantic projectiles heading toward her¡­


    ¡­because their trajectory suddenly changed mid-air; almost at the speed of sound, shattering some of it and shooting toward Rhys like an automatic shotgun.


    Rhys waved his hand in the air; creating a st of wind to act as a shield. He was only able to stop the momentum of the smaller icicles, however, but therge chunks still headed toward him. Rhys did not seem flustered, however, as he caught therge chunk of ice, attaching several threads around it and iling it back toward Esme.


    "Hm¡­?" Esme blinked a couple of times as the chunk of ice went above her and missed her. But as soon as she turned her eyes back to Rhys, she found he was no longer there¡­ and instead emerged from the shadow that therge chunk of frozen earth formed behind her.


    "He got him!" And as Rhys''s hand went straight toward Esme''s neck, Lina could not help but cheer.


    "No," as for Ayesha, who was keeping quiet the entire time and had her arms crossed, she shook her head and sighed.


    "What do you¡ª"


    And before Lina could even finish her words, she watched as Rhys''s hand just went through Esme''s neck. Lina gasped for a few seconds as she thought Rhys killed her¡­ but then Esme''s silhouette just turned into sparkling dust and faded away,


    "Did¡­ did he kill her!? We¡­ we should turn off the drone!"


    "Princess¡­" Ayesha closed her eyes and sighed, "...The strongest Explorer in Amerka isn''t just a title, one needs to have massive balls to have it. And that woman has lots of balls to spare. But of course...


    ...Rhys has even bigger balls for stepping into the ring with her."


    "I''m confused, why is she always talking about balls?" Vickymented. Someone else was about to open their mouth, but then a violent sizzle started to whisper in the air as Agatha''s body starting letting off some steam.


    "Oh my¡­ this is embarrassing," Agatha covered her cheeks as everyone started looking at her. They did not have to wonder for long why it was happening, however, as they soon felt something cold touching their skin.


    "This¡­" Lina blinked a couple of times as she raised her palm, "...Snow?"


    "Ranked No. 2 in the entire world," Cillian let out a small giggle as he moved closer to Agatha for some heat, "I am finally seeing her in action in person¡­ and against a total eye candy at that."


    And while Lina and the others were warming themselves up with a Noble''s heat, Rhys was currently turning his eyes everywhere trying to search for Esme, who turned into some sort of elemental wisp and just disappeared from his sight.


    And soon, snowkes also started dropping on him from above.


    "!!!" And before any of it could touch his skin, he remembered what happened in Mankappan and quickly sted all the snow threatening to fall on him ¡ª and fortunately for Rhys, he was able to do so¡­


    ¡­before the snowkes exploded and turned into giant violent fractals; sharp enough to pierce the ground.


    Rhys then started to run while sting away the snow raining down upon him; diving into the shadows from time to time ¡ª but s, he could not escape at all as the violent storm seemed to stretch at a great area;pletely covering the entire battlefield.


    Rhys emerged from the shadows once more; this time, however, Esme also suddenly emerged from one of the snowkes that exploded, and in her hand was argence made of ice; its sharp end, already touching the side of Rhys''s neck.


    "Wow¡­" Rhys could really only close his eyes and raise his hand,


    "...This wasn''t even close. I guess I''m still¡­ too weak."


    "Weak¡­?" Esme let out a soft giggle as hernce melted away and she retracted her arm, "Not at all, Mr. Rhys Wilder. But¡­


    ¡­there are levels to this."

 Chapter 197 Leading Everyone Astray

    "...There are levels to this."


    The temperature around the barrennd started to rise and return to normal at the same time as Esme''s breaths escaped her lips.


    Levels ¡ª of course, Rhys already knew that ¡ª he had known it ever since his mother was violently murdered in front of him. Nobles are just different breeds altogether, even someone like Agatha who ispletely untrained in battle made him run away.


    But then again, Agatha''s element was apletely violent one; mostly made for destruction. But if it was someone else¡­


    "I know, Ma''am. Thank you for going easy on me," Rhys let out a short but very deep sigh as he turned to look at Esme. He once again tried to find any Hearts floating above her head, but they were stillpletely absent ¡ª why?


    His powers, he understood them, but at the same time, he knew absolutely nothing about them still.


    "I didn''t go easy on you, ck hair," Esme scoffed and smiled as she patted Rhys''s shoulder several times, "If anything, I knew I had to go all in ¡ª you''re strong, abnormally so. But as I said¡­


    ¡­levels."


    "Levels¡­" Rhys then turned to look Esme in the eyes, "...Then, do you think I can take on Ss West?"


    "Ss West¡­" Esme squinted her eyes before turning her head to the side; seemingly deliberating her answer, "...What do you think my chances are if I fight against him?"


    "Hm," Esme smiled as soon as she heard Rhys''s question, "Are you sure you should really be asking me that? If something happens to Ss West, I will tell the authorities about this conversation. I have a certain¡­ contract with the country I need to uphold."


    "If something does happen to Ss West¡­" Rhys shook his head, "...Then it was probably me who did it."


    "You know, you''re really amusing. Just where did you really pop up from, ck hair?" Esme let out a small chuckle, "Ss West. As I said, there are levels to this¡­


    ¡­You''ll win."


    "Even though he''s a Noble?" Rhys looked Esme in the eyes.


    "Just because one is a Noble, that means they''re automatically strong, ck hair," Esme shook her head before tapping Rhys''s chest with her fist and walking away, "He spent his youth in prison, probably experiencing Zeus knows what. Right now, you can take him¡­


    ¡­but let it go for too long, he''ll move past you faster than you can blink."


    "Hm¡­"


    "Unless, of course¡­" Esme smirked as she nced back at Rhys, "...You suddenly gain another ability out of nowhere. You can do that, right?"


    "I have no idea what you''re talking about, Ma''am," Rhys also just smiled back as he walked with Esme and made their way toward the others.


    "You know, ck Hair ¡ª you should stop ying politics," there was a sudden shift in Esme''s tone as she slowed down her steps and waited for Rhys to walk right beside her, "You should also stop ying soldier. You''re an Explorer, go explore."


    "I''m¡ª"


    "It''s obvious that being an Explorer is only just a means to an end for you ¡ª anyone with half a brain could figure that out," Esme stopped walking as she once again nced at Rhys before turning to look at all the members of the Wilder''s Harem who watched the brief skirmish, "But I am telling you now, that the people you are leading are following you because they see you as a beacon of hope ¡ª all of them."


    "...I''ll take that into consideration, Ma''am."


    "You should," Esme breathed out, "You are fighting for something, Rhys Wilder, when you should be fighting for someone¡­ remember that the next time you do something drastic. You''re happy now, Rhys; or maybe you''re pretending to¡­ but they''re not. This¡­


    ¡­isn''t just about you anymore."


    "You see, that is where you''re wrong, Ma''am¡­" Rhys shook his head and sighed, "...It is about me, and it will end that way¡­


    ¡­no matter who I drag down with me."


    "Even them?" Esme then gestured to Katarina and the others who were now approaching them since they stopped walking.


    "They¡ª" Rhys only stared at his women, "...They are here to pull me up."


    "You got cucked, Recruit."


    And almost as if to put an end to their suddenly serious conversation, Ayesha quickly and lightly hit Rhys in the stomach as soon as they were within arm''s reach,


    "But you''re still the one with the most massive balls of all the people I''ve met. I mean, Zeus¡­ I didn''t evenst that long when I fought with the Lady Boss; of course, I didn''t have your bag of tricks too."


    "You''ve fought with her before, Ayesha?" Rhys could not help but just look back and forth between Esme and Ayesha.


    "The world at the top is small, ck Hair," Esme shrugged, "Everyone knows everyone. We¡ª"


    "Rhys¡­" And before Esme could even finish her words, she could not help but just shut her mouth as Lina suddenly embraced Rhys out of nowhere while they were still talking, "...It''s okay, you fought well."


    "I''m¡­ fine," Rhys sighed, "I already knew I was going to lose¡­ I think everyone here knew."


    "That''s because they don''t believe in you as much as I do, the original wife."


    "Let''s not get ahead of ourselves," Katarina then suddenly appeared beside the two and forcefully pried the two of them away, "Rhys, any injuries?"


    "None that I didn''t heal myself already, Kat," Rhys slightly raised his arm as Katarina checked on him despite his words.


    "Hm¡­ I think you''re injured here, ckie." All of a sudden, however, Agatha suddenly embraced Rhys from behind and started touching him everywhere, "Oh, see? This thing is swollen¡­ maybe I need to suck¡ªKh!"


    "Auntie!" "My god, you''re so shamelessly horny!"


    Both Lina and Vicky quickly tried pulling their aunt away from Rhys, but failed to do so as her grip was almost locked onto him. Fortunately for them, after a few more seconds, Agatha let go of Rhys before just walking toward Esme for some reason.


    "You are unusually strong. I''ve never really seen my kind, our kind fight that way," Agatha''s words were almost a hum as she looked at Esme from head to toe, "We''ve transcended our barbaric ways, you see. Became¡­cent, as my dear little Lte would say. But what do you think?"


    "Hm?" Esme raised an eyebrow.


    "Since we''re already out in the field like this," the air around Agatha started to distort, "I think it would be proper to test how much difference a trained Noble ispared to someone like me, innit?"


    "Th¡ª"


    "That''s not gonna happen, Your Highness," And before Esme could even give her response, Hannah quickly got in between the two; popping her bubblegum on her lips as she gave a bombastic side eye at Agatha,


    "Icypops and that homo right there are with me," Hannah pointed at Cillian with her thumb, "And honestly, I''m about ready to go home now because I''ve wasted enough of my precious time here. Honestly, I don''t even know what my purpose is here¡­


    ¡­that Rhys, Mr. Fuckboy right here isn''t interested in being an Explorer at all and just using all of us to topple the current government."


    "Wha¡­" Everyone just stared at Hannah as she said that; all of them, at a loss for words.


    "Well¡­ you didn''t hear it from me," Hannah shrugged before pping, "Let''s go pack up, show time''s over! Everyone can go home now!"


    "I''m confused¡­" Vicky leaned closer to Lina and the others, "...Who is she? And why is she acting like she owns the ce?"


    "Don''t mind the bitch," Lina rolled her eyes, "I think she''s Kat and Maria''s old friend, that exins everything you need to know about her."


    "What does that mean?" Katarina scoffed as she raised an eyebrow.


    "And you¡­" Hannah then stopped in front of Rhys and looked him in the eyes, "Don''t forget ¡ª you owe my dad a few things¡­


    ¡­he''s going toe and collect someday."


    And with that, the members of the Wilder''s Harem all returned to the HQ, while their guests all went away after one final smile and farewells. And of course, with Rhys''s fight with Esme being streamed, he was once again the most talked about individual in the entire world ¡ª he may have lost, but everyone already expected that.


    What they didn''t expect, however, was Esme issuing the spar herself. And that only meant that she approved of Rhys''s strength in the first ce¡­


    ¡­and soon, the talk of Rhys possibly being included in the Top 15 Strongest Explorers in the entire world started to trend all over social media.


    "A Lowborn¡­ overtaking my position?" Somewhere in the Eastern parts of the world, in a small country called Luzviminda, a short and slightly dark-skinned man was sitting on a mountain of corpses¡­ human. He was looking at his phone while smirking, and on it, was a photo of Rhys,


    "Well, time to get a taste of the freedom they are all so proud of."


    But while several unique people were taking an unhealthy interest in Rhys, Rhys was just busy sitting in the darkness of his office, with only him and Maria there.


    Maria was not really saying or doing anything. She was just sitting on the sofa with her eyes closed while Rhys...


    ...Rhys was watching the video of his mother being murdered by Ss over and over again on his phone.


    "So, are we doing it, Master?" Maria then finally spoke up.


    "Yes," Rhys breathed out as he closed his phone and stood up,


    "Make sure everything goes smoothly."

 Chapter 198 Rhys Wilder vs. Sylas West

    "Rhys¡­ what are you doing out here sote?"


    "Kat¡­"


    "Are you looking at the fruits of yourbor?"


    "I¡­ didn''t even realize it was already like this."


    It was in the dead of night, where even the noises of the horizon of the Danger Zone werepletely silent ¡ª or at least, it should have been quiet. But right now, there was an entire city in front of Rhys, where it was but a barrennd and collection of tents just months ago.


    "Back then, the only light I could see when I looked outside at night are the stars, now I can barely even see them because of all the houses and people," Rhys was at the rooftop of the Wilder''s Harem HQ; his eyes, reflecting all the streetlights scattered below, "All these people¡ª"


    "¡ªAre here because of you," Katarina stood beside Rhys before resting her head on his arm, "I don''t know how you did it, Rhys. But you did. And it felt like just a year ago you were a little child¡­ and I tend your wounds back in High School."


    "And now we''re making love."


    "...Lina''s rubbing off on you," Katarina clicked her tongue as she lightly pinched Rhys''s arm.


    "But you''re right, Kat¡­" Rhys let out a small chuckle as he once again looked at all the lights beneath him, "...I don''t know how I did it because¡­ I wasn''t here."


    "...What do you mean?"


    "I mean I haven''t really been around," Rhys shook his head, "The others are right. This is an Explorer guild, and yet I haven''t even been doing any exploring at all¡­ I realized that when Hannah and the other guild masters arrived."


    "Forget about them¡­" Katarina then moved away from Rhys''s arm and stood in front of him; grabbing both his cheeks as she looked him in the eyes, "...Move at your own pace, Rhys. You''re doing so well, you don''t have to follow society''s expectations of you."


    "Society has no expectations of me, Kat," Rhys shook his head, "But these people do¡­


    ¡­and I''m tricking them."


    "Tricking them?" Katarina could not help but let out a soft chuckle as she embraced Rhys and buried her face in his chest, "What are you even saying, Rhys? All of them moved here of their own volition, they have minds of their own ¡ª they chose to be here because they believe in you."


    "And that''s exactly why I''m tricking them¡­" Rhys shook his head, "...I only became an Explorer to garner influence and fame so I could do what I need done, and all of them¡­ all of you will be hit by the crossfire."


    "...Are you drunk? What are you even spouting? Look¡­" Katarina leaned away from Rhys as she once again grabbed her cheeks, "Were you having fun whenever you dive and explore the Underworld?"


    "...Yes? I think so. But¡­ I just don''t have time for it."


    "Do you still want to dive down the Underworld and explore?"


    "Yes."


    "Then you''re an Explorer," Katarina softly chuckled, "It doesn''t matter if you''re still trying to find yourself in all of this, Rhys ¡ª and if you forget yourself, I''ll be here to remind you who you are."


    "...And who am I?"


    "My¡ªWell¡­" Katarina looked down as a small smile crawled on her face, "...Mine?"


    "...Lina''s rubbing off on you, Kat," Rhys repeated Katarina''s words back to her.


    "Oh, god¡­" Katarina once again buried her face on Rhys''s chest, "Did¡­ did the three of us really do it together? It feels¡­ so wrong. But¡­ it wasn''t so¡­ bad? Wait, I don''t want to talk about it."


    "Kat¡­" Rhys then ced his hand on Katarina''s head, "...I''m about to do something stupid."


    "...You''re always doing something stupid, Rhys. But don''t worry¡­ I''ll always be here to clean it up."


    "...Not this time," Rhys shook his head.


    "What do you¡ª"


    "Master, the car''s ready."


    And before Katarina could even ask her question, Maria suddenly emerged from Rhys''s shadow, causing Katarina to just look back and forth between the two.


    "The car¡­?" Katarina blinked a couple of times in confusion, "Are you going somewhere thiste at night? Wait, what''s this about, M?"


    "I''m afraid I can''t tell you," Maria nced at Katarina before just diving into the shadows again, not even giving Katarina a chance to say anything else to her.


    "Rhys¡­" Katarina grabbed Rhys''s fist as tight as she could, "...What are you nning?"


    "Something stupid, Kat," Rhys sighed.


    "Then take me with you," Katarina tightened her grip.


    "Let go, Kat."


    "Not until you tell me what you''re about to do."


    "I''m going to kill Ss West."


    "...What?" Katarina could not help but let go of Rhys''s wrist as soon as she heard his words, "Why now? Is it because of Emilia? No¡­ If you are going to kill him, then all the more reason I shoulde with you¡­


    ¡­You are letting your emotions control you, Rhys. Maybe we should¡ªRhys!?"


    And before Katarina could even grab Rhys''s arm again, he also dived through the shadows and disappeared.


    "Rhys!"


    ***


    "All the cameras are disabled?"


    "Yes."


    "The guards?"


    "Incapacitated, as you ordered ¡ª no bodies."


    "...Good."


    Rhys was now in the lobby of arge and obviously expensive apartment building, almost a hotel. One would expect there to be people lounging around the ground floor, but since it was a couple of hours past midnight, everyone was either asleep¡­


    ¡­or put to sleep by Maria.


    "Follow me, Master," Maria then gestured to Rhys as she made her way to the elevator; swiping the ID card of one of the guards she incapacitated so they could get in,


    "And while we are stuck inside this elevator, can I say something to you?"


    "You really should stop calling me Master," Rhys breathed out; his eyes just looking straight as the elevator doors closed on them.


    "K is right, Rhys¡­" Maria then stood in front of Rhys and looked him in the eyes, "...You are letting your emotions control you ¡ª this is not the right time to kill Ss West."


    "Do I look like I am letting my emotions control me?" Rhys returned Maria''s gaze; his eyes,pletely devoid of anything.


    "Yes," Maria did not stray her eyes away, "You may not realize this, Rhys ¡ª but you are usually meticulous. Impulsive, yes ¡ª but surgical. You always put yourself in the position where you are in control of the situation."


    "You think too highly of me, Maria," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "I''m¡­ just a damaged kid from Old York."


    "Rhys. This is¡ª"


    And before Maria could finish her words, the elevator doors opened.


    "¡ªJustice, Maria," Rhys whispered as he moved past her and stepped out of the elevator, "Now¡­


    ¡­which room?"


    "24C¡­" Maria could really only close her eyes before nodding and proceeding to follow behind Rhys.


    "And are you sure Emilia is with him?"


    "Yes," Maria sighed; a hint of disappointment, obvious due to her otherwise monotonous tone, "My sources say she moved in with him today."


    "Good work," Rhys then ced his hand on top of Maria''s head; patting it several times. If others were to see this, they would surely cringe¡­ but Maria seemed to wee itpletely as the disappointment on her face disappeared. The growing smile on her face, however, disappeared as fast as it crawled on her face as she saw Rhys pull out a camera.


    "Emotions, Master," Maria grabbed Rhys''s hand, "You are letting it control you."


    "Haven''t you read my file several times, Maria?" Rhys breathed out as a smile crawled on his face, "I''m¡­ clinically insane."


    And as soon as Rhys hit record, Maria disappeared into the darkness.


    "..." And with him now alone in front of Ss West''s apartment, Rhys let his head rest back as he let out a very long, almost snarling sigh. And with another release of his breath, he just pushed the door open; destroying its lock without even caring about the noise it made.


    "Ss¡­" Rhys then whispered loudly as he made his way inside the spacious apartment. He knocked on the walls, letting it echo through the dark silence,


    "...Come out, Ss."


    It was quiet, eerily so as the only thing that Rhys could really hear was the sound of his own heartbeat drumming ¡ª almost as if telling him to march on. Rhys continued to make his way through the dark apartment, and soon, he heard a noiseing from the only part of the apartment that still had a light on.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys smiled as he let go of the camera, letting the drone activate and follow him as he made his way to the light.


    "What do you think, Ss? I think this one would be tastier than the liver?"


    Rhys could hear the sound of his sister''s voice. And¡­ she truly was happy. If Rhys just turned around and left, she would probably continue to be so with Ss¡­


    ¡­but that is not going to happen.


    Starting now, it is Ss''s turn to be humiliated in front of everyone ¡ª and his sister would once again be here to see everything.


    Rhys then stepped into the light, and there she was ¡ª her sister, with a smile on her face and happily cooking a meal for Ss.


    "...Brother?" Emilia turned around and quickly noticed Rhys standing at the corner of the kitchen. Rhys, on the other hand, just quickly grabbed the drone flying above him¡­ and shattered it in his hand.


    "...Brother?" Emilia tilted her head to the side; seemingly confused as she looked her brother in the eyes, "What are you¡ª"


    And before Emilia could even finish her words, Rhys walked toward her and embraced her,pletely ignoring Ss who was at the table.


    "Chloe¡­" Rhys then whispered.


    "What¡­ what are you doing, Rhys?" Emilia let out an awkward chuckle as she tried pushing Rhys away before turning to look at the table next to the kitchen, "Ss¡­ Ss is looking at us. Why¡­


    ¡­why are you always embarrassing me?"


    "...I''m sorry, Chloe," Rhys tightened his embrace as he also turned to look at the table, and there was Ss¡­


    ¡­or rather, his decapitated head and whatever was left of him¡­ neatly resting on a chair.


    "I''m sorry I didn''t see, Chloe. I''m here now¡­ I''m here now¡­


    ¡­your brother''s here now."

 Chapter 199 Sister

    "Rhys¡­?"


    Guilt¡ªno. Remorse¡ªno.


    No one could really tell what Rhys was feeling right now as he just listened to the breaths that were escaping his sister''s lips. There was not even a certain tremble in her voice, not even a malicious or ominous tone; all there was was confusion as to why Rhys was there ¡ª as if there was not a mutted and mangled corpse just casually resting at the table near them.


    Rhys did not even need to look twice to know that the body and the decapitated corpse belonged to Ss¡ªno. He had always imagined what Ss would look like with his stomach and guts exploding, and right now, he was finally seeing it¡­ except it wasn''t him that did it.


    "Rhys? You¡­ are weirding me out right now." And once again, Emilia waspletely acting casually as she once again pushed herself away from Rhys; this time managing to pull away as she looked at his face,


    "You''re not usually this clingy, brother¡­" Emilia then let out a small but very deep sigh as she shook her head, "...You just join Ss until I finish cooking, okay? I know you''re hungry, but please, wait."


    "We need to go, Chloe," Rhys gently grabbed Emilia by the shoulder. Emilia, however, just once again sighed and pushed his hand away.


    "What is it?" Emilia rolled her eyes, "You said you were hungry, and now you want to leave. What is it?"


    "What¡­?" Rhys could really only squint his eyes as he took a step back.


    "You¡­" Emilia then scrunched her nose before touching Rhys''s, "...You''re getting really spoiled, Rhys. I''m supposed to be the little sister here ¡ª just wait, okay? I think the leg will be¡ª"


    And before Emilia could finish words, a loud and high-pitched beeping noise dinged across the kitchen.


    "Right on time! Rhys, if you''re not gonna help, then just sit down, please?" Emilia let out a small groan; pushing Rhys to the side as she made her way to the oven, and with a satisfied smile on her face, she nodded and pulled out the tray inside it,


    "Woo¡­ this is exciting, it smells so nice. Rhys,e, smell it!"


    "..." Rhys did not really approach Emilia as she set the tray on the table; still smoking, the meat clearly burnt on the surface. Emilia, however, did not seem to mind as she just grabbed a knife from the counter and started slicing the roast.


    "Rhys,e. Taste it! Taste it!" Emilia then tore off a piece of the meat with her hand as she gestured to Rhys."


    "Chloe¡­"


    "Ugh¡­ can you please stop calling me Chloe? You never call me Chloe," Emilia let out a groan as she once again rolled her eyes, "Fine, if you don''t want it, then maybe Ss wants some."


    Emilia then walked toward the seat where Ss''s decapitated head was resting; forcefully putting the roast inside its mouth.


    "So, how is it¡­? How is it?" Emilia nodded to herself, "Nice, right!? Is it better than the liver? The liver was kinda nasty, the texture was weird and it had a bitter aftertaste."


    Rhys then watched as Emilia once again made her way to the roast and plucked another piece of it. She was about to put some in her mouth, but Rhys rushed toward her and pped the piece away.


    "Rhys! What the hell is your problem today!? You''re never like¡ª"


    "Stop, Chloe¡­ just stop," Rhys grabbed Emilia''s hand tight before gently cing his hand on her cheek and looking her straight in the eyes, "I''m here now, Chloe¡­ I''m here."


    "What are you¡ª" Emilia touched Rhys''s hand and was about to pull it away. But then, her eyes quickly turned wide as she seemed to realize something¡­ and very soon, her breaths began to tremble as she returned Rhys''s gaze,


    "R¡­ Rhys? Is this¡­ is this really you? It''s¡­ you?"


    Emilia then also held Rhys''s cheeks; her hands, trembling uncontrobly along with her lips, "You''re¡­ you''re here? It''s you?"


    "It is, it''s me¡­" Rhys gulped as he saw his sister''s face turn from jolly to terrified in less than a second.


    "Where were you¡­?" Emilia''s head also started to tremble as tears quickly trailed from her eyes, "Where were you? I''m¡­ why did you let them take me..?"


    "I''m sorry, Chloe¡­ I''m sorry," Rhys''s breaths also started to tremble as he closed his eyes.


    "You¡­ you were supposed to be there," Emilia''s snot started to drip from her nose, "You were supposed to protect me, why didn''t you? Why¡­ why¡­ where were you? Lonely¡­ I was so lonely. Why¡­ why did you leave me? Me¡­ I''m¡­ I''m supposed to be your baby sister, me."


    Rhys could really only suck in his breath; his mouth almost bleeding from how hard he was gritting it.


    "But I did it, Rhys¡­ I did it!" A small but cynical giggle then escaped Emilia''s lips as she nced at Ss''s corpse, "I finally did it. I¡­ I did the same thing he did to our mom, I did it, Rhys! He didn''t¡­ he didn''t even expect it. He was, he was so happy like we were and then¡­ and then I shed his stomach. It was¡­ it was funny. So¡­ so¡­


    ¡­can youe home now, please? He''s¡­ he can''t hurt you anymore."


    "Chloe¡­" Rhys finally opened his eyes, "...I''m so sorry."


    "N¡­no, I''m the¡ª"


    And before Emilia could say anything else, Rhys suddenly flicked her on the chin, instantly incapacitating her.


    "Maria," Rhys whispered as he gently caught his sister, "Hold her for me for a bit."


    "Of course, Master," Maria then emerged from the shadows and quickly pulled the unconscious Emilia away from Rhys. She then started looking around the kitchen before letting out a small hum,


    "Judging from how she neatly ced Ss''s head to see everything she was doing, she was probably trying her best to humiliate him ¡ª cannibalism is also sometimes considered the most intimate and humiliating act one can do to a person. She¡ª"


    "I didn''t ask," Rhys interrupted Maria as he made his way to the sink; the sound of him turning on the faucet, whistling along with his slightly gasped breath, "I need you to do a couple of things for me, Maria."


    "Oh?" Maria blinked a couple of times as she watched as Rhys approached her, or more specifically, the unconscious Emilia, and started rustling in her pockets until he found her phone.


    "I need you to scream for help," Rhys then whispered as he started calling his number on Emilia''s phone, "And then after¡­


    ¡­I need you to call several people."


    "Oh¡­?" Maria once again hummed as her face started to blush; an almost excited smile, crawling onto it, "There he is¡­


    ¡­Of course, Master. Whatever youmand."


    ***


    "Ss West! Lie down on your face with the floor and your hands behind your head! If we enter and see you not doing as we said, we will use lethal force to stop you!"


    "Sir¡­ someone''s forced the door open."


    An hourter, a team of special forces was now marching on the floor of Ss''s apartment; responding to a disturbing call they received that his neighbors could hear someone screaming and asking for help.


    And as Ss West is a Noble, the police had to send in their elite force first ¡ª as is the proper response. The team quickly swept Ss''s floor; evacuating the neighbors before rushing inside Ss''s apartment.


    They were careful, of course, making sure to clear every room ¡ª something was weird, however, as the entire apartment seemed to be soaked; a pool of water pattering beneath their feet as they walked. They did not have to search for long, however, as the only room that had the light turned on was the kitchen.


    "Ss West, if we see you not cooperating with us, we will deal with¡ªwhat the fuck?"


    And the first thing that weed the elite force was indeed Ss, butpletely not in the way they expected. The only thing they could really do was stare at Ss''s mangled and decapitated corpse.


    "You''rete."


    "Who''s there!?" The men then quickly pointed their weapons at the corner of the kitchen, only to see a personpletely soaked in blood.


    "Sergeant Rhys Wilder of the Underworld Corps, Sir¡­" Rhys then weakly stood up from the floor, causing the men to flinch as they saw him picking up a girl and throwing her above his shoulder, "...And Emilia Wolfe, my sister."


    "Rhys¡­ Wilder?" The leader of the attack team squinted his eyes, "Don''t move!"


    "My sister needs an ambnce," Rhys, however, did not care for the men at all and just started walking toward them.


    "This is our final warning, Wilder! Don''t move!"


    "Hurt even a single strand of hair on my sister, and I will do to all of you what I did with him," Rhys whispered as he nced at Ss''s corpse, "I need to get my sister to the ambnce, you brought one, right?"


    "Y¡ª"


    Rhys did not really let anyone talk as he just moved past the team. The men were slightly confused as to what to do, but their captain just ordered all of them to stand down and just follow Rhys calmly; even joining him inside the elevator. But of course¡­ all of them were stillpletely tense. How could they not be?


    "The ambnce is there."


    The team then guided Rhys toward the ambnce as soon as they were out of the building; locking him inside their formation and not allowing the reporters who had already gathered outside the building to even see or talk to Rhys.


    "What the¡ªhow did these vultures even get here so fast!?"


    "Back up! Back the fuck up!"


    "We need a cart here!"


    The ambnce staff then quickly rushed to take Emilia from Rhys''s shoulder; carefully and gently cing her on the gurney and quickly checking on her.


    "Asphyxiation¡­ signs of water in¡ªdid she drown!? We need a kit right now!"


    "Yes, she was unconscious when I found her," Rhys nodded as he watched as the ambnce staff started checking on Emilia and rolling her inside the ambnce, "I¡­ had to resuscitate her."


    "Are youing with us!? What''s your rtion with the victim!?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head. And before he could even say anything else, the attack force pushed him on the ground and pinned him down, "And¡­


    ¡­she''s my sister."


    "Rhys Wilder, I don''t think we need to read you your rights¡­


    ¡­You''re under arrest for the murder of Ss West."

 Chapter 200 Sentence

    "Under arrest¡­


    ¡­for the murder of Ss West!?"


    Even with all the noise that was going on outside, the ears of the reporters were still sharp enough to hear what the officers were saying even though they were far away and being blocked by the police.


    And fortunately for the police, as soon as they heard that, almost all the reporters backed away. Unfortunately for them, they have forgotten how persistent the media are as they started rushing into the building to get to Ss''s apartment to get some videos and photos.


    Rhys was the media''s favorite, whether it be bad publicity or good publicity, they were always chasing him since they knew that no matter what he did, it would be something worthwhile ¡ª all of them were also fully aware of how violent the aftermath he leaves whenever he is done.


    And so, all of them were already expecting that something heinously gruesome was done to Ss, especially since they all saw Rhys carrying his sister out of the building; bruised and unconscious.


    The police all chased after the vulture-like reporters as they disappeared into the building. One reporter, however, remained ¡ª Karl Harper.


    He waspletely alone and did not have a team; his camera, justpletely focused on Rhys and not bothering to even join the other reporters in trying to see what happened to Ss. After all¡­


    ¡­he already had photos and videos of what happened; all provided to him by Maria.


    And so, Karl just focused on making sure he was getting the best angle of Rhys being mmed and pinned to the ground by the police; making sure that he also got a photo of his sister being dragged away by the ambnce,pletely unconscious and bruised.


    Ever since he had met Rhys back in the Wilder''s Harem''s first recruitment and Rhys discovered him in his car¡­ he had actually been on his payroll. Of course, he was forced to at first, but the advantages and benefits he received were just too much.


    The short-lived Dregs of Society terrorism, he knew it was going to happen beforehand ¡ª he was always there. The greatest journalist is the one who can get the most urate story and deliver it well ¡ª the best reporter is the one who can get the story first¡­


    ¡­and twist it to the narrative he wants.


    As long as he was under Rhys''s payroll, he could do just that. He may have sold his soul to the Serpent¡­ but it was worth it.


    The story that was unfolding in front of him right now was just¡­


    ¡­beautiful. And everyone could be darn sure he was going to see the end of it.


    ***


    Rhys was taken to the nearest station ¡ª and since the station was not really equipped to handle someone like Rhys, the station basically had to lock down their entire building; transferring all of the people in their custody to another station so they could fully focus on Rhys ¡ª some of the staff were even sent home and reced by people higher up.


    No, the station didn''t just lock down their entire building, they practically turned it into a fortress¡­. but the person they were doing all of that for wasn''t even resisting at all.


    "I am going to ask you again, did you kill Ss West?"


    "Yes," Rhys had been answering the same question for probably the tenth time now. And each time, he did not even hesitate for a single millisecond before opening his mouth, "I received a call from my sister, but I didn''t answer it ¡ª I am sure you are well aware of our rtionship."


    "Talk to me like I don''t know you," the person interrogating Rhys was even more robotic and monotonous than Maria; her eyes, almost as if delving deep into Rhys''s soul.


    "That is what I am doing right now," Rhys uttered, "My sister is not usually the persistent kind, and when I see her calling me again and again, I need to find out why ¡ª and then I remembered that she and Ss West moved together. Despite our torn rtionship, she is still my sister. So, I found out where the apartment was and went there¡­


    ¡­and I found Ss West beating her and almost drowning her. And my vision just darkened and the next thing I know, I already massacred Ss."


    "We have reviewed the time of all the call logs, the neighbors'' statements, and the surveince of the building," the interrogator continued to stare into Rhys''s eyes, "Everything checks out except the most important part ¡ª the timeline does not make sense. Add to the fact that the cameras were turned off before your sister called you¡­


    ¡­are you sure you and your sister were not nning to kill Ss West from the start?"


    "If we were nning to kill him¡­" Rhys then finally returned the interrogator''s re, causing her to very subtly flinch and look away as Rhys''s silver eyes almost felt like it was prating deep into her soul,


    "...Then we would not be having this conversation, Ma''am. I would have hidden his body, never to be found."


    "I am assuming you are saying that you are good at hiding bodies?" The interrogator once again collected herself as she looked into Rhys''s eyes once more, "The reports are saying that some of Ss''s body parts are missing, I will also assume you are hiding them¡­


    ¡­but why?"


    And while Rhys was being interrogated, a lot of people were currently being barred from entering the building by the entire police force, as well as the Surface Army. Rhys may not have any signs of causing trouble for them, but the same could not be said about the people supporting him.


    And the people that are supporting him are¡­ trouble.


    "Why can''t we see him!?"


    "We are under strict orders that no one could see him, please understand."


    "We are his family!"


    "...You''re not. And even if you are, no one is allowed to see him."


    "Go fuck yourself, you balding fucking bitch!"


    "Ma''am, I do not appreciate you using thatnguage on me. Please, step back."


    "Why, I ought to¡ª"


    Katarina, Ayesha, Lina, and even Vicky and Agatha were there ¡ª all problematic individuals in their own right. If they truly wanted to, they could probablyy siege to the building and leave bodies behind.


    Fortunately, none of them seem crazy enough to actually do so.


    "That''s enough, Princess¡­" Ayesha pulled Lina away as she started using her wind abilities, "...These people are only doing their jobs."


    "T¡­ thank you, Ma''am," the people stationed to guard the entrance of the building let out sighs of relief as they saw Ayesha calming down her colleagues.


    "And apparently¡­ they value their jobs more than their lives." Her next words, however, caused all the guards to just shrivel there and then.


    "Ma''am, please! We truly can''t let you see him ¡ª he has confessed, and is even refusing to go on trial."


    "What¡­?" Katarina could not help but exhale as heavily as she could, "Why¡­ would he do that? Why would¡ª"


    And before Katarina and the others could wonder, Rhys stepped out of the building, escorted by more than a dozen people surrounding him.


    "Rhys!? Rhys!" Katarina and the others all waved their hands and looked at him. Rhys, however, only nced back and smiled at them before being taken to a podium in front of all the reporters.


    And of course, Rhys really only answered and looked at Karl.


    "Rhys, is it true that you are refusing trial!?" Karl raised his voice.


    "Yes¡­"


    "Don''t you want to stand in front of people to let them hear your cause!?"


    "I already have," Rhys shook his head, "Trial and the court will not give me justice¡­


    ¡­and so I just took it in my own hands."


    "Is it true that you mutted his body!?"


    "You have everything you will ever have, Mr. Rhys Wilder! Everything is alreadyid out for you - why did you throw them away!?"


    "...Because she''s my sister," Rhys breathed out --- and unbeknownst to everyone else there, Rhys actually felt some surge of power as soon as he said that; he tried his best to hide it since it came sudden, and he knew what the feeling was...


    ...it was the feeling whenever he filled up 5 Hearts. Somewhere, someone out there was conquered by him with those words.


    "But weren''t the two of you not in good--"


    Rhys was then pushed away before he could answer some more questions by the woman who interrogated him.


    "As all of you can see ¡ª Rhys is fully aware of what he did and has confessed to his guilt," the woman addressed the reporters; the tone of her voice, still incredibly monotonous, "If this went on to trial, we could have considered this as a crime of passion given the circumstances and history of Mr. Wilder. But since he refuses to go on trial¡­


    ¡­Rhys will be given the maximum sentence possible reflecting his crime."


    "What!?" Katarina screamed as soon as she heard that. She was about to rush toward Rhys, but Ayesha, as well as Maria who just suddenly appeared out of nowhere and stopped her.


    "Rhys Wilder shows no remorse, and expresses utmost gratification with what he has done¡­" the woman then took in a small but very deep breath as she looked at the reporters, "...We have concluded that Rhys Wilder is a very dangerous individual and is capable of very dangerous things-"


    "No..." Katarina breathed out as the only thing she could do was stare at Rhys as they announced his sentence.


    "-He is also connected to some very powerful individuals. The government has therefore concluded that Mr. Rhys Wilder...


    ...shall be sentenced to life in prison, without possibility of parole."

 Chapter 201 Special Prisoner

    With great power,es great irresponsibility. A thousand years ago, the birth of more than half a billion demigods forced out a new era of unrelenting strength and violence. Of course, with the monsters still prevalent in the Surface world, the first generations of demigods used their abilities to help each other.


    But the demigods are born from humans, and as is always the case with humans; once the creatures of the Underworld retreated back to theirirs, they started using their strength against each other ¡ª oppressing those who are weaker than them.


    And of course, normal prisons do not work, so the authorities then just decided to execute everyone who used their abilities for the wrong things. But of course, as civilization evolved and advanced, such barbaric customs were abolished for a more humane option.


    At first, they decided to build a prison in the Underworld ¡ª but they found it hard to maintain, and once a prisoner escaped, it was impossible to track them. Even with the advances in technology in the past 30 years, prisons in the Underworld always had a bad record.


    And so, in the end, the countries decided to go with the simplest of solutions, and Amerka was the first to build it 200 years ago ¡ª they ced their most secure prison on apletely isted and even more secure ind. And in present times, the only possible way to get to the ind is through air travel.


    It used to be possible to reach it through ships, but they instantly banned entry for any naval vessels when a prisoner almost escaped. They even put up a wall half a kilometer away from the ind to serve as its perimeter to avoid any unwanted entry.


    Right now, only nes or helicopters can enter the ind¡­


    ¡­and one just happened tond on the ind not even moments ago.


    "What is this bullshit!?" A tall, bald old man was currently making his way across the airstrip; his face not even flinching at all even with the harsh and violent wind that was enough to almost blow away his coat and uniform.


    He was being followed by several other people, and judging by their hurried and slightly hesitant steps, they did not want to be the victim of the old man''s saliva as it rained down everywhere as he walked,


    "They only told us a few hours ago, and they actually expect us to wee them!? Just what do these fuckers want now!?"


    "They¡­ they radioed that they would be bringing in a prisoner, Warden."


    "Rx, onnell. Your spit is getting everywhere because of the wind."


    "They are bringing in a prisoner without even giving us a notice!?" The Warden of the prison, onnell, nced back at his subordinates while still screaming his lungs out, leaving his men no choice but to just step to the side to avoid the bodily projectile. Fortunately for them, they did not have a target for long as they reached the tactical helicopter that justnded a few minutes ago.


    "Chief onnell."


    "Skip the willy badoosh, Kyle!"


    A man got off the rear hatch of the helicopter, only to be weed by onnell screaming right in front of his face.


    "Hm¡­" The man, Kyle, just closed his eyes, however, as he seemed to be incredibly used to this happening, "Then I''ll get straight to the point. We brought you a new tenant, he''s¡­ special, so we didn''t really have time to give you a few days'' heads up. This is his file, his name is¡ª"


    "I don''t give a fuck about no goddamn name!"


    Unfortunately for Kyle, he could not even finish his words before Chief onnell pped the file he had in his hand away,


    "And special? What do you mean special!? How many special prisoners have you brought here only for them to just be one of the maggots rotting on this goddamn motherfucking forsaken ind!"


    "Hey, I''m just here to deliver him, Chief," Kyle only nced at the file as it was flown away by the harsh winds in the airstrip. He then raised his hand, and as he did so, several men started rolling down arge steel box from the rear hatch.


    "What in the 3 hells is going on here¡­?" Chief onnell could really only lower his eyebrows as he watched as the men rolled therge steel box near them. He was about to say something else, but Kyle approached the box and ced his palm on some sort of terminal.


    "The man''s a highly dangerous individual, Chief," Kyle shrugged as the box started to hiss; letting out some steam before opening like some sort of refrigerator, "You would know why if you read his file, but the file''s probably swimming in the sea by now. You could probably search for him up on the Inte, but this ce doesn''t have any. So¡­"


    The box continued to open, causing the warden''s subordinates to slightly take a step back as they saw a manpletely strapped and bound on a standing stretcher. Chief onnell, however, did not flinch at all as he had seen the sight too many times already ¡ª the only thing new to him was the metal box.


    "Well¡­" Kyle then patted Chief onnell on the shoulder, "...It''s up to you now, Chief. Boys, let''s pack up! By the way, you should at least know his name¡­


    ¡­Sergeant Rhys Wilder, Underworld Corps."


    And before onnell could even ask anything else, Kyle and his men all just abruptly got on the helicopter and left. The only thing Chief onnell and his subordinates could really do was stare at the prisoner they left behind.


    "A¡­ dregga?" onnell looked at his subordinates, almost as if asking if they were seeing what he was seeing. Rhys''s eyes werepletely covered by a blind; while his mouth had a gag in it. His body,pletely wrapped around the standing gurney.


    "It¡­ would seem so, onnell ¡ª a tall one at that."


    "...And what are you still looking around for!? The goddamn cart isn''t going to move itself, move!"


    onnell once again screamed before turning around and walking away, just letting his subordinates push Rhys across the airstrip by themselves. It wasn''t until they reached arge steel gate that a bunch of guards took Rhys off of their hands.


    To say that the prison was secured would probably be an understatement, as after they passed therge steel gate, another small steel gate weed them; the warden, not even an exemption from the scanning by the guards.


    "Warden, please proceed."


    "Take this motherfucker and hose him," onnell then scoffed while shaking his head before just leaving Rhys with the guards, "And just lock him up in a cell somewhere. Didn''t that Brooke guy die? Put him there."


    "onnell¡­ isn''t he supposed to be a special prisoner?" The subordinate who seemed closest to onnell chased after him.


    "Special? Pft," onnell, however, just waved his hand, "Look around this fucking steel coffin ¡ª no one''s special here. Even that bitch in Cell 0 follows thew, and thew is whatever the fuck I say it is."


    "...But isn''t she allowed to roam free?"


    "Because I am allowing him to! Now stop yapping and start working! And since you''re so invested in this, Jordan ¡ª you process the fish."


    "But I have more paperwork to¡ª"


    "Some other idiot can handle that," onnell then waved his hand, "Now go and fucking leave me alone while I sleep in my airconditioned office."


    "That¡­" Officer Jordan could really only stare at their warden''s back before just sighing in defeat. He then turned to look at the guards who were pushing Rhys and beckoned them to follow him until they reached a guarded room with a shower in it ¡ª but then again, every corner of the prison seemed to have a person guarding it.


    "Let''s see what we have here, then," Officer Jordan then gestured to the guards to remove Rhys''s blind and gag. And as soon as they did so, an audible gasp escaped from the mouths of everyone in the prepping room,


    "Oh no¡­" Officer Jordan then let out a small chuckle as he raised Rhys''s head with the baton he was holding, "...The women are going to have a field day with you, fish¡­ and the men too. What did you do to get here, huh?"


    "Homicide, sir," and to Jordan and everyone else''s surprise, Rhys answered with a whisper without any hesitation at all; his silver eyes, although almost nk, were still pretty much alive.


    "Well, fuck¡­" Jordan lookedpletely amused, "...I have to say, I never thought I would be seeing a Lowborn here ¡ª and you''re Sergeant from the Underworld Corps? Times sure are changing out there. Who''d you even kill?"


    "Ss West, Sir."


    "...Sounds familiar," Jordan shrugged before just suddenly grabbing a syringe from his pocket and stabbing it straight through Rhys''s neck, "Anyway, let''s get this over with ¡ª try to do anything funny, and your head goes kaboom. Do you understand, fish?"


    "...Yes, sir."


    "Good, obedient," Jordan then turned to look at the guards, "Shave his head and hose him down. I''ll find him a cell to¡ª"


    "Cell 0."


    And before Jordan could leave the prepping room, Rhys interrupted him to everyone''s surprise.


    "The warden said the woman in Cell 0 is free to roam around the prison," Rhys whispered as he looked Jordan in the eyes, "Is that true, Sir?"


    "You don''t need to be worrying about anyone else," Jordan looked at Rhys from head to toe one final time before walking away, "A lot of people here hate your kind, you''ll be lucky to even survive the night¡­


    ¡­Wee to Typhon''s Ind, boy."

 Chapter 202 Typhons Island

    Amerka has been trying to put Rhys into prison ever since he made his name more than a year ago now, and right now, everyone who would be d that he was put behind bars were celebrating. As for Rhys, he was currently being washed, literally.


    He waspletely naked, being hosed down by the guards. The pressure of the water was violent, very much so that it would probably push away any person who unfortunately did not have a durable body; it might even be strong enough to rip off millimeters of skin ¡ª the guards, however, did not care at all.


    For them, this was just another day in the job; another new prisoner to process¡­ or so that is how it should have been. Right now, the four guards stationed to watch and wash Rhys could not help but just look at each other from time to time as they stared at him.


    It was weird enough that a Lowborn was actually in the prisoner ¡ª but the Lowborn was actually not reacting at all as they hosed him down, and they even made sure to set the pressure to the highest level possible. Sure, the Lowborn probably had the best and most muscr body of all the prisoners they had processed, but he was still a Lowborn.


    "...Something''s really wrong with the world now. We''ve only been on this ind for 3 years and things seem to be getting crazy out there ¡ª look at this dregga, bro."


    "I know¡­ look at how big he is."


    "Man, fuck your gay ass shit, man. Get that shit outta here or I swear imma hose you down next."


    "Can you guys just focus, bro? This dregga might pounce on us. I mean, look at his eyes."


    Unfortunately for the guards and staff of Typhon''s Ind, they werepletely unaware of who Rhys was. To ensure maximum security and to prevent any unwanted leaks, all the employees of the prison, down right to the Warden, are not allowed to get off the ind for 5 whole years ¡ª and after the three years are up, they will be reced by another team who will also stay for 5 years.


    Typhon''s ind ispletely radio silent a mile beyond the perimeter. Most people would wonder why someone would even work in these conditions, but if they heard how much the pay was, they would also probably jump at the opportunity to work on the ind. And right now, the staff are in their 3rd year, so they arepletely clueless about what has been going on outside thest three years.


    The only thing they know right now is that Rhys should be rolling in pain right now and hugging the wall¡­


    ¡­and yet he seemed to be enjoying the violent torrent of water as if he was just taking a shower.


    "Water¡­" And while the guards werepletely confused and amused as to what was happening, Rhys truly was enjoying the water; gently rubbing his head that was slightly itchy from his hair being sloppily razored off. If anything, it looked more like a buzz cut¡­ if a blind man cut it,


    "...This is nice."


    A long and very deep sigh escaped his mouth as he turned his head up. Although Ss West did not really meet the justice that Rhys was envisioning for him, the fact that he was gone made Rhys feel a certain way ¡ª there was also the fact that Emilia did it that made it just so¡­


    ¡­right.


    And right now, feeling the water rushing at him, it almost felt like it was his first time taking a bath ever since his mother was murdered right in front of him. He¡­ could finally enjoy water again.


    "...Can you guys leave the room for a bit?"


    "Man, fuck you! I said shut your gay ass up!"


    "..." Rhys then stopped cleaning himself as he finally focused his attention on the guard hosing him down, as well as the other guards beside him, and as soon as his eyesnded on the guard who had 5 Hearts floating above his head, the guard almost choked in his own saliva.


    "I''m done washing myself," Rhys breathed out as he stepped to the side.


    "What are you doing!? Did we tell you to move!?" The guard hosing Rhys down raised his voice as he drop the hose before grabbing some sort of remote from his waist and pointing it at Rhys, "Try moving again and that thing on your neck will fucking eat you from the inside out!"


    Rhys halted his steps as he looked the guard in the eyes. But after a few seconds, he let out a sigh and just nodded his head.


    "Yes, sir," Rhys smiled.


    "Now¡­" The guard then threw a set of orange clothes at Rhys. They were all probably expecting Rhys to not catch them since he only had one hand, but Rhys just casually waved his hand to catch all of it, "Tch¡­


    ¡­go and get dressed!"


    ***


    "Oho¡­ who''s the pretty boy!?"


    "Oooh! Ariba, ariba! Look here, boy! Look here!"


    "...The women and men are in the same building?"


    "Stop asking so many questions!"


    Rhys just asked a simple question, and yet he was met with a baton on the back of his thigh. But of course, nothing really happened and the baton just bounced back, causing the guard to just clear his throat and push Rhys.


    They had absolutely no idea just how strong Rhys was, but fortunately, they wouldn''t really find out since he had chains locking his ankles together, and his wrist was also bound to his waist.


    "Just continue walking!"


    "Hm¡­" Rhys breathed out as he looked at all the cells they were passing through; all of them containing female prisoners.


    "I''ll bite off your dick and lick your ass, fresh face!"


    "Oh my god¡­ who let Adonis in!?"


    "Pretty boy! Which cell you at!?"


    "Find me during Free Time and I''ll give you the best head you''ve ever had! Juste and¡ªOh¡­ oh."


    "What in the fuck¡­ who''s this guy?"


    Everyone whistled and jeered at him; some even making obscene gestures, and some even spreading their legs and showing their breasts. But as soon as Rhys turns to their direction and looks at them, however¡­ they all just shut their mouth, almost instinctively looking away as their entire bodies flinch due to a sudden jolt of intense and unbridled ardor.


    It was sort of a ritual for all the women to just mock, tease, and jeer every new prisoner that walks down their halls. But Rhys? Just one look from him, and most of them felt like they were going into puberty again.


    "...I''ve never seen them all just turn quiet like that," one of the guards escorting Rhys could not help but exim in awe as he watched as the noise suddenly died down, "They were right, fish¡­


    ¡­your cock''s gonna be falling off tomorrow. Well, that is if you even survive the night."


    Rhys was then once again pushed for no apparent reason by one of the guards as they reached another section of the prison. Unlike with the women''s hall, however, the men''s hall was incredibly noisy, but then they all quieted down as soon as they heard the buzzer of the gate opening.


    "Damn¡­"


    "Yo, yo Chief! Put him here!"


    "My cell''s free! Put the pretty boy here!"


    There were only a few prisoners making noise, and all of them had Hearts floating above their heads. Most of them, however, were just staring at Rhys like he was some sort of prey¡ªno. Perhaps that was truly what he was for them.


    "Why didn''t I see Cell 0?" Rhys then asked the guards while they continued to drag him toward his cell. Rhys was actually expecting the prison to look somewhat different, but if he typed in ''prison'' on a search engine, then the images he would see would probably be the same exact thing he was seeing right now ¡ª even the cells have numbers on them.


    "Cell 0?" The guards escorting him all looked at each other as soon as they heard his question, "That''s the second time you''ve asked that and it''s none of your business."


    "This guy really thinks he can befy with us¡­ suck my dick and I''ll tell you."


    "Man, I said enough with the gay shit! And you, dregga¡ª stop asking about Talia if you really want to live through the night. Don''t even mention her name."


    "Talia¡­" Rhys turned to look at the guard who hosed him down earlier, "...So, Talia Talcott really is here."


    "What? Are you some kind of fanboy? You a fucking psycho?" The guard scoffed before just once again pushing Rhys, causing a loud nging to bang in the air as he hit a cell gate,


    "...Howard! Face the wall!"


    The prisoner inside the cell nced at Rhys for a few seconds before smirking and doing as the guards ordered. The guards did not really say anything anymore and just put Rhys inside the cell¡­


    ¡­not even removing the chains binding his arm and legs.


    "I told you¡­" The guard let out a short but very deep sigh,


    "...Worry about surviving the night first."


    And with those words, they just left Rhys there his new cellmate, Howard.


    "Well then, handsome...


    ...ready to spread your cheeks open?"

 Chapter 203 ...Oh

    "Well then, handsome...


    ...ready to spread your cheeks open?"


    Howard did not have Hearts floating above his head ¡ª that was the first thing Rhys noticed as his disheveled blue-haired cellmate started to approach him. And yet, the man was clearly licking his lips while he looked at Rhys from head to toe.


    From Rhys''s understanding of the conversations he had been hearing, the women and men of the prison are usually ced in one single shared area during Free Time; Rhys wouldn''t be surprised if the prisoners attempted to relieve their sexual stress during that time, even in the consequence of harsh punishment¡­


    ¡­So why does this clearly heterosexual male licking his lips while looking at him?


    "Where did they even pick you up?" Howard continued to look at Rhys from head to toe, "How even tall are you?"


    "They said your name is Howard, Sir?" Rhys then just casually asked before ncing at the chains tying his limbs together. Did the guards knowingly set him up to get molested on his first day in prison? Was this some sort of hazing?


    "Yes, and I don''t need to know your name¡­" Howard just smirked, "...I''ll just call you cum dump, Sir."


    "...Right," Rhys squinted his eyes as he nced back through the cell bars, only to see the prisoners from the other side of the hall mocking andughing at him from their cells; some of them even nodding while doing obscene gestures with their hands,


    "They said yourst cellmate died?" Rhys then turned to look at the bunk bed¡­ the bottom one, dirtied with a yellow stain ¡ª and judging from the smell of urine lingering inside the cell, it was fresh.


    "What the¡­ stop asking so many questions ¡ª you''re only going to be opening your mouth from now on when I put my dick in it, do you understand, boy?" Howard collected his saliva from his throat before spitting on the floor, causing Rhys''s eye to twitch when he realized how dirty the whole floor was,


    "And myst cum dump died because he didn''t do as I ask ¡ª so I don''t know what put you here, dregga¡­ but I''ll be sure to put you out with my dick still in your a¡ª"


    "Clean my cell," Rhys continued to look around the room as he interrupted Howard, "I won''t be able to sleep if it''s this dirty."


    "Now why you gotta go and make some demands from me¡­?" Howard raised an eyebrow as he lunged toward Rhys, "Now I gotta fuck you up first before¡ª"


    And before Howard could even finish his words, his eyes turned wide as he watched as Rhys just casually break the chains binding his arm. But s, Howard could not really stop his advance as he was already in the air ¡ª the only thing that stopped him was Rhys''s palm, which wasrge enough to fully cover Howard''s entire face.


    And as soon as he did that, the prisoners who were watching them from the other side of the hall could not help but just shut their mouths; the look on their faces, slightly turning serious.


    "This ce is almost the same as the Underworld Corps¡­" Rhys then let out a sigh as he stepped forward a long stride,pletely breaking the chains tied between his ankles, "...Hierarchies, the funny hazing. The only difference is that there are a lot fewer rules¡­


    ¡­and the punishments seem to be lighter. You''re still alive even after harassing and killing your cellmate, after all."


    The cell was small, perhaps shy of 50 square feet, and yet for Howard, Rhys seemed to be walking across an entire field while he struggled to breathe from his sp. Fortunately for him, Rhys finally let him go. But unfortunately for him, Rhys lightly mmed him on the floor right next to where his spit was.


    "Lick that and swallow it," Rhys breathed out as he took a step back toward the prison bars.


    "You fucking¡­" Howard quickly turned to look up at Rhys, but as soon as he saw his silver eyes which seemedpletely devoid of anything, he was quickly reminded just how strong Rhys''s grip was, "I¡­ I''ll look the other way, you can''t really expect me to¡ª"


    "I wasn''t asking, Sir," Rhys shook his head, "I will kill you in the most gruesome way possible and make it look like suicide, I''m apparently good at it ording to someone I know. So, clean."


    Howard''s head just trembled as he heard Rhys''s words. But s, the only thing he could really do was truly lick his spit from the ground with all the grime, dust, and other particles on the dirty floor stuck on it. Howard was not able to swallow, however, as he just quickly rushed to the toilet and puked.


    "That¡­ that should be enough!" Howard quickly turned around and gasped; his disheveled red hair, even more messy now.


    "Yeah, sure."


    Howard then let out a small chuckle as Rhys just nodded his head.


    "Now that one." But Rhys''s next word and actionpletely caused his entire mind to shut down. Rhys was pointed at the lower bed, the yellow stain, actually from Howard peeing on it right before Rhys was brought to the cell.


    "Do you¡­ just want me to wash it? I''ll¡­ I''ll wash it," Howard quickly approached the bed and started taking off the sheet.


    "No," Rhys shook his head before pointing at the floor where Howard cleaned off his spit, "Do the same thing."


    "What¡­?"


    "And after you are done with that, please clean our cell. It''s¡ª"


    "You''re getting ahead of yourself, boy!" Howard could no longer take it as he once again rushed toward Rhys¡­ only for his body to almost bend in half as Rhys punched him in the stomach.


    "Heegkh¡­" Howard wheezed as his entire body just dropped there and then.


    "You''re alright, you''re alright¡­" Rhys calmly said as he dragged Howard and rested him next to the toilet, "...I''ll rest now. But when I wake up¡­


    ¡­I''m expecting everything to be clean."


    ***


    "Rhys Wilder!"


    "Hm¡­?"


    Rhys''s sleep was cut short as he heard the sound of metal banging along with the violent roars and screams of who he could really only assume to be guards ¡ª and he was able to confirm that as he was just yanked down from the bed and quickly pinned to the wall.


    He wasn''t even fully awake yet, and that really only meant one thing¡­ no one was a threat to him here just yet. If they were, then his senses would have probably woken him up already.


    "Why are you¡ªOh¡­" Rhys could not even finish asking his question before he was answered by the sight next to him, the sight of Howard hanging himself by the neck using the same stained sheets Rhys asked him to clean,


    "...Oh."

 Chapter 204 Inzect

    "What did you do!?" The guards once again mmed him on the wall, causing Rhys to just slightly let out a small but very short chuckle before shaking his head. The sound of the nket swinging Howard''s neck, apanying his silentughter.


    "I just asked him to clean the cell, Sir," Rhys then let out a sigh as he looked at the floor, only to see that it was stillpletely dirty, "I guess¡­ he gave up on that."


    "You think this is funny!? You¡ª"


    "I do," Rhys did not even let the guard finish his words, "I know that''s a rhetorical question, but I do think this is funny."


    "You did this to him!"


    "I¡ª"


    "Nope!"


    And before Rhys could even say anything, a prisoner from the cell directly opposite of Rhys''s cell yelled.


    "We saw everything from here, Dwight hung himself like a motherfucker because the fish dogged on himst night."


    "Saw that too!"


    "...Tch," the guard then immediately let go of Rhys after giving him one final m on the wall, "Let''s just go clean this up."


    And without saying another word to him, the guards grabbed and carried Howard''s body out of the cell. They did, however, leave Rhys''s cell open ¡ª and before Rhys could wonder why, the sound of a horn reverberated through the entire prison.


    "Breakfast, boys!"


    The guard who mmed Rhys on the wall then started banging on the walls of the prison as all the gates unlocked and the prisoners got out of their cells.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys, of course, also stepped out of his cell to finally get a better view of the prison now that all the lights were turned on ¡ª and true enough, it just looked like a normal prison; nothing special at all.


    "Fuck you, guard!"


    Rhys, however, soon found out the reason why the security seemedx. One of the inmates suddenly rushed toward the guard who mmed Rhys earlier¡­ only for his head to be blown off from the rest of his body.


    It wasn''t just a normal explosion either, as steam was stilling out of the corpse''s neck.


    "...It''s warm," Rhys also touched the blood of the inmate that showered over him. Unfortunately for Rhys, the inmate''s neck exploded right in front of him ¡ª and he could feel the temperature of the blood almost boiling,


    "...I need to take a shower, Sir."


    "Tch¡­" The guard could not help but once again click his tongue as he saw Rhys approaching him covered in blood, "...Shower''s not until 12. It''s breakfast time."


    "But I''m covered in blood."


    "How is that my problem!? Get a move on, you''re holding up the line!"


    And so, Rhys did not really have a choice but to just follow the crowd; his orange uniform, now brown. Suffice it to say, everyone in the canteen was looking at him¡­


    ¡­no. Not exactly.


    They were looking at something behind him.


    Rhys turned around to look as to what it was, but before he could even turn his head, he instinctively leaped forward; tumbling and somersaulting in the air and not stopping even as he vaulted over several tables. How could he stop¡­ when the floor and the tables he moved across all suddenly parted into pieces?


    As soon as Rhys no longer sensed imminent danger, he quickly turned to look at where he was previously standing, only to see an old woman; probably in her 60s, staring him straight in the eyes¡ªno. She was probably even older, but her glowing violet hair that almost reached her knees made her look somewhat youthful.


    "Hm¡­?" The woman smiled; her wrinkles folding on her face as she did so ¡ª even with her age, however, it was obvious that she was quite beautiful when she was younger. There was a certain ent in her voice, however, thick¡­ strong,


    "...This should be interesting, hm?" Her ''S'' sounded more like ''Z'', "When I heard someone was looking for me, never in my life would I have thought that it would be a dregger. Just what is going on out there on the outside, hm?"


    The disgust as she said the word ''dregger'' was palpable and very clear, but even more so was the expression on her face as she looked at Rhys from head to toe.


    "...Talia Talcott," Rhys whispered.


    "Hm¡­? This dregger knows who I am?" The old woman, Talia, could not help but twitch her eye as she heard Rhys calling her by name, "But zhen again, of course, you would."


    A smirk¡ªno, a malicious smile very slowly crawled on Talia''s face as she started making her way to Rhys. And as she did so, gashes and thin crevices started to form on the floor where she walked; the other inmates who were near her, quickly ran away and making sure they weren''t on her path.


    Rhys turned to look at the guards in the cafeteria, only to see them walking out of the canteen and locking everyone else there; the fear in their eyes, almost as clear as the disgust in Talia''s eyes. And now that Rhys was looking around the cafeteria, he was finally noticing that there were already several old fissures and cuts around everywhere ¡ª most probably Talia''s doing as well.


    "Now, pray tell yourst words, inzect," Talia waved her hand to the side, creating arge crack on the floor just a foot in front of Rhys, "I will humor you and listen to that filthy mouth of yours¡­


    ¡­why were you asking for me?"


    Why indeed? Of course, Rhys could just say that he wanted to conquer her and fill the 5 empty Hearts that were floating above her head¡­


    ¡­as she was one of the strongest Nobles in the world ¡ª and the only reason why she was not listed in the top 15 Strongest Explorers is because she wasn''t an Explorer, no. Talia Talcott¡­ was an Amerkan general during the war almost a hundred years ago, except she was actually a spy nted by the enemy, extending their cause and creating a concentration camp right on Amerkan grounds¡­


    ¡­and is responsible for ughtering millions of Lowborns.

 Chapter 205 Talia Talcott

    "I don''t appreciate my nameing out of that filthy mouth of yours, dregger."


    Rhys has been called ''dregger'' several times by more people than he could count. And of course, the ones he remembers the most are the words spat out by Ss West ¡ª the sheer utter disgust with the way he said it to him while he blew up his mother''s stomach was something he could never truly forget.


    But Ss''s utter disgust of him could be considered just a speck, and that was onlyparing the way Talia was looking at him. But of course, Rhys had already expected this¡­


    ¡­like with Ayesha, this wasn''t a fateful meeting, but a forceful one. And like with Ayesha, he came here with the intent to make Talia fall in love with him. Except¡­


    ''Die. Die. Die.''


    Talia''s thoughts could not reflect the look she was giving Rhys more. Right now, she truly wanted Rhys dead and wanted nothing more. But from Rhys''s experience, those who harbor intense feelings for him, whether negative or positive, would be affected even with the tiniest move he makes.


    And for Talia¡­ she probably had nothing but intense feelings for Rhys. Even when he just breathed, she seemed extremely appalled to even be breathing the same air as him. And so, the only eptable course of action here is to¡­


    "You¡­ step no further, feces!" Talia pointed at Rhys as he very slowly made his way toward her, "Stop!"


    And as Talia once again opened her mouth, the floor beneath her feet slit open, with the crevice moving toward Rhys almost instantaneously. Rhys, however, did not let whatever invisible force Talia was summoning hit him as he swiftly stepped to the side while still moving forward.


    "Stop dodging, you cretin!" Talia once again raised her voice, and once again, the floor split open¡­ and once again, Rhys was able to dodge while still casually moving closer and closer to her. This, of course, was already affecting Talia by a lot just by itself ¡ª but Rhys was smiling while doing all of this.


    Talia did not even speak; her lips and nose just trembled as her face turned into a snarl. But very soon, however, she stomped her foot on the floor, and as she did so, multiple crevices started to crack the floor, almost like webs.


    "!!!"


    The other inmates who were watching the chaos unfold could really only run away, all of them scurrying to the other end of the cafeteria where Talia couldn''t see them. Unfortunately for some of them, they were slower than their peers.


    And there, Rhys finally saw what would happen to him if Talia''s invisible strikes would actually hit him. The lucky ones werepletely split in half, instantly dying as their neck and spines were cut cleanly into several pieces; the others weren''t so lucky as they survived.


    "A cross," Rhys then whispered as he nced at the dozens of dismembered bodies behind him. Rhys actually already had an idea of what Talia''s invisible attacks were due to how his body instinctively dodged the strikes, but he initially thought it was just a straight de at first¡­ but the corpses littered around him proved it to not be the case at all.


    It was¡­ fascinating to say so the least. The cuts were precise, smooth ¡ª almost as if their flesh and bones were gritted and buffed like marble.


    "A little disappointing¡­" Rhys then breathed out; quiet enough that it was a whisper, and loud enough that Talia could hear it, "...I''ve read about you in history books. How you have terrorized Lowborns, treated them lower than pets, how you wanted to wash us out from existence, and how no one could stop you while doing so¡­


    ¡­but this is it?"


    Talia still did not speak, but she didn''t need to; her lips trembled as she forced out a smile on her face. Her eyes, now filled with nothing but raw, unfiltered fury for the person in front of her.


    "Of course, I suppose history always exaggerates," Rhys said as he continued to make his way closer to Talia, who no longer attacked him and just stared at him,


    "Hm. I guess your old age could also be attributed to this ¡ª based on what I''ve read, you''re at least 120 years old."


    "You are just a gunk between my little toenail, you pretentious fucking dregger¡­" Talia finally opened her trembling mouth as a small mad chuckle escaped along with her words, "...Take one more step¡­ and I will be sure you will experience what your ancestors have felt when I burned, tortured, defiled, suffocated, electrocuted, and so many things I did to them you can''t even begin to imagine."


    "Oh, believe me¡­" Rhys whispered as he did, indeed, took one more step, "...I have a very wild imagination."


    "Die, dregger!" Talia screamed as this time, she waved both her hands toward Rhys ¡ª and what happened next made all the inmates thankful that they moved to the other side of the cafeteria. The surface of the floor justpletely disintegrated, the dust and sand they formed in the air almost made it look like the very space itself tore apart.


    A loud horn then began to wail in the air as the lights of the cafeteria turned red.


    But from all this chaos, however, one remainedpletely unchanged ¡ª Rhys Wilder.


    No, there was arge gash on his chest and arm; the blood gushing out of his wounds, almostpeting with the violent beating light of the prison''s rm.


    "You and I¡­" The smile on Talia''s face grew wider to the point that all of her wrinkles started to show themselves, "...We shouldn''t even be breathing the same air. You either belong to the Underworld with your kind, or you do not belong anywhere at all. And like the vermin you are, you could not even fathom the difference between¡ª"


    And before Talia could even finish her words, she saw Rhys''s wound closing as he once again just casually stepped forward. And with his single step, he used his wind control to blow away all the dust that clouded the air¡­


    ¡­and to Talia''s surprise, Rhys was only a foot away from her, and with Rhys now standing at 6''8", he was literally looking down on her as her eye was only at the level of his chin.


    "I am fully aware of the difference between us, Talia Talcott," Rhys then slightly bent his knee so that they could talk face to face, "But the question is, do you?"


    ''Die. Die. Die. Die. Fucking die!''


    "Oho¡­ho¡­" Talia forced out a seething chuckle as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "What I would have given to face you when I was younger. I would have fucking eaten you like the useless lump of meat you are."


    "I would have also liked to have faced you when you were younger," Rhys did not back down as a small smile crawled on his face.


    "You have no idea of how glorious and strong I was, dregger¡­" Talia subtly shook her head, almost hissing as she opened her mouth, "...You wouldn''t have been able to open your mouth."


    "True¡­" Rhys leaned in slightly closer toward Talia, "...But one thing I do know is how much more beautiful you would have been back then."


    "You fucking think you can¡ª" Talia then abruptly stopped her words as the wrinkles on her face almost instantly faded away along with her snarl. Her eyes started to squint as her head very slightly tilted to the side, extremely confused by what she had just heard,


    "What did you just¡ª!!!"


    And before Talia could even finish her words, Rhys suddenly grabbed her by the jaw and forcefully ced his lips upon hers.


    The only thing Talia could really do was widen her eyes as she felt her mouth being vited by a filthy and lowly dregger. It did notst long, as Rhys pulled away; the strand of their saliva still connected them as he looked her in the eyes.


    "Wh¡­" Talia was bbergasted, shocked beyond belief to the point that not even a single word wasing out of her mouth. But soon, however, as she recovered from the shock¡­ the snarl on her face once again returned, and this time even more vicious.


    "Back to killing each other, then?" Rhys, however, was stillpletely calm as he just took several steps back to get away from the volcano that was about to erupt in front of him.


    "That¡­ that dirty mouth of yours¡­" Talia almost gasped as she wiped her lips, "...Die!"


    And with even more ferocity than before, Talia started waving her hands again toward Rhys.


    Rhys, however, was just smiling. This time, however, he wasn''t doing it to taunt her. He just couldn''t help it¡­


    ¡­because Talia''s desires have changed.


    ''Stay away. Stay away from me, filth!"


    Of course, the only reason Rhys could have the leisure to smile was because Talia truly is old. A century old.


    But when she was younger¡­


    ¡­she was said to be capable of splitting entire mountains in half.


    A power that Rhys sorely craves, even if it was just a quarter of it.

 Chapter 206 Granny

    "You¡ªare you an imbecile?"


    An entire hour.


    An entire hour had passed since Talia started releasing her fury; the cafeteria, now justpletely unrecognizable from all of her unrelenting and unending attacks.


    She stopped now, however, as she felt her breaths already sping on her lungs; almost as if they were begging her to stop. The only thing she could really do was stare at the smiling Lowborn in front of her.


    The irritation and frustration that Talia was feeling right now was at a level she couldn''t even begin to exin anymore. Back when she was still at her prime, just the mention of her name would be enough to make a Lowborn quiver in their boots and shit their pants¡ªno.


    Even now, the terror that she had nted in these dregs of society should still linger and echo through the present times. She was sure of it. Even if she had been stuck in prison, being transferred from and to, she was sure the Lowborns still had nightmares of her. And yet¡­


    ¡­this Lowborn in front of here doesn''t even avert his eyes away?


    "I don''t know," Rhys calmly shrugged while just nonchntly looking at his hand, "You''ve called me so many things already, Talia. How about we just decide on one? How about¡­


    ¡­a friend?"


    "You!" Talia once again raised her voice; almost gasping as she waved her arm again. Her age, now almost showing from her actions ¡ª even then, however, the already disintegrated floor still split in half.


    This time, however, Rhys did not dodge at all and even stepped forward to meet the invisible de. Well, Rhys did not actually meet the de at all as it just dissipated before it could even touch a millimeter of his skin.


    "You said you defiled Lowborns during the war?" Rhys then let out a small hum as he just looked Talia in the eyes, "For someone who thinks that my kind is disgusting, that''s quite beneath you, no?"


    "Your people are toys," Talia, even when clearly exhausted, still had a hint of arrogance and confidence in her voice, "To be used and discarded."


    "Oh¡­?" Rhys then started looking around as he let out a small chuckle, "Ask everyone here who they think is being toyed with¡­


    ¡­you can barely even breathe without wheezing, Grandma."


    Talia may have been one of the strongest people in the past¡ªno. She may even be one of the strongest even today if given the right circumstances and avenues. But right now, Rhys was right about her being out of breath ¡ª and that was the only reason Rhys was acting this way; rugged, uncouth, and aggressive.


    If it was a battle of stamina and attrition, no one, probably not even Arachnea could beat him.


    For someone who used to be so high up in the food chain, being yed by her food would make anyone feel extremely humiliated, but most importantly, vulnerable. Vulnerable¡­


    ¡­to what Rhys was nning.


    Talia bared her teeth at Rhys as she once again almost hissed. Surprisingly, her teeth were stillplete and even clean despite her old age.


    "Defiling my kind during the war¡­" Rhys let out a small hum, "...I think I deserve to give them justice, no?"


    "What are you¡ª" Talia could really only hold in her already heavy breath as Rhys suddenly ripped off his shirt; revealing his body that was sculpted by the gods ¡ª and with his hairpletely short and rugged, he almost looked like a beast ready to pounce on her at any moment, "You¡­ you wouldn''t dare!"


    "Oh. If you think you''re out of breath now¡­" Rhys smirked, "...Wait, ''til I''m done with you."


    "No¡­ no! Stay away, fiend!"


    "I''m kidding, of course," Rhys then just let out a small chuckle as he once again looked Talia in the eyes before halting his steps, "I will not stoop to your level, Talia Talcott¡­


    ¡­I do not sleep with people who I think are beneath me."


    "Me¡­" Talia''s eye began to twitch, "...Beneath you? Who do you think you¡ª"


    "Rhys Wilder! Put your hand behind your head and kneel!"


    And before Talia could say anything else, the guards finally arrived; fully armored and even carrying shields as they rushed to the cafeteria.


    All of them made their way toward Rhys and surrounded him,pletely moving around Talia to avoid her.


    "Oh¡­?" Rhys did as the guards said as he kneeled, "Why are all of you going after¡ª"


    One of the guards hit Rhys''s face before he could finish talking, but it did absolutely nothing at all.


    "S¡­shut up, fish! You used your abilities without authorization!"


    "I¡­ used my abilities?" The only time Rhys actively used his abilities was when he cleared the cloud of dust and healed himself. Of course, it could be argued that his superstrength and abnormal senses and reflexes were a part of his abilities, but that shouldn''t be the case ¡ª and in the first ce¡­


    ¡­the cafeteria was destroyed by Talia.


    "Pft¡­" Rhys then just let out a small chuckle as he looked at Talia while shaking his head, making sure he was hearing the mockery in his breath,


    "...you needed saving from a Lowborn¡­ pathetic."


    ***


    "Spend 7 days here and repent for what you did!"


    Rhys was thrown in solitary confinement ¡ª ced in a room that could barely even be called a room. For Rhys, it might as well be a coffin, quite literally since he could not even sit or stretch his arm from how small the space was. He could bend his knee for a little bit, but it would be better to just rest his back on the dirty wall.


    Unfortunately for Rhys, his height did not help at all and he would probably spend the entire week standing up. Fortunately for Rhys¡­ this was nothing to him, he would even consider it as rest.


    The timing was perfect as well; throughout this entire process of him being incarcerated, he hasn''t had the chance to bepletely alone ¡ª there was consistent surveince around him.


    "Let''s see¡­" Rhys then started looking around the small chamber as soon as his vision started to adjust to the dark, "...No cameras, that''s good."


    Rhys then let out a very long and deep breath before cing his hand in front of his chest. And soon, the temperature around the small room began to lower by perhaps a single degree¡­


    ¡­as a ball of water started to form on top of his palm.


    Water control, Vicky''s ability.


    Throughout this entire process, he had been itching to test his newfound ability the moment he obtained it during hisst interview.


    The exact moment happened when he told the world that Emilia was still his sister ¡ª Rhys was confused at first as to how exactly that became the condition to fill thest remaining Heart floating above Vicky''s head; maybe she was just a very family-oriented person, considering her background.


    But it doesn''t really matter for now, what matters is that Rhys could finally use it ¡ª and simr to Lina''s Wind control, he knows how to instinctively use it; mastering it was apletely different thing altogether, however.


    The ball of water started to change shape, turning t before it hovered around Rhys. And then, with another breath¡­


    ¡­Rhys used the water to take a shower and clean the small room.


    One would probably think this would smell bad, but not at all. The water produced by the descendants of Poseidon had a very sweet and fragrant scent.


    There seemed to be another perk of having the blood of Poseidon; Rhys had heard of this but did not really think much of it, but now that he was in a situation where he had no choice but to notice it, he could not help but think of how useful it is.


    He wasn''t getting thirsty, at all. And not because he could practically conjure up water to drink it, but because he can''t get thirsty at all; a Commoner probably wouldn''t have the same perk, but Vicky was a Noble.


    Most Commoners could also only control water, not conjure it up. Now that he had the ability of a Noble, Rhys could actually feel the difference firsthand.


    And soon, the week passed and Rhys was finally able to stretch his arm as the guards opened the door. The guards, who were wearing masks to cover their mouths and noses from the iing smell of feces and pee ¡ª but to their surprise, when Rhys stepped out of the small room¡­


    ¡­he looked even fresher than them.


    They were actually also expecting Rhys to just drop to the ground there and then, but he just calmly stepped out as if he had juste from a very rxing vacation.


    "What the¡­" One of the guards could really only stare at the small room, only to see it cleaner than his own room. The guards even removed their masks as they caught a scent of perfumeing from the small room, "How did this¡ªnever mind. You, fish ¡ª go to the yard on your own¡­


    ¡­It''s Free Time."


    "Is... Talia going to be there, Sir?"

 Chapter 207 Forceful Approach

    "Try to do anything funny here, and back to solitary confinement you go again, fish."


    "W¡ª"


    "Stop talking!"


    Rhys has probably lost count of how many times he has been shoved because he breathes. But of course, it wasn''t anything he hadn''t already gone through in the Underworld Corps ¡ª the circumstances now are just different since his life was practically under their whims.


    He had tried feeling whatever they injected in the side of his neck while he was in istion, but there was nothing there at all. Perhaps it wasn''t some sort of chip at all, but some sort of poison? If it was¡­


    ¡­then wouldn''t it have already been extinguished by his [Arise] skill?


    "Move!"


    And before Rhys could even start getting lost in his own thoughts again, the guard once again pushed him several times until he was out of the building and into the courtyard. The yard was vast, perhaps just shy of an entire football field before ending with a tall wall that almost covered the sky.


    One could probably try to sneak out and fly away if one was capable, but there were a lot of guards rotating the perimeter on top of the wall; all of them, like hawks, waiting for just one prisoner to try his luck.


    And after Rhys was finally done with his quick observation of the area, he finally started roaming around the yard. But not even 3 stepster onto the dried and sweltering pavement, the inmates who were already there all looked at him.


    That was all they did, however ¡ª they just looked at him before returning to whatever it was they were doing. Some were just enjoying the sun and chatting with each other; some were working out and exercising. Surprisingly, there were even people sparring with each other while using their god-given abilities.


    There were a few, however, who were holding hammers and pickaxes, seemingly trying to chip away therge b of rock that was right in the very center of the yard. And unlike the other recreational areas of the yard, the area was highly guarded by several people.


    "Wow, you looking fresh, Lowbie."


    Rhys was going to approach therge b of rock to see what it was, but someone suddenly blocked his path. It was a man whose prison clothes were already almost ck from how dirty it was; judging from therge pickaxe he was holding, he was one of the people mining therge b of rock.


    Rhys can''t shake off the fact that he looked quite familiar, however.


    "You¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the man from head to toe. And soon, he finally recognized who it was, "...You''re the guy in the cell in front of mine."


    "The one who saved your ck hair," the man scoffed as he also looked at Rhys from head to toe, "Never seen a Lowbie as tall as you before, you some kind of experiment by the government or something?"


    "...I hope not," Rhys breathed out, "And¡­ thank you for telling them I didn''t kill Howard, Sir¡­"


    "Alex, and no sir. And also¡­ You did kill Dwight," Alex then smirked at Rhys as he looked him in the eyes, "A tough man like that being pushed to the brink of utter humiliation is the same as death. But hey, all the failures and degenerates here might be at each other''s throats, but these ninja turtles in ck are our mortal enemies."


    "Still, thank you."


    "But Talia, huh?" Alex then let out a small humming breath as he shook his head, "You have some guts in you. Walk with me."


    "Talia¡­" Rhys breathed out as he followed Alex, "...Why do the guards seem to be so afraid of her? They didn''t even try to stop her when she was rampaging in the cafeteria and only targeted me."


    "Because she was able to remove whatever they injected in us," Alex pointed at his neck, "That old woman''s practically just staying here for the fact that if she goes out, the government would probably hire one of the top Explorers to hunt her down. Here, she could do what she wants¡­


    ¡­like that."


    Rhys then turned to where Alex was pointing, only to see Talia just rxing on a sofa; fruit shake in hand as a handful of male prisoners fanned her ¡ª and she even had her own toon of guards.


    To Rhys''s shock, however, Talia seemed to have some sort of sixth sense as she immediately turned her head to look at him; the disgust in her eyes, visible from even far away.


    "There are actually a handful of bad people here stronger than her ¡ª the only difference is that they can''t move since they''ll be killed as soon as they do anything," Alex nodded to himself, "That''s why you should be careful, fish ¡ª they can kill you instantly too. You got that?"


    "Hm¡­ My name is Rhys, by the way," Rhys then reached his hand out for Alex, who quickly shook it while letting out a small chuckle, "Can I ask¡ª"


    Alex, however, did not let go of Rhys''s hand and instead ced the pickaxe he was holding on his palm.


    "Since you want to thank me for helping you, you do my duties for today," Alex then burst out in a fit ofughter as he pointed at therge ck of rock with his thumb, "Just go and collect some adamantine."


    "..." Rhys stared Alex in the eyes, "Then we''re even after I do this?"


    "Sure," Alex shrugged; tapping Rhys''s shoulder before he just went and walked away, "Don''t worry, you have strong arms. You''ll reach my quota in no time at¡ª!!!"


    Every soul in the yard, as well as the guards on top of the walls, all jumped where they stood and sat as a loud bang suddenly erupted in the air. Alex quickly turned around to see if something exploded, only to see therge b of rockpletely shattered into a hundred pieces ¡ª and at the center of the cracks, was Rhys holding a stick.


    A stick that Alex could really assume to be the broken handle of the pickaxe he just handed to him.


    "Drop¡­ Drop the weapon, now!" And as soon as the guards stationed around the adamantine b recovered from their shock, they all surrounded Rhys and pointed their extremely high-caliber rifles.


    "This¡­ isn''t a weapon," Rhys sighed as heplied with the guards'' orders. He did not, however, remain still as he just casually started picking up the adamantines from the ground ¡ª thest time he remembered doing something like this was during his first Exploration as an actual registered Explorer.


    Come to think of it, the other guild masters were right¡­ Rhys had absolutely not done anything remotely close to being an Explorertely, to the point that he hadn''t even held an adamantine in his hand for more than a year.


    Adamantines were capable of strengthening one''s abilities by improving the blood of the gods flowing through one''s veins¡­ but Rhys tried absorbing them, but it did absolutely nothing for him. But it wasn''t like he had any use for it as he had a different way of getting stronger.


    Perhaps once he was out of the prison¡­ he should take being an Explorer seriously.


    Ss West is dead ¡ª perhaps he should just stop there and live his life peacefully. And of course, to do that, he needed to somehow escape the prison¡­


    ¡­but not before doing something about Talia Talcott.


    The guards were utterly confused as Rhys just started picking out the adamantines on the ground. The other prisoners who were tasked to mine them, alsopletely at a loss as to what to do ¡ª they could probably also try picking up some, but¡­ what if they suddenly be Rhys''s target? He was literally the newest inmate there¡­


    ¡­and yet he already ced himself as one of the most dangerous ones.


    There was also the fact that he seemed to be not scared at all from dying via his neck getting blown to pieces ¡ª this is what was getting to the guards. Why¡­ wasn''t he afraid that they''ll trigger the thing they ced in his neck?


    Fortunately for them, Rhys truly was just picking up the adamantines and not causing them any more troubles.


    "This should be enough to cover Alex''s quota. Right, Sir?" Rhys then brought the adamantines he ced in a basket in front of one of the guards, who just nced at the basket; his sweat, trailing down his cheek as he nervously nodded.


    As for Alex, he just stood there dumbfoundedly while watching Rhys make his way back to him.


    "W¡ª"


    "Later."


    Alex was about to say something, but Rhys just moved past him and instead just made his way across the yard¡­


    ¡­toward Talia.


    "!!!"


    All the guards surrounding Talia quickly put up their guard, while the male inmates fanning and feeding her with fruits all quickly rushed to get away from whatever was about to happen.


    "It''s fine, let him approach."


    Fortunately for everyone there, Talia just waved her hand and gestured to the guards that it was okay.


    "You still want something from me, Dregger?" Talia tried her best not to scowl as Rhys casually approached her again.


    "I think I made it clear already¡­" Rhys smiled as he moved past the guards,


    "...What I want is you, Granny."

 Chapter 208 Rhys x Talia

    "What I want is you, Granny."


    Disrespect.


    Never once had Talia felt this disrespected before, not even by her allies whom she betrayed during the war, and not even by wardens and guards who hade and gone. She was an icon, someone who stood on the pedestal of mankind ¡ª and yet right now, this lowliest of the low was casually approaching her¡­ even taking a seat on the ground beside her sofa.


    "Stop. Invading. My. Spot," Talia eximed word for word as she looked at Rhys.


    "Do you know what I find funny, Talia?" Rhys, however,pletely ignored her and even rested his arm on the side of her sofa, causing her to slightly scooch to the other end.


    "Stop saying my name with your mouth," Talia crossed her legs to make sure she was as far away from Rhys as possible while still seated on her luxurious sofa. She tried to look at the guards, but none of them seemed to want to take Rhys away.


    Wait¡­ were they deliberately letting Rhys pester her so that they could get back at her for treating them like peasants?


    "You¡­ you''re not really a Lowborn, are you!?" Talia then smiled and scoffed, "The prison¡­ the prison nted you to humiliate me!"


    "Huh¡­?" Rhys turned to look up at Talia, "Unfortunately, I can give you my birth certificate and it would say Lowborn."


    "That can''t be true!"


    "It is," Rhys then pointed at his buzz cut, "See the hairs that are already growing after a week? They''re ck. But I didn''t noticest week¡­


    ¡­but you have very beautiful blue eyes, Talia."


    "Don''t even look in my direction," Talia refused to lose as she did not avert her re from Rhys; his silver eyes, however, were making it hard for her to stay calm. Of course, not because Rhys has beautiful eyes thatplimented his even more face, no¡ªthat was not the case at all. It''s because he''s a Lowborn,


    "Your¡­ imperfection disgusts me."


    "Hm," Rhys shrugged before looking away, finally allowing Talia to let out a sigh of relief, "Do you know what I found funny?"


    "I''m not interested in talking to you," Talia clicked her tongue as Rhys repeated his question.


    "Power," Rhys, however,pletely ignored Talia, "Whether it be on Underworld, the Surface, or in the prison ¡ª power still trumps over anything."


    "Hmph," Talia scoffed, not really refuting Rhys''s words, but not nodding as she did not want to seem like she was agreeing with him.


    "Some say it''s authority," Rhys then turned to look at the guards, "But clearly not."


    "Power is authority, boy," Talia scoffed.


    "Oh¡­ you finally called me something human," Rhys then smiled as he nced at Talia, who just quickly nced away and said nothing else, "I guess we''re making progress?"


    "Progresz? What progress?" Talia''s eyebrows lowered; her wrinkles once again forming on her face. There were moments when Talia just looked like in her 50s when her face was just at neutral, but turning 60s whenever she knotted her eyebrows or moved just a bit of her face ¡ª which is quite impressive, seeing as how she was literally around 120 years old,


    "Progress¡­ so you really are nted by the prison to do something to me! Confess or I kill you!"


    "Progress to your heart, Talia," Riley smiled.


    "Wh¡ªStop saying nonsense, imbecile!" Talia scoffed as she shook her head; uncrossing her legs as she slightly moved closer to Rhys to point right at his face, "If the prison wanted to disarm me, they should have put up someone superior and at the same level as me ¡ª not you, you are just a breathing piece of excrement."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just let out a small hum as he stared Talia in the eyes, "You''ve enved men, women, children, and elderly as long as their Lowborns¡ª ced them all in a single area where no human could and should ever live."


    "What¡­?"


    "You let them bathe and swim in their own shit and piss," Rhys continued to talk as he strayed his eyes away from Talia, "You used them as miners, forced them to build your weapons and then murder them with them, you shaved off their scalps so that you wouldn''t see their so-called imperfection. You raped them, you castrated them, you lobotomized them like animals."


    "Hm," Talia only breathed out as Rhys listed her and her people''s crimes, "Do not speak to me of my achievements ¡ª I was there."


    "Yes, you were," Rhys let out a very long and deep sigh, "Out of the 4 million Lowborns recorded to have been killed, you were responsible for more than a quarter of it¡­


    ¡­Why?"


    "Because you and your kind taint the rest of us. You are weak, feeble, ugly."


    "Am I?" Rhys then slightly stood up from the ground before just letting himself fall on Talia''s sofa, causing her to once again scooch to the other end.


    "What are you¡ª"


    "Am I all that you said I am, Talia?"


    Before Talia could get away, however, she found her wrist being grabbed by Rhys and then forcefully pulled closer to him; her face, now just a foot away from his.


    "Why¡­ are you doing this to me?" Talia''s eyes then very slowly turned red as her frustration suddenly reached to the very depths of her body ¡ª twice now that she had been manhandled by a creature she thought infinitely inferior than her,


    "Just fucking kill me and get over it."


    "I don''t want to kill you, Talia," Rhys let go of Talia''s arm¡­ only to hold her hand; cing his fingers between hers, "...I want to understand you."


    "Let. Go. Of. My. Hand," Talia said while almost sucking in her breaths. But after a moment, she also tightened her grip on Rhys''s hand, "Or I will show you that you made a mistake of getting this close to me.


    I can kill you from this distance without even having to move a muscle."


    "No, you can''t," Rhys let out a small chuckle as he looked Talia in the eyes, "You see, Talia ¡ª you don''t hold the chains between us."


    "Eep!" Talia then almost gasped as Rhys once again forcefully pulled her even closer to him; her face, now nted on Rhys''s chest. And before she could even try to push away, Rhys let go of her hand and then grabbed her by the back of her neck.


    "At this distance¡­" Rhys then slightly lifted Talia by the neck and ced her chin over his shoulder, "...I can do whatever I want with you before you can even use your abilities."


    "You overestimate yourself." Talia did not blush at all, or even turn angry anymore ¡ª her eyes were just suddenlypletely still and calm for some reason, "I don''t need to use my hands to use my abilities, and your neck is just right beside my face."


    "Do you want to know one of my abilities, then?" Rhys whispered; the warmth of his breath, trailing down Talia''s old neck, "I can sense danger ¡ª I don''t from you."


    "Because I know I can kill you anytime I want in this position," Talia slightly moved her face away, but failed to do so.


    "Then do it," Rhys smiled, "Try if you can kill me faster than I can snap your neck. But I do have to tell you, I also have the ability to heal myself ¡ª amongst many others."


    "...What?" Talia''s eyes started to move, "Just¡­ who the fuck are you?"


    "Rhys Wilder," Rhys then slightly pulled Talia''s neck away so he could look at her face.


    Talia also looked Rhys in the eyes; a slight tremble escaping her lips.


    Of course, she wouldn''t say this at all ¡ª but aside from Rhys''s ck hair, everything about him was perfect. His arm was missing, but that was irrelevant. If only he wasn''t a Lowborn, then Rhys would probably personify the person that she and her people strived to reach.


    A perfect being ¡ª strength, beauty, and dominance all wrapped in one.


    And of course, Rhys knew this; that is why he was acting this way in the first ce. He had never truly used his looks actively as he had brought him nothing but pain; but now, it was the most useful thing he had.


    "You¡­ you''re still a Lowborn," Talia could not help but whisper loudly, "The Fuhrer¡­ was not wrong."


    "Adolf Strickler took his own life when everyone went against him," Rhys scoffed as he finally let go of Talia''s neck, "I guess he wasn''t all right."


    "You do not have any right to say his real name!" Talia bellowed as she scooched away from Rhys.


    "Heil Nobler," Rhys then sarcastically raised his palm in the air, "Where did the name Nobler evene from?"


    "Because he is the best Noble the world has ever seen!"


    "During that time?" Rhys let out a small scoff as he shook his head. He then nonchntly took a piece of one of the grapes that was being fed by Talia and ate a piece, "I think you were better, no?"


    "No¡­" Talia''s eye twitched as she watched as Rhys ate her food, "...And that''s mine."


    "You can share, it''s fi¡ª" Rhys then suddenly stopped talking as he blinked several times, causing Talia to suddenly put up her guard.


    "What''s wrong with you?" Talia breathed out.


    "...How long have they been giving you food?" Rhys then lowered his voice as he scanned the guards.


    "What?"


    "How long have they been giving you food?" Rhys repeated his question.


    "Since I demanded they give me a different meal from the rest of these peasants."


    "Well, Talia¡­" Rhys then let out a sigh as he crushed the grape in his hand,


    "...This thing is poisoned."

 Chapter 209 I Knew You Were Trouble When You Walked In

    "Poisoned¡­?"


    Talia promised herself just moments ago that she wouldpletely ignore Rhys and not heed him any mind anymore, or at the very least, not get flustered with everything that he does. She was old, she had already seen everything there was to see in the world ¡ª but now, it was almost as if she was being brought back to her youth with how angry, curious, confused, and utterly clueless she was.


    "What do you mean poisoned?" Talia then asked; slightly pushing away her disdain for now as she looked at Rhys, "The fruits?"


    "Probably all of this," Rhys turned to look at the fruits, barbecue, and cool beverages provided to Talia, "I can already feel trace amounts of poison in the grape I ate, it''s very faint, almost non-existent, but it''s there. Your other food probably has even more of it."


    "You¡­ can also feel poison?" Talia could not help but lower her eyebrows as she also looked at her table that was filled with all the things she requested, she then turned her eyes back to Rhys, only to see him still eating the grapes, "Then why are you eating them if they really are poisoned?"


    "I also have a way to bring my body to its optimal condition," Rhys shrugged, "I heard from the other prisoners that you were able to remove whatever they ced in our necks? I''m guessing that''s also when you gained authority within the prison and started requesting food for yourself, right?"


    "I¡­ don''t believe you, dregger," Talia squinted her eyes as she once again looked at the table, "I''ve been eating all of these even before you were born ¡ª I''m still alive."


    "You are," Rhys stood up from the sofa as he looked at Talia from head to toe, "But could it be you''re weaker than you''re supposed to be, Talia¡­?"


    "That''s just how life works, boy," Talia scoffed and shook her head, "Even the mightiest of the mighty fall to the curse of time, I''m just old ¡ª my food is not poisoned, the people of this prison will not betray me like that."


    "But you''re just a prisoner here, Granny. Like me, like the rest of these people," Rhys turned to look at the other prisoners, who quickly moved away their prying and nosey gazes as soon as he and Talia looked at them.


    "I am not like the rest of you," Talia also stood up from the sofa as she slightly raised her voice, "I am superior. I can leave this prison anytime I want to, I am here by choice."


    "Are you?"


    "I am," Talia looked Rhys in the eyes, "And you can''t even prove there''s any poison in my food."


    "We''ll see," Rhys then started looking around for a few seconds before he settled toward a couple of guards who were chatting with each other while looking at them. Rhys then snipped another piece of grape and just flicked it straight toward one of the guard''s mouths with utmost precision.


    Talia watched as the guard''s face went through different phases when the grape just went straight down his throat ¡ª confusion, realization, and then¡­ panic. The guard even inserted two fingers into his mouth to puke out the grape, but when it did note out, he just quickly rushed out of the yard.


    "See¡­?" Rhys then pointed at the guard''s disappearing back, "Even I wasn''t expecting them to react like that since the poison is too weak to even notice."


    Talia did not really say anything as she just stood there with a nk expression on her face; none of her wrinkles showing as she remainedpletely still; soon, however, her age once again showed as her face practically just curled. The ground beneath her feet, slowly cracking open like Jenga.


    "onell!" Talia then let out a very loud scream as she ran; each of her stepspletely slicing the floor as she made her way back into the building ¡ªpletely disregarding the gates and just slicing them open.


    "Talia! Do not move! Do not¡ª" The guards warned her, but they also just started shooting at her at the same time with their extremely high-caliber bullets that were capable of piercing thick steel. But s, none of them even reached Talia before they got sliced into hundreds of pieces along with their rifles.


    Fortunately for them, their body and even hands were stillpletely intact as Talia only destroyed their weapons as she rampaged her way to the buildings to go and find the warden.


    As for everyone else left in the yard, none of them really even attempted to do anything even though all the guards responded to the threat at hand. Because, unlike Talia, their necks were still literally in the hands of the prison. The only thing they could really do was look at the person who caused the entire chaos to ensue in the first ce¡­


    ¡­only to see him just casually enjoying Talia''s food. And then, after he was done putting some refreshments onto his te, he just took a seat on Talia''s sofa.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just raised his te as he noticed the other inmates looking at him, "You guys should rx¡­


    ¡­Free Time''s extended."


    And with that, in what could be considered his first actual day in prison without counting his solitary confinement¡­ Rhys was able to establish his dominance.


    But of course, Typhon''s Ind still held the most dangerous people in Amerka ¡ª that title was not just for show. And now, some of those dangerous people were looking at Rhys; what was in their minds, however, was something only they would know.


    Hours passed and night came, and yet the situation with the warden still had not passed. Some of the inmates even returned to their cells voluntarily so that they could just rest; there was, after all, no use trying to escape the prison ¡ª the thing in their necks would melt and blow their heads off as soon as they stepped outside the prison''s perimeter.


    The prison was confident enough to leave the inmates alone to do whatever they wanted because they literally controlled their lives. If anything, they were more like pets in a cage rather than prisoners; except for Talia, they were insects in a terrarium.


    Well, Talia''s head may not be blown off by leaving the perimeter, but what awaited her outside was still a death sentence as the top-ranking Explorers would probably hunt her down. She was incredibly strong, but if Rhys could hold her down, then he was sure that anyone in the top 15 could too.


    But¡­


    "...Just how strong were you in your prime?" Rhys then whispered to himself as he just remained in the yard; lying on Talia''s sofa as he stared at the boxed sky above the prison and the full moon that adorned it.


    "What are you doing here all alone, sweetie?"


    And as Rhys was about to lose himself in his own thoughts, a woman suddenly approached him. The first thing that Rhys noticed was the 5 Hearts floating above her head, with 2 alreadypletely filled up.


    He then turned to look at her face; arge scar, adorning her left face andpletely taking away her eye ¡ª but she wasn''t ugly, not at all. And with the way she was approaching Rhys with her sultry steps and wet lips, she knew she was hot.


    "Want somepany?" The female prisoner smiled; the look in her eyes, even more suggestive than her voice, "Name''s Rose. Rhys, Rose ¡ª we already have something inmon."


    "We''re both criminals," Rhys let out a small but very deep breath as he sat up and looked at Rose from head to toe. Her body was nice, but Rhys had probably already seen all the spectrum of beautiful shapes from his current women¡­ and not to mention Arachnea.


    "A man with a sense of humor, I like that," Rose then just leaped onto the sofa before leaning in closer to Rhys, "There''s a lot of humor here, but you''re the only one who seems to have the guts to actually finish with the punchline."


    "...Right," Rhys only nced at her.


    "I''m going to be straightforward, Rhys¡­" Rose then ced her hand on Rhys''s thigh, "...I want to fuck you ¡ª and with all the guards busy with something else, we could just do it right here and now¡­


    ¡­and I''m already wet."


    "...What are you in here for?" Rhys asked.


    "Oh, is that your idea of forey?" Rose chuckled as she just grabbed Rhys''s crotch, "Fine, I''ll bite¡­


    ¡­I used to run a certain medicinal operation in the Underworld."


    "Drugs," Rhys breathed out, "And what''s your ability?"


    "It''s better if I show you¡­" Rose then slightly opened her lips; a faint smoke, escaping her mouth, "...I have the power to¡ª"


    "Produce aphrodisiac with her breaths."


    And before Rose could finish her words, Rhys watched as pieces of her head started to fall off from her neck, and as they did so, they very slowly revealed Talia who was just casually approaching Rhys.


    "I think this makes us even¡­


    ¡­Rhys Wilder."

 Chapter 210 Already Chaos

    "I think this makes us even¡­


    ¡­Rhys Wilder."


    The body of the woman that was trying to seduce Rhys hasn''t even fallen yet ¡ª perhaps it doesn''t even know that she was already dead; sharp pieces of her skull, her brain matter, her flesh, even her eyes were cut into hundreds of pieces.


    Talia was approaching Rhys, but Rhys waspletely focused on the bits and pieces of the woman''s head. Rhys already knew that her invisible attacks were in the shape of a cross, but to think she was also able to make them small enough to dismantle a head like it was diced onion.


    Rhys was also thinking it was a shame ¡ª if the woman''s breaths truly did work as an aphrodisiac, then that would have been extremely useful for Rhys. But then again, Rhys had his power long enough to know that sexual desires only cover a fraction of the Hearts.


    "I''ve only been gone for a few hours, and you already let someone sit on my throne," Talia then just grabbed the headless corpse by the shoulders and casually threw it away, causing it to roll a few times across the yard.


    The yard was almost empty by now, as most of the inmates just decided to rest in their cells until the situation was over.


    "...And I see the flies have gathered," Talia then let herself fall on the sofa, not even minding all the blood and flesh on it as she sat beside Rhys while looking at the remaining prisoners in the yard.


    Rhys have actually already noticed them too even before the random woman came to seduce him¡­ but everyone who remained in the yard seemed strong.


    There were 3 groups, with the two Nobles being obviously the leader of their respective groups. As for thest one, the leader was a Commoner, but just by looking at the people behind her, she had the strongest people amongst the three leaders.


    "You know why they''re here, right?" Talia then let out a small scoff as she looked at the leaders one by one, "They want to recruit you under their gang and join their ranks of sorry excrements ¡ª people with no shame who would flurry like flies around a lowly dregger."


    "Gangs¡­ so, they really exist in prisons," Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the groups. And it is as Talia said; as soon as Rhys met their eyes, the leaders of the gangs started approaching him and Talia, "...But what exactly do they do?"


    "y kings and queens," Talia crossed her legs and just let herself rx on the sofa, "Pretend like they even have a semnce of authority in this ce, unlike me¡­ the one who holds the true power in this ce."


    "Fish," the first person to reach Rhys was one of the Noble leaders, a short man with orange glowing hair, "I''m not going to mince my words ¡ª you are either with me or against me. Your chances to survive this ce are infinitely higher if you choose the former."


    "Ha. You ain''t gonna get the brother like that, Art," the other Noble stood next to the orange-haired Noble, Art.


    "I am not done talking to the fish, Mike," Art scoffed as he nced at therge dark-skinned man who invaded his space; the man''s head, almost like a light bulb as his bright golden buzz-cut hair almost imitated the moon hanging above the prison.


    "Really?" Mike then suddenly ced his arm over Art''s shoulder, causing Art''s men to quickly take action and try to surround Mike. But at the same time they did so, however, Mike''s men also rushed forward to meet them; the two groups, now in aplete standoff,


    "Because it looks to me that you''re done ¡ª let the big boys negotiate. Now, look here, Mr. Popr¡­"


    Mike then let go of Art and continued to approach Rhys, twirling his hands as he let out a stuttered, almost huping chuckle.


    "I''m offering you the same as my homeboy back there," Mike then smiled, "If you''re not with us, then you know what that means. But if you''re with us¡­ you''re not gonna have to worry about nothing."


    "These Nobles know nothing."


    "It''s not your turn to speak, Dominique," Mike let out a small scoff as finally, the only female and non-Noble leader stepped forward; not by herself, but with her gang. Mike seemed to still want to say something, but he just smiled and yfully bowed to make way for Dominique.


    "All these Nobles know is how to have people beneath them following their orders," Dominique''s red hair almost did not reach her ear; swept to the side and faded on the sides, "If you join me, then you wouldn''t be joining a gang¡­


    ¡­you''ll have family."


    "Oh, there she goes¡­" Mike let out a small chuckle as he heard Dominique''s words. His chuckle, however,pletely halted as she was the only one Rhys responded to.


    "...You''re military?" Rhys asked as he looked at Dominique from head to toe, and as soon as he asked that, a confident smile crawled on Dominique''s face.


    "Underworld Corps," Dominique nonchntly saluted, "And so are the rest of the people behind me."


    "Rhys Wilder," Rhys also saluted, "Suicide Squad."


    "I fucking knew it," Dominique licked her teeth as she nodded along with her gang, "I knew only someone like the corps could produce someone like you, I could smell the Underworld from you as soon as you arrived ¡ª you even have the missing limb as a souvenir."


    "Tch," both Mike and Art could really only click their tongues as they saw the smile on Dominique''s face.


    "Uncouth dyke always ruins everything," Art scoffed before turning to look at Rhys, "Your camaraderie outside means nothing here, fish ¡ª choose the strongest group."


    "Oh¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at the 3 leaders; a hint of confusion, obviously nted on his face, "...I thought we were just introducing each other. I''m not nning on joining any gang."


    "Wait," the happy expression on Dominique''s face instantly faded away, "Don''t tell me you''re actually nning on just sticking with that fucking dictator''s dog? Didn''t she oppress your people!?"


    "Well, I suppose this calls for an unexpected scenario¡­" Art then ced his hand on his chin before turning to look at the two other leaders, "...Are the two of you thinking what I am thinking? There are no guards."


    "Just say what you want to say and get on with it," Mike smiled as he nced at Talia.


    "Meaning there is no one to blow our necks off," Art snapped his fingers, and as soon as he did so, his men all turned their hostility toward Talia, "And that means we could finally get rid of this old woman."


    "Hm," Mike shrugged as he continued to smile at Talia before turning to look at the headless corpse she killed without even blinking an eye, "I''m not one to form alliances, but I am a little pissed off that you killed one of my girls like that. So¡­ you have to go, Granny."


    "Rhys," Dominique stretched out her hand toward Rhys, "I will give you one final chance, join me¡­ or die along with that dog."


    "I don''t know¡­" Despite all the threats they were receiving, Rhys just joined Talia and rested his back on the sofa to rx, "...I like the odds of my team."


    "We are not a team, dregger," Talia just clicked her tongue and scoffed as she slightly leaned away from Rhys, "And get off of my sofa."


    "You heard her!" Dominique still had her hand stretched, "Join us, brother."


    "Okay¡­" Rhys then stood up, causing the expression on Talia''s face to turn serious as she just looked at Rhys''s back, while a smile once again crawled on Dominique''s face, "I''ll join¡­


    ¡­but only if the three of you are willing to work under me."


    "Ha!" And before the three leaders could even express their disapproval and shock at Rhys''s words, Talia was the first to react as she pped her hands and raised her voice. The other leaders as well as their men could really only look at each other, as this was the very first time they''ve really ever seen Talia act like that.


    As for Rhys, he wasn''t focusing on Talia''sugh at all, but on the Hearts floating above her head ¡ª one of them, now suddenlypletely filled up.


    "It''s funny, no?" Talia''s thick ent slightly showed itself as she also stood up from the sofa and looked at the 3 leaders, "All these schemes, very cute. You''ve said that there are no guards at all¡­


    ¡­but howe none of you ever wondered why that is? Out of all of you, only this dregger seems to have noticed."


    Rhys only nced at Talia before a small smile crawled on his face.


    "The reason why there are no guards patrolling is that there are no guards left¡­" Talia''s breaths slightly fluttered as she tried her best to collect and prevent herself fromughing further,


    "...is that there are no guards left, I killed all of them."


    "You¡ª"


    "Yoohoo," Talia then yfully breathed out and whistled as she suddenly grabbed something from her pockets. And as soon as the other inmates saw what it was, they all just took several steps back; horror, painting their eyes. How could they not be afraid, when Talia was now holding a remote that is used to trigger the thing in their necks?


    "That''s right," Talia shook the remote, "I hold your lives now, but I won''t kill any of you, not yet¡­


    ¡­because I also just identally killed the Warden."


    "What...!?"


    "And once they realize that in a few weeks...


    ...they are going to send an entire army after us."

 Chapter 211 Old Emotions

    "Faster! Faster, you ingrates!"


    3 days after Talia had killed the warden and each and everyst employee of the prison, some of the inmates thought they would finally be free of any manualbor and could just rx until the military swoops in to apprehend all of them ¡ª of course, when that timees, they would just kneel on the ground and follow their orders.


    ¡­Little did they know they would be following someone else''s orders until that time came. And not only that, they were now practically being treated as ves. Most of them, especially those who were on the weaker spectrum, had to sweep and clean the entire prison and bring back anything that would be useful.


    That includes weapons, food, and medicine. But not only that, they were also tasked to do the heavy lifting to transfer and practically redesign the entire prison into some sort of¡­ imprable castle.


    "I have had enough of this!" Of course, there are inmates who cannot take the load anymore. Just a few days ago, the mostbor-intensive thing they did in the yard was chip away some adamantine. But now, they moved without pause and without rest; walking like ants around the once sanctuary that is their yard, "We should all just gang up on¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And of course, everyone also watched as anyone whoined got their heads blown off not even 5 seconds after opening their mouths; littering the yard with their boiling blood and brain matter.


    "Someone clean that up." And of course, the one who blew their heads off was none other than Talia, who practically held the key to the invisible cor around their necks, literally.


    "Y¡­ Yes, Talia."


    "Talia?" Talia raised an eyebrow as a handful of guards started pulling the headless corpse she just killed away.


    "Y¡­ Yes, Herrin Talia!" The men stuttered, not daring to look Talia in the eyes as they started pulling the body away. But before they could get far, however, someone blocked their path.


    "That''s fine, just leave it there and go do your work. I''ll clean this up."


    "Ah. Yes, Boss!" The men''s eyes all lit up as they looked at each other before nodding to Rhys, who told them to just go and leave the body. And with relief breaths, they all just walked away; their steps, slightly filled with haste as they truly did not want to be near the presence of Talia.


    "What¡ªDid I order any of you to stop!?" Talia could really only growl as she watched the inmates turn their backs on her. She was about to press the remote to have their heads explode, but Rhys suddenly blocked her view and even held her hand,


    "You are really pushing your luck, dregger. You really think I will not kill you like the sewer rat you are?"


    "If you keep killing people, we won''t have enough to stand our ground once the military attacks this ce," Rhys let out a small sigh before just lowering Talia''s hand that was holding the remote,


    "I know you''re just ying with these people''s lives, but you forced yourself to be their leader and they will look to you if or when we get sieged by the military."


    "You¡ª"


    "Boss, where do we put this!?"


    "Just put that one on Talia''s quarters. Then you guys can rest and eat something at the cafeteria after you''re done."


    "Roger that, Boss!"


    Talia then watched as the inmates greeted Rhys with respect each and every time they passed him. Most of them, talking to him and asking him questions even though she was the one who forced them to redecorate and work in the first ce.


    "You¡­ I should just kill you now," Talia then once again raised her remote and pointed it at Rhys. But as soon as she did so, she noticed the inmates instantly stopping whatever it was they were doing and looking at her,


    "Just¡­ what did you do to these guys that they are treating you like this?"


    "No idea," Rhys smiled as he looked at the remote in Talia''s hand before turning around and observing all the inmates, gesturing to them to just continue their work, and they did so, "But do you know, Talia? I''ve always imagined what it would be like if I was in prison. I''m a Lowborn, I was always going to end up here one way or another¡­


    ¡­but I really only experienced what prison is like for a week before you killed everyone."


    "Then step inside a cell and I''ll treat you like a prisoner," Talia scoffed as she crossed her arms.


    "I already am," Rhys then nced back; the sun hitting his face and reflecting on his silver eyes, "I''m imprisoned, trapped with¡­


    ¡­thoughts of you."


    "Your constant attempt to try and get me to like you is starting to get sickening, dregger," Talia''s eyes turned cold, "I do not know what you are up to. But you can''t fool me, I have shoes older than you."


    "Would you like to try me on, then?" Rhys smiled as he very slowly stepped closer to Talia; the tone of his voice, almost a whispering luby, "To see if I fit as well as your shoes."


    "You¡ª" Talia stood her ground even as she saw Rhys looking at her from head to toe, "That''s enough."


    "Hm," Rhys stopped moving closer as his eyes just settled on Talia''s face. Just 3 days after not consuming the poison in her food, Talia''s face was already showing signs of getting younger for some reason ¡ª she still looked old, but now she looked like she was just in her early 50s, despite being 120 years old,


    "How long has it been for you?"


    "Not long," Talia scoffed, "You think just because I''m old, I don''t get any from the other inmates?"


    "You probably forced them," Rhys smiled, "I''ll treat you differently, trust me."


    Talia could really only look at both of Rhys''s eyes back and forth; trying to see any glimpse of mockery or jest in them ¡ª but there was none. The only thing she could see was her old face being reflected on them and carrying¡­ a hint of a smile on her face.


    But as soon as she saw that she was smiling, Talia quickly pushed Rhys away and once again pointed the remote at him.


    "Stay away from me, dregger. Go bother someone your own age."


    "But I''m bothering you."


    "You¡ªfine then," a confident smirk then crawled on Talia''s face as this time, she was the one to step closer to Rhys. She then stretched her arms to the side, "If you really are that conf¡ª!!!"


    And before Talia could even finish her words, Rhys once again suddenly grabbed her face and kissed her on the lips; this time even sticking out his tongue before holding her by the back of her neck; viting the insides of her mouth before letting her go.


    "Ughk," Talia quickly covered her mouth as she quickly took several steps back; gasping for breath as she wiped her and Rhys''s saliva off of her lips before pointing the remote at him again¡­ only to find that there was nothing in her hand anymore.


    "You really should take care of this."


    "Give that back¡­" Talia quickly sucked in a deep breath as she saw Rhys just dangling the remote in his hand, "...If you don''t, then¡ªOh."


    Talia could not even make her threat before Rhys threw the remote back to her.


    "So¡­" Rhys then smiled, "...Should we continue this in your new quarters, or let''s just do it in my cell?"


    Talia could really only take in a deep breath as she looked at Rhys from head to toe again ¡ª truly, a fine specimen of a man. It was true she hadn''t felt like a woman for a very long time ¡ª no, she hadn''t felt like a woman ever since the war.


    But of all people, why was it a Lowborn making her feel that way?


    "Then¡­" Talia then let out a small whisper as she looked at Rhys in the eyes, "...Let''s go to¡ª"


    "Wilder!"


    And once again, Talia was interrupted as one of the 3 leaders of the prison, Dominique, suddenly approached Rhys.


    "Dominique," Rhys strayed his eyes away from Talia as he nodded to Dominique.


    "Can¡­ we talk about something?" Dominique let out a heavy breath as her eyes subtly averted Rhys''s gaze.


    "Talia and I are talking about¡ª"


    "Go. I don''t need you here."


    Rhys could really only watch as Talia just walked away; his progress, blocked just like that. Perhaps he should have approached Talia in private ¡ª but his interactions with Talia only work well with other people around them since she has a self-important attitude.


    Unbeknownst to Rhys, however, him being approached by a younger woman right at the moment they were about to make a move inside her quarters was causing all sorts of irritation and unwanted feelings inside the old Talia. A sense of¡­petition.


    "Rhys¡­" Dominique then looked around the other inmates, making sure there wasn''t anyone looking at them before she just bowed her head,


    "...Thank you."


    "Uh¡­ for what?"

 Chapter 212 A Very Interesting Person

    "What¡­ are you thanking me for?"


    "That¡­"


    There was an obvious difort in Dominique''s voice as she looked around the yard. And as soon as she saw people starting to look at them, she quickly shook her head and looked Riley in the eyes.


    "Perhaps we can talk privately?" Dominique whispered as she leaned closer to Rhys.


    Rhys did not immediately answer her. He nced at Talia instead, only to see her quickly avert her gaze while crossing her arms ¡ª for an old woman who killed millions of people, she was starting to act like a girl.


    Was he¡­ finally getting through to her? Rhys then turned to look at the Hearts floating above Talia''s head, but aside from the one he had already filled, the other four showed no signs of flickering at all.


    "Rhys?"


    "Hm¡­?" As for Dominique, there weren''t initially 5 Hearts floating above her head, but there were now ¡ª with 2 of them already filled up, "Okay¡­


    ¡­let''s talk in the Solitary Ward."


    ***


    "Wow. This ce¡­ lookspletely different."


    "I had them redecorate it a bit. This is one of the most secured areas in the prison second only to the warden''s quarters ¡ª we can use it for something else."


    Dominique''s amazement was more than justified. She had been put in solitary a couple of times because of abhorrent behavior, but it was almost as if this was her first time entering the hall since it waspletely different from how she remembered it.


    The grey walls were just that, grey ¡ª no more ck molds and stains painting them. The smell of sulfur, excrement, and urine was alsopletely gone. If anything, it almost looked like they were inside a bunker.


    Dominique then took in a very long and deep breath before just letting out an even bigger one,


    "It doesn''t smell like Old York anymore. I kinda miss it."


    "Hm," Rhys only smiled in response.


    "Anyway¡­" Dominique then let out another breath as she stood in front of Rhys and saluted him, "...Thank you for saving me and my crew''s lives."


    "Save you¡­?" Rhys squinted in confusion, "When did I do that?"


    "There''s no need to be so humble," Dominique chuckled before lightly hitting Rhys on the chest, "You knew¡­ You knew that Talia had the remote to our necks, and that''s why you deliberately refused my offer and even antagonized us. You escted the situation to de-escte it¡­


    ¡­that''s an Underworld Corps specialty."


    "Right¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times.


    "All of us would have already been dead if we actually tried to attack Talia that night," Dominique once again let out a heavy breath, "So, thank you, Rhys. Thank you."


    "Don''t¡­ mention it anymore."


    Of course, Rhys had no idea Talia was holding the remote to their necks. In fact, Rhys did not really care for them much at all as his only goal in this prison was Talia; if they died, then they die. He didn''t think of them at all during that situation.


    But of course, they did not need to know that.


    "I will mention it because I owe you my life, Rhys¡­" Dominique then closed her eyes as she very slightly turned her head up; the huge scar on her face, revealing itself to actually still be trailing down her neck, "...Thank you."


    "It''s¡­ fine," Rhys then very gently ced his hand on Dominique''s cheek, and as soon as he did so¡­


    "What the¡ª" Dominique quickly leaned back and looked at him from head to toe. And after a few seconds, she covered her mouth and started bursting out in a fit of uncontrobleughter; even grasping her belly as she couldn''t stop it.


    "Rhys¡­ Rhys¡­" Dominique almost wheezed as she pointed at Rhys, "I don''t swing that way, I''m sorry¡­ I''m sorry if you misunderstood."


    "That¡­" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times again as he saw the Hearts floating above Dominique''s head. Not only were there two filled up, the third one was actually starting to flicker.


    "I lick pussy, Rhys," Dominique then wiped the tears trailing down her eyes, "I mean, you''re one handsome guy, no kidding. Like the most handsome guy I''ve probably ever seen ¡ª but I''m not attracted to you, at least not¡­ you know. Don''t make me say it."


    "..." Rhys stared at Dominique''s obviously weirded-out face for a few seconds, before a small chuckle of a breath also escaped his lips, "Pft¡­"


    And as Dominique saw him about tough, she also couldn''t help butugh again ¡ª theirughter, practically drowning the entire solitary ward as their loud voices echoed.


    Abruptly, however, did the two of them stopped as they heard someone elseughing with them.


    "Did¡­ you hear that?" Dominique''s eyebrows quickly lowered as she raised a finger. The two listened for a few more seconds, but not even a single breath that was not theirs whispered in the air, "Probably just the echo¡­?"


    "Maybe¡­" Rhys whispered. His eyes, however, were focusing somewhere at the gate of the istion ward. And very subtly, a small smile crawled on his face,


    "...Yes, it''s probably just the prison, it''s¡­ incredibly old, after all."


    "Now this ce is suddenly creepy," Dominique shivered as she rubbed her arms, "But seriously, you thought I was into men? With muscles, scars, and short hair like this?"


    "There''s nothing wrong with the way you look."


    "You¡ªI didn''t say there was anything wrong with it!" Dominique gasped as she looked at Rhys''s face, "But¡­ true. Do you think a woman who looks like me and served in the Underworld Corps is straight? I know it sounds slightly sexist, but there''s no woman in the Underworld Corps."


    "Ayesha is."


    "Pft, the Commander?" Dominique scoffed as she pointed at Rhys''s face, "I assure you, she''s licking pussy too. I''ve never seen her with a man or taken an interest in one, at all."


    "We are actually together," Rhys said without any hesitation as she looked Dominique in the eyes.


    "..." Dominique returned Rhys''s gaze, "...Pft."


    Only for her to once again break out in a fit ofughter.


    "I didn''t know you got jokes on you, brother. And wow¡­" Dominique then twirled her fingers as she pointed around the istion ward, "...This ce is awesome for gossip. And speaking of which¡­ Seriously, Rhys? Talia? What''s with that?"


    "What''s with what?" Rhys squinted.


    "Seriously?" Dominique lowered her head as she looked at Rhys in disappointment, "You are a 7-foot hunk of a man with the most handsome face I have ever seen in my life, and she''s literally an old hag, a witch. Stop ying games here."


    "I''m not 7 feet," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "And I am not ying any games."


    "You are," Dominique pointed her finger right at Rhys''s face, "You want something from her, that''s the only reason I can think of. I mean¡­ she killed millions of your people for fuck''s sake ¡ª revenge fuck? Is this a revenge fuck? Is that it?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head again, "I''m truly not ying anything at all. I want¡­


    ¡­I want to understand her, I truly do. And for that, I need to love her."


    "So, you''re just weird and into GILFs, got that," Dominique snapped her fingers while nodding, "Enough about that ¡ª what was your rank back in the corps anyway?"


    "I¡­ was just a Master Sergeant."


    "I''m First Lieutenant."


    "Oh¡­" Rhys quickly saluted and straightened his back as soon as he heard that. Dominique, however, only scoffed and waved her hand.


    "Pft, none of our ranks matter. We''re both technically discharged now that we''re bonafide criminals," Dominique lightly hit Rhys''s chest, "What did you do anyway, for you to get thrown in here ¡ª I never imagined I would ever see a Lowborn here in Typhon''s."


    "Well¡­" Rhys hesitated for a second before just smiling and saying, "...My sister made a Noble lower his guard and then killed him, mutting him and cooking his limbs and insides before eating them. I found her and decided to take the me for it, and also ate some of his flesh so that I could feel what my sister was feeling as well as hide any evidence that she cooked parts of him¡­


    ¡­there''s also the fact that I am a terrorist that wants to topple the entire Amerkan government, responsible for the violent deaths of many. And I also wanted to rule the entire world."


    "What. The. Fuck," Dominique could really only stare wide at Rhys as he said all of that in one single breath,


    "So, you do belong here. I mean, what the fuck."


    Dominique did not really know whether tough or be nervous as she looked at Rhys from head to toe, "Now I suddenly don''t feelfortable being alone with you here¡­


    ¡­you''re a cannibal?"


    "No," Rhys looked Dominique in the eyes and smiled, "I just wanted to humiliate him as much as possible. I don''t think I am going to do that again."


    "Okay¡­ I''m backing off now," Dominique raised both her hands in the air, "I''ll just¡­ see up there, where there''s light."


    "I''m not¡ª"


    "I''m just kidding, Rhys. Pft," Dominique let out another chuckle as she walked away, "I''ve done worse than you ¡ª everyone in this prison is a monster, it''s best you don''t forget that. But seriously, though¡­


    ¡­let''s just talk where there''s lots of light next time."


    And with those words, Rhys could really only watch as Dominique''sughter very slowly faded in the distance. Rhys, however, just stayed inside the solitary ward for a few good seconds.


    Until finally¡­


    "...Topple the Amerkan government and rule the entire world, huh?" Talia stepped out of the shadows and approached Rhys,


    "Alright¡­


    ¡­let''s talk more in my room."

 Chapter 213 Let Me Handle This

    "This¡­ is the warden''s quarters?"


    Rhys thought that the warden of the most secure prison in Amerka would be living in luxury. After all, they would be here for several years before being allowed to leave ¡ª but no. The only thing that made the room look like an actual living quarter was the bed, but other than that, it was more like a surveince room.


    There was a long andrge desk on the wall, which had probably more than a dozen monitors that showed different parts of the prison. There was no table, no kitchen, and not even a refrigerator ¡ª the warden probably had to go to the staff cafeteria just like the other employees of the prison.


    Is it to ensure that the warden would not rx? There wasn''t even a single window or a TV that emtes the view outside. It was no wonder the warden was grumpy. It was just too bad Rhys was not really able to get to know the guy before he got killed by Talia.


    "Does that mind of yours never stop thinking?" Talia let out a small scoff before standing in front of all the monitors, "You would think onnell was paranoid for having dozens of monitors in his room, but it waspletely justified ¡ª he was a shark surrounded by circus dolphins and orcas¡­


    ¡­and all that stands between him and them is this."


    Talia nonchntly ced the remote that had ess to everyone''s neck on the desk even though Rhys was just a meter behind her.


    "...And you''re not paranoid?" Rhys said as he suddenly stood beside Talia. Talia, however, did not even flinch; her hand,pletely staying still and not grabbing the remote at all.


    "You defeated me once and now you''re underestimating me, boy¡­" Talia let out a small scoff as she just turned around and started walking to the bed; casually sitting on it before crossing her legs and arms while looking at Rhys from head to toe, "...Even with my age and the poison still lingering in my body, I am still the strongest in this ce."


    "...Sure," Rhys only nced at Talia before focusing on the monitors, "I''m assuming that''s all the nostalgia talking ¡ª you''re once again in a position where you''re in control of people. Instead this time, you have Commoners and a few Nobles under you."


    "And don''t forget the dregger that justnded," Talia pointed at Rhys.


    "Okay¡­" Rhys then finally turned around to look at Talia and sighed, "...I think you, and I know that I am stronger than you."


    "Fighting isn''t all about strength," Talia lowered her eyebrows.


    "Okay," Rhys started walking toward Talia, "I am faster than you, I have more abilities than you, I am more agile than you ¡ª I''ve been trained by the physically strongest woman in the world, I''ve been trained by assassins, and I''ve been trained by a very good Explorer¡­


    ¡­back when you were considered the strongest, you were ruling over Lowborns, Talia."


    "And what does history have to say about me, exactly?" Talia smirked, "Capable of cutting down entire mountains? Splitting the sea? Now you''re hearing it from the myth herself¡­


    ¡­I was capable of all of that."


    "Was," Rhys smiled as he stood right in front of Talia, literally looking down on her. Talia did not budge at all, however, as she just returned Rhys''s stare with a re of her own.


    "Pft," Talia then let out a small scoff as she looked at Rhys from head to toe again. And from the distance between them; her face was actually almost only a foot away from Rhys''s crotch, which made her slightly focus on it before just turning to look at his face,


    "At least I know I am no longer in my prime ¡ª you are young, and stillpletely delusional that you could actually topple the Amerkan government, least of all conquer the world? Hmph, what an imbecile."


    "That was not a lie at all," Rhys smiled as he looked Talia in the eyes.


    "Look at us, dregger," Talia opened her palms as she gestured around the room, "We are in prison ¡ª we have failed our goals."


    "I was never in prison, Talia," Rhys let out a small chuckle as he shook his head, "I''ve been in a y for a very long time now, and this ce is just another set and stage I need to perform in. Even right now, as we speak¡­


    ¡­people are watching me and talking about me."


    "Watching¡­?" Talia forced out a highly sarcastic chuckle, "You''re inside a room in a prison with an old woman, boy ¡ª the only one watching you here is me."


    "No," Rhys closed his eyes and took a very long and deep breath before turning around and walking aimlessly in the room,


    "What could Rhys Wilder be doing inside the prison? Why was he even ced there when he was just trying to protect his sister? Did they just want to silence him? The government is jealous of him, so they just found a reason to throw him in prison. He just took revenge for his dead mother. Release Rhys Wilder.


    Where is the justice in this?"


    "...You really are insane," Talia could not help but lower her eyebrows as he watched as Rhys just had his arms stretched to the side as if people were actually talking around him. She was annoyed, very much so¡­ but she also did not notice that there was an almost excited smile crawling on her face.


    How could she not, when Rhys, right now,pletely reminded her of Nobler?


    Insanity, Charisma, Strength, and Influence. What Nobler had, he has ¡ª and he has more. One could imagine him actually having a halo on top of his head. People¡­ just could not help following him as soon as they got to know him.


    "Right now¡­" Rhys then turned around again to look at Talia before just suddenly lunging toward her; his face, now just an inch away from hers while his palm was resting on the bed; his wrist touching Talia''s hip,


    "...You just invited this insane person into your quarters, Grandma."


    Of course, Talia did not flinch at all, or at least try her best not to; even trying to hold her breath. But as she realized that holding her breath might lookpletely unnatural, she just exhaled before taking in arge, deep breath¡­


    ¡­and that was when she caught Rhys''s scent; her eyes, almost just blurring there and then as she felt something that she hadn''t felt for a very long time; her legs, subtly closing as she finally looked away from Rhys.


    "A Lowborn having as much influence as you¡­" Talia then breathed out, "...I suppose it does make sense that the government would be worried ¡ª but you''re just one man."


    "Who said I was alone?" Rhys let out a whispering chuckle that tingled Talia''s old ear, "I¡­


    ¡­have a loyal army under me."


    "!!!" Talia''s entire body shivered there and then.


    "And they are ready to die for my cause."


    "!!!" Talia felt her old bones regaining life as her toes curled upon hearing Rhys continue his words.


    "I have the Commander of the Underworld Corps under me. And her adoptive father is the General of the entire Surface Army of Amerka."


    "No¡­" Talia needed to cover her mouth to prevent a moan from suddenly escaping.


    "...The royal family of Ennd has also chosen to ally themselves with me."


    "Stop it!" And almost as if something inside her snapped, she suddenly grabbed Rhys''s face and stared deep into his eyes, "If you wanted to lie, you should choose a less grander one, dregger."


    "I''m not lying at all," Rhys returned Talia''s gaze; his silver eyes, drowning herpletely, "I could have easily pleaded my case and not get thrown into prison at all, but I requested to be here¡­


    ¡­because of you."


    "Say more," Talia''s breaths stuttered as they escaped her shivering lips.


    "The Commander of the Underworld Corps taught me how to lead people," Rhys whispered, "But she didn''t tell me how to rule them. You see, everything I do, I do for a reason¡­


    ¡­I am here for you. Teach me how to rule my people, Talia."


    "Are¡­ they really following you?" Talia took in a small gulp.


    "The other inmates have only known me for a week, and they are already following me," Rhys then forcefully grabbed Talia''s chin, slightly causing her to gasp as their lips almost touched,


    "Sooner orter, everyone bes my pawns."


    "...Are you telling me to be your Queen?" Talia smirked.


    "No. Someone already has that spot."


    The smile on Talia''s face instantly disappeared as soon as she heard Rhys''s words.


    "Then what are¡ª"


    "Ayesha, Lina, Katarina, and Maria ¡ª those are my four queens," Rhys did not let Talia finish her words as his lips just grew closer and closer to hers, "Vicky and Agatha will be in the ranks soon, I believe one already is¡­


    ¡­you can be one of them unless you''re willing to share."


    "I knew someone like you would have a harem, even Nobler had one¡­" Talia pulled her head away, "...So, you''re just using them, and you will be using me too?"


    "Actually¡­"


    "!!!" Talia then almost yelped as Rhys just suddenly pushed down the bed. Rhys then got on top of Talia and whispered to her neck before very slowly moving down to her breasts, and then down to her belly as he lifted up her shirt.


    "...It''s more like they''re using me."


    "You¡­" Talia could really only take in a deep breath as Rhys started kissing her belly. She was about to say something else, but as soon as she saw Rhys kissing her foot, her entire mind just went nk.


    "You don''t even have to do anything, Talia¡­" Rhys whispered,


    "...Just let me handle this."

 Chapter 214 Destroying the Wild Cougar (R18)

    "H¡­hn¡­"


    There was something about Nobles that made them way younger than they looked, but even Nobles at a hundred years old should look really old¡­ and yet Talia was not any of that. If she just rested her face, at the very least, she looked like she would be in herte 40s.


    Her skin, incredibly smooth and seemingly well-taken care of even though she was in prison. But most importantly, her thighs which were incredibly soft and almost pale, even paler than Lina''s ¡ª which Rhys truly did not expect as Talia''s face and the skin exposed from her prison outfit made it look like she was a little tan, but of course, prolonged exposure from sun most probably did that.


    "Can¡­ can you stop kissing my thigh already?" Talia slightly lifted up her head at Rhys, only to see her now licking her inner thigh; his tongue, making its way between her legs before he kissed her already soaked underwear.


    "It''s¡­ clean," Rhys then whispered; his breaths, causing Talia to shiver even though it was warm¡­ as herher regions were even warmer, almost as if it was the first time they were feeling so.


    "I¡­ take my hygiene very seriously, boy. You¡ªjust stop talking already and do it!" Talia could really only click her tongue as she once again let her head fall on the bed as she stared at the ceiling.


    "Do what¡­?" Rhys whispered as he kissed her soaked panties.


    "Y¡ª!!!" And before Talia could even say anything else, the sound of her spine cracking whispered in the air as her back suddenly arched; her fingers, almost ripping the sheets as Rhys pushed her panty to the side and started licking her clit. And before she could even let out a moan, Rhys inserted two fingers inside her, causing her to almost cry out there and then.


    She then grabbed Rhys''s head while her hips continued to lift up; her knees, feet, and toes, curling as she bit her lip and tried her best not to let out any moan. Rhys could feel several cuts building on his cheek and necks as Talia seemed to be unconsciously using her abilities, but he did not mind at all as he just healed himself and continued to pleasure Talia.


    "I''ve¡­" Talia''s breaths shivered along with her almost pulsing body, "...I don''t think I''ve¡­"


    She wanted to say it, but it sounded so wrong and so cliche that she stopped herself from doing so. She felt like she was young again, was what she wanted to say ¡ª but of course, she wouldn''t let Rhys have the satisfaction of hearing that.


    "Hm¡­"


    "Stop¡­ making that sound," Talia''s eye twitched as Rhys leaned his head away. She lifted her head again to look at him, but not for long as she saw her juices trailing down Rhys''s lips, "And¡­ why did you stop? You¡ªstop it!"


    Talia grabbed Rhys''s hand as he started taking off her orange shirt, but of course, the difference in strength between them became even more relevant as Rhys just started unbuttoning her shirt without any resistance¡­ or maybe she wasn''t resisting at all in the first ce.


    And there, Talia''s surprisingly toned body revealed itself. Her breasts were of decent size, and not soggy at all considering her age; she did, however, have freckles around her cor bones, which was made even more prevalent due to her pale skin ¡ª her tan and the real color of her skin, now even more obvious from the next down.


    Talia quickly covered her breasts and her body, but Rhys quickly grabbed both her wrists and ced them above her head.


    "Don''t¡­ look," Talia looked away; her face, extremely red as she closed her eyes, "I''m¡­ old."


    "Not at all, Talia¡­" Rhys then started kissing Talia''s neck, once again making his way down to her breast and then licking her slightly brown teats, "...You''re very beautiful, despite being one of the biggest and most vile criminals in the world."


    "What are you¡ª!!!"


    Rhys then suddenly wrapped his hand around Talia''s neck, causing the wrinkles on her face to slightly show as she looked Rhys in the eyes. She was about to use her abilities, but Rhys quickly let go of his neck as he started undressing himself¡ªno.


    He just ripped off his prison uniform, revealing his incredibly toned body which made Talia which made Talia gasp. And soon, her hands just made their way to his pants and pulled them down; her eyes, widening to their fullest as Rhys''s manhood literally just pped her straight on her chin.


    She just very slowly leaned away as she stared at Rhys''s cock, which for some reason, seemed to be getting even bigger the more she moved away.


    Her breaths started to get raspy as she looked at Rhys from head to crotch, and without waiting anymore, she pushed Rhys off of the bed before crawling like a cougar and just pouncing on the standing Rhys; wrapping her legs around his waist, and wrapping her arm around his neck while her other hand was frantically grabbing Rhys''s cock to hold it still while she let herself fall;pletely swallowing Rhys whole.


    Rhys wanted to help her move as he ced his hand on her butt, but Talia just pped his hand away as she started moving on her own, causing Rhys to take several steps back so his back was nted on the wall.


    "Hmn¡­ grr¡­ hn¡­" Her moans were incredibly wild, almost gasping as she just stared at Rhys with a smirk on her face, "You¡­ do you really have an army out there?"


    "Y¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even say anything, Talia suddenly pped him on the cheek. Rhys could really only blink in response, while Talia was giggling like a child while biting her lip. She continued to move her hips while letting out feral groans; her sharp fingernails, making trails of red across Rhys''s neck and chest while her body was leaned away and dancing in the air.


    "I''m¡­" And soon, as her body began to convulse and stutter, both her hands wrapped around Rhys''s neck and started strangling him, "I think I''m¡­


    ¡­Rhys, I''m¡ª!!!"


    Talia then let out a screaming moan thatpletely echoed throughout the entire room; the wall behind Rhys, showing signs of being shed and cut as Talia''s entire body continued to tremble and convulse. And almost as if her body just shut down there and then, her hands that were gripping Rhys''s neck just fell to her side as she fell backward.


    Before she couldpletely fall, however, Rhys caught her back and very gently lifted her to the bed. And as Rhys pulled away, Talia''s entire body once again began to tremble as she just curled there and then; her breaths, almost whimpering.


    "!!!"


    But then, Rhys suddenly turned her around and lifted up her hips, causing her to gasp and lift herself up. And with her now standing on her hand and knees, she turned to look at Rhys with a shocked expression.


    "What are you¡­"


    "I told you¡­" Rhys just smiled as he held Talia by the hips,


    "...You''re not going to be walking after this."


    "!!!"


    ***


    12 hourster, Talia was justpletely curled and rolled on the bed; saliva trailing from her open and slightly smiling lips; her eyes,pletely nk. Her body shivered from time to time with just the slightest of wind touching it.


    Her thighs, drenched andpletely wet.


    "D¡­ don''t touch me¡­" Talia then let out a small gasping giggle as Rhys crawled to the bed and embraced her, "Just¡­ just leave. Why¡­ why are you embracing me?"


    "...I want to understand you, Talia," Rhys whispered; his warm breaths once again trailing on Talia''s extremely sensitive neck.


    "I can''t¡­ I can''t do it anymore. My¡­ I think my vagina''s swollen," Talia whimpered as she pulled and threw Rhys''s hand away, "Just leave, dregger¡­ I''m¡­ I''m done with you."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys really only smiled and nodded before getting up from the bed; his eyes, staring at the 3 red Hearts now floating above Talia''s head.


    "Where¡­ where are you going?" Talia asked.


    "You¡­ said to leave you alone," Rhys whispered as he walked away; the muscles on his back, causing Talia to smile as she saw it.


    "The¡­ perfect being," Talia''s words muffled from her lips as she smiled while showing her teeth, "If¡­ only you still had all of your limbs. Don''t leave¡­


    ¡­we still have a lot to discuss."


    "I think that can wait," Rhys then nced at Talia before turning his focus to the monitors, "That could be bad."


    "Hm¡­?" Talia then weakly got off the bed as she looked at the monitor Rhys was pointing, only to see a helicopternding on the airstrip, "...That''s the supply chopper."


    Talia then walked toward the monitors, cing both her palms on the desk as she stared at the helicopter. She was about to say something, but Rhys suddenly stood behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder beforepletely embracing her thin waist with his long andrge arm.


    "..." Talia only moved her eyes for a bit before letting out a small breath and shaking her head, "You seem to be misunderstanding our rtionship ¡ª you''re still my prisoner, dregger."


    "Hm," Rhys only let out a small hum, "So, what do you want us to do with that?"


    "What else?" Talia smirked before turning around and pushing Rhys away, "You said you were in a y, so go act."


    "Very well," Rhys bowed as he gracefully stretched his arm to the side, "I''m used to having a wider audience¡­


    ¡­but I suppose you''ll do, Talia."

 Chapter 215 The Tall Man And His Crew

    "Damn, this ce seems even quieter ¡ª I was expecting it to be more rowdy since you know who is here."


    "The guy''s probably keeping it low-key since no one knows him here. Anyway¡­ is that smoke over there?"


    The men in the supply helicopter were just waiting on the airstrip with their hands in their pockets. With absolutely no buildings around them and an ocean surrounding the ind, the airstrip was extremely cold and windy at night.


    Still, the men were still on high alert as they scanned the surrounding area as well as the activities that might be happening inside the prison and in the distance.


    "The guys are probably just doing barbecue night or something since we''re bringing them new goods," the chubbier man shook his head as a leaf got on to his face; his cheeks, wobbling as he did so, "I swear, all I hear from these guys areints afterints, saying that being deployed and stuck here for years is hell¡­ but honestly? Away from the wife, and then barbecues every month?


    These bastards have better lives than us!"


    "Are you gonna apply for the next rotation then?"


    "Fuck no," the chubby man scoffed, "I''m not going to miss my games for this, no matter how much they are paying me. And heads up, someone''sing."


    And as the chubby man raised his fist, a few more men got out of the helicopter to wee the group approaching them.


    "What the¡ªwhere''s the usual team? And why are all of you wearing face masks?" The men behind the chubby man all raised their guard as they stared at the prison guards who weed them; their eyes, all centered at the tall man leading the group.


    "Hyper TB," the tall man raised his left hand to adjust his cap and mask as he spoke in a very robust and clear manner, "82% of the prisoners got them."


    "What¡­?" The chubby man squinted his eyes.


    "Don''t worry," the tall man pointed at the guards behind him with his thumb, "Me and these idiots are clean. And can we make this quick? I don''t want to wear this stuffy mask for longer than I already have ¡ª these doctors man, fuck."


    "Fuck, seriously¡­?" The chubby man scoffed while shaking his head before turning to look at his colleague, "See what I told you? This ce is a hit or miss, even with the barbecue. What are you guys cooking inside anyway?"


    "..." The tall man as well as his colleagues turned to the direction of the prison to look at the smoke. The tall man then just nonchntly looked back at the chubby man for a few seconds before saying,


    "Prison food."


    "Ha!" The chubby man pointed at the tall man as he chuckled, "This tall dude''s got jokes on him. Anyway, where''s McConnell? Don''t tell me he got the coughs too?"


    "He''s dead," the tall man said without any hesitation, causing his colleagues behind him to just look at him with wide eyes as they all flinched at the same time. All of them, just looking at each other. If the violent winds were not blowing their faces away, their sweat would probably be running down their cheeks right about now.


    The chubby man was the same; his cheeks, getting even more fluffy before it just exploded as he burst out in a fit ofughter,


    "Oh man, I wish¡­" The chubby man wiped the tear forming in his eyes, "...But seriously, where is he? I got the cigarette he wanted, he told me to hand it to him and only to him."


    "...What kind?" The tall man asked as he leaned closer to the chubby man, "Is it some good shit?"


    "Hell yeah, it is."


    "Just let me have it, the guy''s not going to be smoking anytime soon," the tall man gestured with his hand.


    "That''s not going to happen. I''m just gonna save this up for the next run," the chubby man waved his hand while clicking his tongue, "Just how much are they paying that guy? This is some premium stuff. I''m not gonna include it with the other things."


    The chubby man then beckoned the group behind him to bring out the supplies, and as they ced it next to the tall man''s group, a sudden silence just filled the airstrip as the tall man and the chubby man just stared at each other.


    Thissted for a good few seconds before the chubby man squinted and stared the tall man directly in the eyes.


    "Are you¡­" The chubby man whispered, "...not gonna check it?"


    "No," the tall man scoffed, "Why does it feel like there''s less and less every time youe here?"


    "My guy, if you think it''s crazy in here, you should see what''s going on out there," the chubby man scoffed, "Economy''s gone to shit ever since we locked up that Wilder guy. Riots everywhere too. I swear, you would think we just arrested the seconding of the Olympians or something."


    "Want to trade ces?"


    "Fuck no," the chubby man just burst out in a fit ofughter before turning around and raising his middle finger, "I don''t wanna spend another minute in this god-forsaken shit of a dumpster. Men, pack¡ª"


    "Take me with you! I have information!"


    As soon as the chubby man had his back turned, however, one of the people behind the tall man suddenly rushed toward him. The chubby man''srades quickly became alert as they all raised their guard and ran to his aid.


    "These people, they are¡ª"


    Before the chubby man''s group could do anything, however, the tall man also ran to their aid; quickly overtaking the rushing man and blocking his path.


    "Y¡ª" And before the man could even say anything, the tall man suddenly waved his left hand across the man''s neck at a speed that the others almost couldn''t see through the dark. The next thing they saw was just the man''s neck rolling on the ground.


    "What the¡­" The chubby man could not help but just stare at the tall man and watch him as he lightly kicked the head to reveal its face.


    "...What the fuck?" The tall man breathed out, "This is one of the fuckers from Block 2. Shit¡­ an epidemic is spreading and now we also have to deal with this shit? All of you, take off your¡ª"


    "Woah, woah!" The chubby man quickly took several steps back before the tall man couldplete his order, "Whatever''s going on here, I''m not gonna involve my team. You guys just¡­ good luck."


    "Wait, you''re just going to leave!?" The tall man bellowed as the chubby man and his team started getting on their helicopter.


    "I already said I don''t wanna stay another minute here," the chubby man raised his middle finger, "I''m not gonna be buried with paperwork trying to deal with that escapee. See you outside in a few years, bitches!"


    And with the middle finger as his goodbye, the chubby man and his team left. The tall man and his men could really only hold their caps so they wouldn''t be blown away by the violent winding from the heli.


    And as soon as the helicopter disappeared into the distance, all of them just removed their caps and face masks.


    "Rhys, I''m sorry!" Dominique, who was part of the impostors, quickly approached Rhys as he was staring at the head he just decapitated, "I¡­ I thought he was cool."


    "No, I''m the one who should apologize¡­" Rhys only let out a sigh while shaking his head, "I''m sorry¡­ He was your friend, right?"


    "That¡­ yes," Dominique could really only close her eyes and sighed. The man who almost blew their covers as well as the other guards were actually all part of her gang, "I''m really sorry, I thought I had him under control."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then picked up the head and carefully ced it with the rest of its body, "...Just because he made a mistake, doesn''t mean we should just throw him away. Just because the warden''s dead that means we''re going to be the savages we are, we''re not¡­


    ¡­Let''s give him a proper funeral and burn him."


    ***


    "For someone who has been abused his entire life, you do know how to deal with people."


    "...How would you know I was abused?"


    "You''re a dregger, boy ¡ª the world still pretty much abhors your kind, they have just gotten better at pretending they don''t."


    A few hourster in Talia''s quarters, Rhys and Talia were in front of the monitors, watching Dominique and her gang building a pyre for their fallen brother.


    "I literally hold the remote to all these ingrates'' lives¡­" Talia scoffed as she looked at Rhys, "...and yet they are following you more, like you are holding some kind of invisible leash."


    "I''m not holding anyone''s leash."


    "Perhaps that''s true," Talia smirked and giggled before turning around and starting to undress, "Perhaps they have all already be your puppies, ready to follow your every order. What about me, boy? Do you think¡­


    ¡­you already have a leash around my neck?"


    "I¡­ am not holding anyone''s leash," Rhys also turned around as he followed Talia to the bed, "Those people from outside earlier, do you think they noticed something?"


    "I watched you from here¡­" Talia started spreading her legs,


    "...You would have convinced Hades himself."


    And while Talia was spreading her legs and getting her back destroyed, unbeknownst to Rhys, he was also spreading something else out in the Surface world.


    A new¡­ group. An organization that gathered solely to clear and spread his name¡­


    ¡­a cult.

 Chapter 216 Sucky Sucky Hole

    "Free Rhys Wilder!"


    "We stand with Rhys!"


    Outside Typhon''s Ind, several courthouses were currently being bombarded by heaps and groups of people; all of them, thousands of them, holding and raising signs that all pretty much said one thing ¡ª Free Rhys Wilder.


    This situation would have probably been easily solved just by sending out the military ¡ª the only problem was¡­


    ¡­is that half of the military was also on Rhys''s side, with all of the Underworld Corps even tantly showing their support for Rhys by returning to the Surface and joining the protests.


    Throughout this entire thing, the President of Amerka kept his silence and refused to address the nation. There is, however, someone who has beenpletely vocal about the entire thing and is now even addressing the people in his courthouse.


    The Mayor of Old York.


    [For hundreds of years now, Amerka has enabled this wed culture to persist! For hundreds of years, we have turned a blind eye to the injustice that is being dealt to Lowborns, to the citizens who needed us the most!]


    "Free Rhys Wilder! Free him!"


    [And I hear all of you, and I have been saying the same thing but no one listens!] The Mayor of Old York mmed his fist on the pedestal, almost in rhythm with the roars and screams of the people,


    [We have be toofortable, and do you know why¡­? Because the Lowborns have done the hard jobs for us! Jobs that we would not otherwise do on our own! Lowborns are the bloodline of this country, it always has been! But what did the people who are supposed to lead us do when Rhys Wilder started going up?


    They locked him up! They locked him up because they are scared of Rhys Wilder¡­ they are scared of what we, the normal citizens, could do!]


    "Down with the president! Impeach him!"


    "Free Rhys Wilder!"


    [I hear all of you¡­] The Mayor ced his hand on his chest as he ced his mouth closer to the microphone so he could whisper loudly, [...Even right now, as I join all of you, I am making actions to free our friend, Rhys Wilder. Some of you may not know this, but I have known Rhys Wilder since he was young, since the tragic incident that¡ª]


    "What¡­ what is going on!?"


    And before the Mayor could continue his words, a group of robed individuals suddenly emerged from the crowd ¡ª casually making their way to the stage as the guards had their hands full just trying to prevent the rest of the people from breaking into the courthouse.


    "Sir Mayor! We need to get you out of here!" One of the guards quickly approached the Mayor, but the Mayor just shook his head and watched as the robed individuals stepped up on the stairs and lined themselves up one by one¡­


    ¡­one of them holding a pole which clearly had a statue depicting Rhys bound in chains.


    The robed individuals then all took off their hoods at the same time, revealing the identical masks they were wearing.


    "What the fuck is happening now!?" The people who were fearing for their lives inside the courthouse could not help but curse as they watched themotion evolve outside. They were already nervous from all the crowd and the mayor riling everyone up, but now¡ª


    "Is that like some kind of cult!? What are they even hoping to achiev¡ª!!!"


    And before the people watching from the courthouse could even start making questions in their heads, the robed individuals all raised their left hand¡­ before stabbing the left hand of the next person beside them without even any hint of hesitation.


    The robed individuals then held each other''s bloodied hands and all started chanting,


    "Rhys Wilder is our Savior! Free the Messiah¡­


    ¡­Free the one True Human!"


    ***


    "What do you think they meant about the chaos outside, Rhys?"


    "...I think we need to focus on here rather than what''s happening out there."


    Back in the prison, a semnce of order was slowly being established. Everyone was still afraid of Talia and was following all of hermands, but other than that, they were absolutely free to do whatever they wanted.


    Some of the inmates even moved to another cell to be with the woman they had been secretly seeing during Free Time ¡ª there were even people who went into the sea to catch fish and trade it with the other inmates for whatever item they wanted to trade.


    Just several weeks passed, and yet the prison was bing more and more like a settlement rather than a prison. But of course, the rules and ce might change¡­


    ¡­but the people inside the prison are still criminals.


    "This is the 5th body we found, who do you think keeps killing them?"


    "I can give you a list of serial killers," Dominique was currently standing beside Rhys, with both of them looking down at a corpse that had his neck and head twisted several times, "It¡­ would just take a while since there''s a lot."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys crouched down to check on the corpse''s twisted neck, "...And how many are capable of twisting necks like this?"


    "All of them?" Dominique squinted her eyes, "The victims aren''t particrly that strong either, so whoever this is probably isn''t confident enough to take on stronger foes."


    "Do you think someone from your gang can do this?" Rhys stood up and looked at Dominique.


    "Most of them," Dominique scoffed, "But all of them respect you, Rhys ¡ª none of them would do something like this since you''ve practically be the Boss."


    "I''m not the boss," Rhys waved his hand.


    "You''ve tamed the old hag," Dominique raised an eyebrow as she followed Rhys, who just started walking away before gesturing to the other inmates to bury the corpse, "And there''s also the fact that she hasn''t actually killed any of us yet using the remote because she''s so busy sucking your dick."


    "You¡­" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as Dominique hit his shoulder and startedughing at him.


    "Wait, wait¡­" Dominique''s eyes then widened as she stepped away from Rhys and pointed at his face, "...Don''t tell me she hasn''t actually given you the sucky sucky yet?"


    "...What?" Rhys didn''t know whether to also move away from Dominique or just smile.


    "Come on, dude¡­ what the fuck?" Dominique returned to his side before hitting him on the arm again, "I''m pretty sure she gives the best head ¡ª I mean, we''ve actually all been betting on this before¡­ but are her teeth real? Because if they are not, fuck¡­


    ¡­she''s about to give you some slippery slurpy suck suck bro."


    Rhys could really only watch as Dominique started pushing her cheek with her tongue and pretending to be sucking something.


    "For a lesbian, you seemed pretty aware of what goes on with¡­ that."


    "Bro,e on ¡ª I''ve tried dick," Dominique scoffed and rolled her eye, "That''s when I found out it wasn''t for me."


    "Right¡­" Rhys then turned to look at the 3 Filled Hearts floating above Dominique''s head. Dominique was clearly not attracted to him romantically or even sexually ¡ª does that mean she was truly seeing him as a friend? Without any sort of malice?


    Someone whom he had really only known for less than a month? Perhaps that was because they were both from the Underworld Corps, there''s already a sense of camaraderie between them.


    "...How about Mike and Art''s gang?" Rhys then just let out a sigh as he and Dominique continued to walk around the prison; all the inmates they walked past greeted Rhys and even saluting him.


    "What about them?"


    "Do you think the killer could be someone from their ranks?" Rhys asked.


    "No idea," Dominique shrugged, "But if I have to guess, I would say no ¡ª those guys rule their men with fear and intimidation, they won''t just go rogue. Want me to give them a visit?"


    "...We can visit them now," Rhys then said as he stopped walking and gestured to Dominique to go ahead, "Lead the way, Ma''am."


    "Pft, Ma''am my ass," Dominique just rolled her eye again as she walked to the territory of Mike''s gang; not even a minute after entering their hall, however, she and Rhys quickly looked at each other as they noticed something.


    There weren''t any people there, none at all.


    What was there, however, was the exaggerating noise of each of their footsteps echoing and almost wailing in the air.


    "Fuck¡­ I have a very bad feeling about this, Rhys," Dominique then hastened her steps as she ran across the hall; her eyes, scanning all the cells on the ground level before stopping at the cell at the end of the hall,


    "Ah, fuck¡­ fuck!"


    "Oh¡­" Rhys also quickly followed behind her, and as soon as he saw what Dominique was panicking about, he could not help but just let out a very long and deep sigh before shaking his head,


    "...How long do you think they''ve been digging this?"


    It was a Hole, right in the middle of the prison.

 Chapter 217 ...Fuck

    "How many know?"


    "Me, Dominique, and anyone else who might havee here without our knowledge. And now you, Talia."


    "Actually, it might just be us, Rhys. Most of the other inmates don''t intrude in the gangs'' territories, and the gangs won''t really wander around another gang''s territory."


    Talia was quickly radioed by Rhys toe to Mike''s territory about the Hole ¡ª and of course, Talia dropped everything she was doing and rushed to the hall; her eyes, almost as wide as Rhys and Dominique''s when they saw it.


    None of them could even express their shock with heavy breaths, as doing so caused an echo that resounded across the entire hall. It was almost eerie, as if they were whispering right into their own ears.


    "I already tried diving down, it''s just a Dig for now." After a few bouts of silence, however, Dominique could no longer endure the silence as she leaned over to look at the hole.


    "What in Tartarus is a Dig?" Talia raised an eyebrow as she also focused her attention on the hole.


    "It¡­ means Mike and his gang haven''t dug all the way through to the Underworld," Dominique also raised an eyebrow, "It''s an iplete Hole."


    "Then just call it an iplete Hole," Talia clicked her tongue before crossing her arms, "I swear, you new generation kids alwayse up with theseplicated names."


    "...The term Dig wasn''t a thing yet during your time?" Dominique wanted tough, but it seemed inappropriate considering their situation.


    "I am a hundred twenty years old, girl," Talia scoffed, "We did things simpler and more efficient back then."


    "Yeah, like killing and torturing Lowborns like our guy here."


    "If you think I would apologize for my actions, then no¡ªI was right."


    "Excuse me?" Dominique''s voice started to echo crawl throughout the entire hall.


    "Because of what we did, a being such as Rhys was born," Talia smirked, "Do you think that if we did not cull the Lowborns, Rhys''s existence would be possible?"


    "You really have a fucked up way of looking at things, Grandma. I mean, my god¡­ Zeus," the only thing Dominique could really do was roll her lips and let out a loud breath. She was about to say something else, but Rhys suddenly covered her mouth with his finger.


    "Ssh," Rhys shushed the two, "I hear someoneing up."


    "...That''s one heck of an ear," Dominique started backing away from the Hole, "I guess you need that to hear the granny''s micro moans."


    "I am starting to notice a pattern with your remarks, little girl," Talia once again scoffed as she also backed away from the Hole and stepped out of the cell, "You envy me for having a sexual rtionship with the perfect specimen."


    "News sh, Granny," Dominique also scoffed as she and Talia hid in the next cell, "I''m a fucking dyke. Wait, are you also going to gas me now?"


    "Real mature, child."


    And as the two women were near insulting each other, they did not notice that Rhys did not actually hide with them in the next cell. And before they could even realize it, they already heard the whispers of other people. Talia and Dominique just looked at each other, nodding as they stayedpletely quiet.


    "...ittle paranoid, don''t you think?"


    "Cut the boss some ck, he''s been on the edge ever since all the shit went loose. I would be too since we spent like an entire year digging this."


    "And a good thing we did, or else that crazy vieja would have blown our brains out sooner orter."


    "Quiet down, there might be someone listening from us in the shadows."


    "Now, who''s paranoid?"


    "...They''re talking about you."


    "Quiet," Talia whispered ever so quietly, moving further into the shadows as they saw three people moving past their cell. She and Dominique were about to follow the three before they noticed something emerging from behind the three men¡ªno, not something, someone¡ªRhys.


    And while Dominique was a little frightened seeing this, Talia could not help but just grow a smile on her face; her wrinkles slightly showing her excitement. More and more, it would seem her decision to be swayed by Rhys''s charm was correct. Of course, the perfect being would have more abilities hidden in his sleeves, truly¡­


    ¡­truly perfect.


    "Ew¡­" Dominique noticed the excitement on Talia''s face even in the darkness, "...I swear, if you weren''t hot as shit, that would just be creepy¡ªno, you are creepy. A creepy GILF."


    "Stop inventing words, you¡ª" Talia was about to say something else, but she saw Rhys just suddenly fully emerging from the shadows; releasing some sort of thread from his fingers which smoothly flew around the three men''s neck, none of them seemed to have noticed from how light the threads were, however.


    At least not until Rhys leaped into the air and seemingly hung the threads on the railing of the 2nd level¡­


    ¡­and then very lightly pulled the three of them up.


    "!!!"


    The three could not even say a word to each other, the only thing that escaped their lips were their groans filled with shock and fear; their eyes, watching as Rhys just very slowly descended from the air while his fingers were hanging at the very same threads that literally held their lives.


    But as Rhys''s feetnded on the floor, the three also did as Rhys extended the threads so that their necks would slightly loosen up.


    "You¡ª"


    As soon as one of them opened their mouths, however, the three once again found themselves hanging in the air as Rhys shushed them; their necks, moving along with every bit of movement by Rhys''s fingers.


    "From now on¡­" Rhys then spoke up; his voice, almost a whisper but still loud enough for them to hear, "...everyone talks in this volume or one of you dies."


    "Rhys, we should have waited for them to do some¡ª" Dominique stepped out of the cell and spoke, but as soon as she did so, Rhys moved his middle finger, causing one of the inmates to wheeze as the thread around his neck tightened.


    And as soon as she realized that Rhys''s instructions included her, the three inmates turned to look at her; seemingly cursing her with their eyes. Unfortunately for the one hanging, everyone just watched as his life very slowly disappeared in his eyes filled with regret.


    "Again¡­" And as the man''s arms soon just iled lifelessly along his sides, Rhys once again spoke in a very quiet manner, "...Everyone speaks in this volume."


    The two then clung to the floor as soon as they felt the threads around their necks loosen.


    "Do you understand?"


    "Y¡­ yes," the two remaining inmates answered¡­ as well as Dominique.


    "...Imbecile," Talia rolled her eyes at Dominique, who clicked her tongue in response.


    "Now¡­" Rhys then looked the two inmates in the eyes,


    "...Spill everything."


    Rhys, Talia, and Dominique actually already had an idea of why they were digging a Hole in the first ce ¡ª of course, why else?


    They were just trying to escape, and so they came up with this dangerous n of just digging straight through the Underworld. And with the help of a Noble''s strength, it was quite easy to do so ¡ª they just had to do it so quietly that no one would notice it, and that took time.


    But even then, it would seem they only just started digging for a year¡­ and from what they were saying, they were almost near the other side. It was a simple but very possible n¡­


    ¡­but it left everyone else in the prisonpletely vulnerable and utterly defenseless.


    If they were truly sessful in their n, then hordes of monsters would have stormed out from the Hole ¡ª they would have been wiped out, considering they were probably digging through an unmapped portion of the Underworld and could have possibly held monsters of a higher Threat Level.


    And for that¡­


    "Thank you for giving us the information we want," Rhys loosened his fingers.


    "Then you''ll let us¡ª"


    And without even giving as much as a warning, Rhys suddenly swung his arm andpletely decapitated the two inmates¡ªno. Rhys also decapitated the corpse of the first person who died.


    "Yup, I already expected that," Dominique breathed out as she slightly stepped to the side when one of the heads rolled toward her feet, "So, what''s your n now, Boss?"


    Dominique then turned to look at Talia, who only returned her nce for a few seconds before she herself turned to look at Rhys.


    "I''ll leave the decision to the young one," Talia crossed her arms as a small smirk crawled on her face, "What do you want to do, Wilder?"


    "Well, well¡­" Dominique ced her hands on her waist, "...Look at that, you really did tame the granny."


    "One more word out of you and I''ll cut out your tongue into tiny little pieces, and you wouldn''t even have to open that big mouth of yours."


    "Woah, no thanks," Dominique raised her hands, "I don''t want to be teethless like you."


    "Tch¡­" Talia truly wanted to cut Dominique down, but she garnered all of her strength not to do so as she just focused her attention on Rhys,


    "So¡­


    ¡­what''s your n?"

 Chapter 218 Hypocrite

    "Do it quietly. Do you want that old timer to know what we''re doing here?"


    "...But you told us to do it faster, Boss."


    "So, this is my fault?"


    "N¡­ no."


    It was hard to stay quiet, and from how deep they had already dug from the Surface, even the sound of their heart beating could be heard by the person beside them. And since there were probably more than 20 of them there, even a silent single whisper could be heard by everyone¡­


    ¡­and since they were digging forward into the Underworld, their gentle movements almost sounded like the cogging of a machine.


    There were four Earth controllers pushing the dirt aside, creating a sort of hard wall in the process as they could not really push the dirt to the Surface.


    "How¡­ long did it take us today to run all the way from the Surface?"


    "Long."


    Some of the members of Mike''s gang were looking behind them from where they came from; their faces, slightly excited as they knew they were nearing the Underworld ¡ª just a little more push, and they could finally be free of the prison.


    "Are¡­ are we sure the thing in our necks wouldn''t explode?"


    "If it would, then it would have a long time ago ¡ª something in the underground''s probably making it glitch."


    "...Doesn''t that mean that we have no choice but to live in the Underworld? If we climb back up to the Surface, our heads would just¡­ explode."


    "Better down there than be trapped in that prison one day longer, and with that old¡ª"


    "Old¡­? Continue what you''re going to¡ªWhat the fuck!?"


    "How hard is it to stay fucking quiet, brothers!?" And as his men suddenly started shouting and raising their voices, Mike could no longer help himself as he erupted in anger; his screams,pletely filling the cavern,


    "Do you want people to know we''re digging a huge fucking Hole in the middle of the prison!?"


    And yet, even with his outburst, none of his men even reacted at all ¡ª and before Mike could even realize this, he knew the reason why¡­ blood.


    One of his men was currently drenched in blood, but it obviously wasn''t the man''s as his eyes were filled with shock. And so, Mike just instinctively turned his eyes toward where the blood should have sttered from, only to see a face.


    A face¡­ a facepletely mangled with bits of bones slicing and shattering skin and flesh. It would have already been shocking if it was just that, but no. The mangled face¡­ was currently protruding from the back of one of his men; his stomach, ruptured and burst open as the head seemed to have entered through it but failed topletely pierce through his spine and stomach.


    "W¡­ what the?" Mike''s eyes also soon started to widen as he recognized the face despite it being mangled, "...Keanu? Am I tripping or is that Keanu?"


    And before Mike could even get an answer from one of his men, he suddenly stretched his arm up; materializing some sort of gigantic shield and then stabbing it through the ground.


    And as soon as he did so, a loud hum erupted throughout the entire cavern as blood, bones, and flesh exploded right in front of his shield ¡ª none of them even needed to see what hit Mike''s shield for them to know what it was.


    It was another head.


    And soon, they heard another whistle fly across the darkness, and this time, all of Mike''s men quickly rushed to the side of the Dig to avoid it. And true enough, it was another head, stting into pieces as it hit the end of the Dig.


    "Shit¡­ we''ve been discovered," Mike clicked his tongue as his shield disappeared and faded away into thin air, "Everyone, just act cool ¡ª let me talk to the old hag."


    "Are¡­ we sure this is Talia, Boss?" One of Mike''s men looked at the corpse of their friend as well as the head embedded onto his stomach, "This¡­ doesn''t look like her usual MO. It¡ª"


    "Everyone, just put up your guards, something''sing!"


    And as Mike ordered, his men quickly stood together and put up their guard as soon as they heard another whistleing from the Surface.


    "I¡­ just noticed," Mike''s men once again started whispering to each other, "Our gravity hasn''t fully inverted yet, and the head flew here so fast¡­ I don''t think it''s¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And before their whispers could continue, Mike''s men suddenly found themselves being separated from each other¡ªno. Their group wasn''t the only thing that separated physically¡­ their bodies also erupted as something suddenly blitzed its way through them, literally.


    "What the fuck!?" Mike stretched his arms to the side, summoning an entire set of armor to cover him as he saw his men just suddenly blowing up into pieces.


    The only thing Mike could really do was watch as the blitz very slowly revealed itself to be a person, a person who he had really only met once or twice, but will never forget.


    "Rhys¡­ Wilder!? You¡ª" Sadly for Mike, his group did not have his reflexes as Rhys just suddenly started grabbing them by the neck and mming their heads on the ground; stomping on them and squashing them like nothing,


    "Why¡­ why are you doing this!?"


    "You are criminals," Rhys then just whispered out as he pierced his arm through the chest of the only remaining man left standing in Mike''s gang ¡ª and just like that, Mike was alone with Rhys,


    "I can''t let you escape."


    "You¡­" Mike looked Rhys in his silver eyes for a few seconds¡­ before just suddenly turning around and leaping away ¡ª and then, all of a sudden, arge motorcycle suddenly emerged beneath him to catch him.


    "That''s¡­" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as Mike just suddenly rode away through the Dig; making his way back to the Surface, "...That was possible?"


    Rhys stood there on his own as he watched Mike''s silhouette disappear into the darkness. He knew that those who had the blood of Hephaestus were capable of summoning weapons ¡ª but they could also summon full vehicles?


    But of course, this was probably also the first time Rhys was seeing a Noble with Hephaestus'' blood in action.


    "I¡­ want that," Rhys then whispered before just suddenly running back to the Surface to follow Mike.


    As for Mike, he just nced back from time to time; trying to see if Rhys was in his tail at all ¡ª but as he was not seeing him, he let out a sigh of relief and just increased his speed. And minutester, he finally saw the light as well as the ceiling of the cell they dug the Hole from; Mike did not stop at all, however, only braking meters away from the exit.


    And as soon as he was out of the Dig, his motorcycle erupted; turning into bits and pieces of armor that added to his already existing armor ¡ª all of this, happening in the split second the gravity shifted back to normal.


    "Don''t even try it!" Mike bellowed as soon as hended back on the Surface, pointing his arms that lit up forward to whoever was waiting for him. To his surprise, however¡­


    ¡­no one was waiting to ambush him at all. The cell waspletely empty, and the hall waspletely quiet.


    "What the fuck¡­" But of course, Mike did not let his guard down at all, even creating a drone and throwing it out of the cell to inspect the situation in the hall,


    "What¡­ the fuck!?"


    And what he saw from the feed of the drone quickly made him step out of the cell to see if what he was seeing was right¡­


    ¡­and there, right in the center of the hall, were corpses scattered everywhere.


    "What the fuck¡­?" Mike repeated his words again and again. He was already expecting to see bodies, but he was only expecting to see the bodies of his three men¡­ but there were probably 2 dozen corpses scattered around the hall at the very least.


    And as Mike was trying to rack his brain from all of this, he heard footstepsing from behind him.


    He quickly turned around, only to see Rhys just casually stepping out of the cell he came from ¡ª and now that Mike''s hair was not the only source of light they had, Mike finally noticed that Rhys waspletely soaked in blood, and he was sure the blood didn''t only belong to the men he killed in the Dig.


    "What¡­ what did you do!?" Mike stretched both his arms toward Rhys as some sort of cannon materialized between his arms.


    "Well¡­" Rhys let out a sigh as he too, started looking at the corpses scattered around the hall, "...I''m not Talia, you see. I¡­ am not reallyfortable with so many criminals working under me, so¡­"


    "Talia''s the biggest fucking criminal out of all of us, brother!" Mike screamed, "And you''re with her. You a hypocrite, man. You a fucking hypocrite!"


    "Yes," Rhys once again sighed as a small smile crawled on his face,


    "...That''s why I ampensating for my sin by killing all of you."

 Chapter 219 Fire in a Hole

    "Kill¡­ everyone?"


    "No, killing everyone; there''s a difference. Talia, Dominique, and her gang are still in the process of cleaning out Typhon''s Ind."


    The prison has experienced dark times before. Riots due to supplies not arriving on time, conflicts between gangs, taking turns raping or torturing the newly convicted pedophile or child killer. There have also been deaths before, many.


    But killing everyone in prison? What sort of insanity is that? Mike had initially thought that now that their guards and their warden were gone, it would be easier to go ahead with their n; of course, Mike had already thought that it was more dangerous now that Talia was their new supervisor.


    But at most, Talia would cause them to die in exhaustion by doing whatever the hell she wanted them to do. But he was wrong, Talia wasn''t their overlord at all ¡ª it was the fish who had barely swam their pond.


    No, he wasn''t a fish at all, but a malignant dolphin that was getting ready to y with all of their lives.


    "Why¡­ would you do this?" Mike once again bellowed; his armor, throbbing and growing veins almost as if it was alive.


    "I already told you my reason," Rhys only let out a small sigh as he started approaching Mike while pushing away the corpses littered across his path like they were literal trash.


    "And I told you that you''re a fucking hypocrite!" Mike let out a roar as the cannon attached to his arms shot out a beam which almost instantly beamed aser straight toward Rhys, "If you really want justice, then you should have killed yourself!"


    "I''ve already tried," Rhys, however, just casually tilted his body to the side to avoid the violentser, and good thing he did, as the violent beam practically ate its way through the walls of the prison¡ªno, it ate its way straight through the sky, evaporating all the clouds like a ripple.


    Rhys turned his head to look at therge crevice now lingering in the prison, once again being reminded of how abnormally strong Nobles are,


    "But it would seem that the gods have other ns for me. I fully intend to use all the strength and abilities I''ve received for my own benefit ¡ª and right now, killing you benefits me."


    "Do you really think that killing us was the right decision?" Mike let out a scoff as his armor continued to throb, "Talia is crazy, but she was right when she said that an army would quickly be on its way here as soon as they realized she''d taken over and killed all the guards. You needed all of us, Lowborn!


    And now you''re just going to die along with the rest of us as soon as the entire fucking military fucks this ce up!"


    "Well, you see¡­" Rhys let out a sigh, "...Talia did not kill the guards at all, and I did not kill the other inmates¡­


    ¡­a Hole opened up, right in that very cell."


    "What¡­" Mike turned to look to where Rhys was pointing, only to see the cell where they were digging the Hole, "You¡ª"


    "And sadly everyone else died," Rhys let out a sigh, "With the only survivors being me, Talia, and Dominique''s gang."


    "You should just fucking kill yourself."


    "I told you, I already tried ¡ª it just did not¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, he found himself dodging again as another violent beam rushed straight toward him. This time, however, he wasn''t allowed to rest at all as the beam chased him, causing an even bigger crack to open in the prison; practically obliterating half of it.


    "Then let me help you try again!" Mike let out another roar as the beam gushing out from his cannons became girthier, "Everything was fine before you arrived, Lowborn! You¡­


    ¡­you are a curse to this world!"


    Mike wasn''t done. Along with the cannons he was already shooting out, 2 more rifles emerged from his back and started shooting high-caliber bullets to where Rhys would be dodging. But like the violent beam, they hit nothing.


    "What sort of Lowborn are you!?" Mike bellowed in frustration, "Just stay put and let me hit¡ª"


    "I don''t think that''s going to happen anytime soon."


    "!!!"


    Mike''s barrage of attacks all abruptly stopped as he heard Rhys suddenly whispering by his ear. He looked to where he was shooting, only to see that Rhys was not there anymore ¡ª of course, in less than a second, he already started turning his body around; turning his rifles and cannon into des as he violently waved his arms topletely tear Rhys into pieces.


    "I''m sorry."


    But once again, all that weed his weapons was the humid air now flowing along inside the prison; Rhys''s voice, still lingering in his ear as he was once again behind Mike. This time, however, before Mike could move, Rhys wrapped his arm around his neck armor.


    "But¡ª"


    "Wait, wait. I¡­ I could be one of the survivors, I will¡ª"


    "No."


    And with those words, a deafening thunder echoed through the now-opened hall as Rhys tightened his wrap around Mike''s neck to the point his armor began to dent. And then, with another thunder, Rhys moved his entire body,pletely twisting Mike''s neck in a way that shouldn''t be possible.


    And almost instantly, the light that was pulsing across Mike''s armor faded away along with his life.


    Rhys took in a very deep breath before just releasing it at the same time his arm released Mike, just letting him drop along with the rest of the inmates'' corpses; the light he had in his hair as a Noble, gone.


    In death, he was just the same as any other inmate lying on the floor ¡ª just amon criminal. And surely one day, Rhys would also find himself along the rubble¡­


    ¡­but today is not that day.


    Rhys looked at Mike''s corpse for a few more seconds before just letting out a sigh and shaking his head while making his way back to the Hole.


    "Well then, time to see what''s on the other side."

 Chapter 220 DROPPED... Into The Underworld Again

    Somewhere in the Underworld, in a vast mist of chill and ice, severalrge critters and small monsters were currently just idling¡­ and killing each other; filling the sea of white with red. Thisnd has no order, but that is just the eternal trait of the Underworld.


    Soon, however, thunder erupted. The creatures who were out for each other''s blood, now just scattering and running away into the distance as they were afraid that lightning was soon to follow.


    Lightning did not follow, however. But it was fortunate for them that they still scattered away, as what followed next was the ground erupting; now mixing dirt with the white and red as an explosion of earth and mud fountained over the field of snow.


    "Huh¡­"


    Within this fountain of dirt, was Rhys; his face slightly amazed as this was actually the first time he was ever responsible for creating a Hole. Well, he did not create it per se, he onlynded the final blow to fully connect the Underworld to the Surface.


    And it was a weird feeling.


    The Dig puts the gravity in a sort of vertical orientation, and then once it turns it into a Hole, it would beplete and wouldpletely invert the gravity depending on which side he dived into ¡ª but as he was already inside, Rhys felt as if the gravity just died for a few seconds; with him just floating in space and even spinning before being puked out by the ground.


    Still, he managed tond on his foot and knee; his eyes, alreadypleting the scan of the surrounding area.


    "W¡­woah!"


    He wasn''t alone in this experience, as Dominique was right beside him when he stomped thest wall to the Underworld. Unlike him, however, Dominique wasn''t as graceful as she found herself dropping straight on her back.


    "I did tell you young people to grab on to something."


    And while Rhys and Dominique were puked out by the ground and dropped into the snowy Underworld, Talia was just letting out a small and tired groan as she very carefully climbed down onto the Underworld; doing a handstand before just flexibly rotating and cing her feet on the wet ground,


    "A Snowy Desert region, it would zeem your n to frame monsters for the massacre up there has gone down the drain," Talia let out a long and deep breath, causing vapor to cover her entire face from how cold it was, "We should just use this chance to escap¡ª"


    And before Talia could finish her words, Rhys suddenly but gently ced his prison jacket over her shoulder.


    "What are you doing, child¡­?" Talia raised an eyebrow as she quickly grabbed Rhys''s jacket; her thick ent, slightly showing itself as she looked at him, "I am no frail maiden, you do not need to treat me like your grandmother."


    "You and I both know that I don''t treat you like my grandmother," Rhys smiled; quickly walking away before Talia could even return the jacket to him, leaving him with only a white shirt as he once again scanned the surrounding area.


    "Ahem¡­" Dominique brushed her nose with her thumb as she stood closer to Talia, "...You know if you don''t want that, I can have¡ª"


    "Shut it, you imbecile," Talia clicked her tongue before following behind Rhys, "You should only talk when spoken to."


    "I don''t take orders from you, grandma."


    And while the two were bickering with each other; with Dominique amused and Talia clearly annoyed, Rhys was holding his breath so he could see more clearly without the vapor clouding his vision.


    And true enough, the monsters he was spotting in the distance would not be enough to wipe out the entire prison. Should¡­


    ¡­he just summon Arachnea?


    ¡­No. His first meeting with Arachnea could be said to bepletely coincidental, the 2nd one in the Underworld Corps is suspicious, and the 3rd one during the Mankappan monster storm was downright skeptical ¡ª if Arachnea was to make another appearance now, everyone would know that he and Arachnea are really connected to each other.


    Being connected to a god would do wonders to his influence, but being connected to the God of Spiders?


    The world would probably hunt him down.


    "Good thing this is a Snow region," Talia stood beside Rhys as she also looked at the monsters, "Plenty of food and a limitless supply of water ¡ª we will have no problem surviving until we reach the next region."


    "Yeah," Dominique sighed, "The only problem is we will have no fucking idea where we''re heading to ¡ª the clouds are covering our view of the Underworld. I don''t even know where Helios is."


    "It''s always up, you imbecile."


    "Doesn''t matter, we will be lost ¡ª and what if the next region is a real desert? We''re fucked ¡ª and my gang and I do not want to walk another hundred miles back."


    "Then just stay in the prison," Talia crossed her arms and tugged on the jacket Rhys gave her, "But iz it just me, or is it actually getting colder?"


    "You''re¡­" Dominique just breathed out every so weakly, and yet her entire vision waspletely blocked, "...right."


    "I hear footsteps," Rhys then crouched down, pushing away the snow as he touched the ground, "Lots of it."


    "Monsters?" Dominique asked as she put up her guard; stretching her arms to the side as she materialized¡­ nothing. She just stretched her hands to the side for some reason.


    "I''m not sure," Rhys squinted his eyes, "But there''s no use guessing, they''ll be here¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, a silhouette started to form on the white horizon.


    "No¡­ humans! They¡­ seem to be riding horses!" Dominique then got into a stance as she sucked in and held her breath as soon as the silhouettes cleared. If there were creatures more dangerous than monsters in the Underworld ¡ª it was its native sentient inhabitants, the other races¡­ and demi monsters.


    And this one just happens to be both.


    "Centaurs," Talia whispered, "Kill all of them! These people can not be reasoned with and they treat humans as food!"


    And as soon as Rhys caught the full view of more than a dozen half-humans, threads quickly began trailing out of his fingertips. These half-humans did not have a horse''s lower body, however, but their lower halves were more akin to that of tigers.


    "No. Cenleons¡­" Dominique clicked her tongue, "...Even worse."


    The cenleons were running toward Rhys and the others at full speed; their arms, probably even thicker than Rhys''s waist. Unlike the centaurs, the cenleons did not need weapons at all¡­ their long ws which protruded from their fingers were already like knives.


    Those ws, however, were nowhere to be seen¡ªno. Some of them had their ws protruded, but even from a distance, their ws were clearly shattered and their fingers bleeding.


    "Wait¡­" The threads trailing from Rhys''s fingers fell down as he raised his fist, "...They''re not rushing toward us. They¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, a loud roar echoed throughout the entire sea of snow; the chill they were feeling before, now almost freezing their skin as a translucent shadow revealed itself on the horizon; a translucent in the silhouette of a very thin man¡­


    ¡­a very thin and gigantic man.


    "Scheisse¡­" A small hesitantly crawled on Talia''s face as they saw what the cenleons were running from,


    "...That''s an Ice Warden."


    Ice Warden ¡ª Threat Level 10.

 Chapter 221 The Cenleons

    "Rhys. Rhys. Rhys, gods damn it! What do we do!?"


    The drumming of the cenleons'' hoovesteps were causing the field of white beneath Rhys''s feet to bounce as the halflings approached closer and closer. But while Dominique and Talia had their guards up, they were not really focusing on the cenleons, but rather the Ice Warden following behind them.


    The Ice Warden is among the most dangerous and most powerful creatures in the Underworld, categorized as Threat Level 10, capable of erasing an entire country in the span of a single day. There have been many records of Ice Wardens roaming around the Underworld andpletely altering its Region, as well as the central element of the creatures in it.


    How it was able to affect the wildlife, the researchers, once again, all just attribute it to the mysteries of magic.


    There have been no records, however, of the Ice Warden ever digging its way to the Surface ¡ª it was not capable of doing so due to its inherent traits. It freezes anything that is unfortunate enough to be in its path ¡ª fortunately, an Ice Warden''s path is random, and so are its actions. It seems to not be capable of thought or have a desire.


    The Ice Warden was not a creature per se, but rather an entire element by itself; perhaps a personification of snow ¡ª not a golem, but a wisp overgrown. Its entire body is made of ice; extremely thick andpressed, but still almost translucent to the point one could see what''s behind it. It is literally a walking cmity.


    It was in the shape of man, or perhaps a stickman with very long legs and arms. And as it turned bigger and bigger as it got closer, the thick nket of snow that Rhys removed as they burst through the Underworld instantly returned even more bountiful than before;pletely burying their knees.


    Due to this sudden veil of snow, the cenleons who were galloping toward their direction slowed down; the exhaustion on their faces, absolutely pronounced as they lifted their tired legs, only to once again feel the resistance of the thick snow blocking their path to salvation.


    "Rhys, we should go!" Dominique grabbed Rhys''s wrist and tried pulling him away so they could dive back to the Surface before the Ice Wardenpletely buried them in ice. She was not able to pull him away, however, and even almost tumbled back as Rhys actually stepped toward the rushing cenleons.


    "I''m helping the half lion people," Rhys caused a mist to form in front of him as he breathed out.


    "Help¡­? Why!?" Dominique could really only blink in confusion before staring at Rhys''s face to see if he was serious, and unfortunately for everyone, he was, "I didn''t take you for an animal lover, Rhys. Those things will kill and eat us when they get the chance, don''t you know that!? And even if they don''t, it''s not okay to risk our lives down here ¡ª we''re not in the corps anymore, brother!"


    "We need them," Rhys then nced at Dominique, "We''re taking them to the Surface."


    "Hm. You found your monsters," Talia smirked before shaking her head, "As much as this is a lucky development for us, this is an even more unlucky development ¡ª the imbecile is right, we''re going to die here if we stay any longer¡­


    ¡­but I suppose if we don''t get them, we''ll just be prolonging the inevitable."


    And with those words, Talia suddenly waved her arms ¡ª causing the snow the was slowly building up around them to split; the crevice crawling all the way toward the cenleons before just stopping right in front of them, creating a path that led straight back to her and Rhys.


    The cenleons seemed confused with what just happened as they finally noticed Rhys and the others ¡ª they were alsopletely wary judging from their lowered eyebrows. But it did not even take them a second to decide to run toward Rhys and the others ¡ª that was the only path to safety, after all; at least safer than being swept by an Ice Warden.


    "We do not really need these half-breeds alive, do we?" Talia clicked her tongue as she seemed to be getting ready to let out a barrage of her invisible des as soon as the cenleons got near them.


    "No, we don''t," Rhys shook his head as threads began seeping out of his fingers, "We just need proof that monsters were there and¡ª"


    "Edissa, run faster!"


    "Those are humans! They will kill us!"


    "It does not matter! Run!"


    "Wait." But as soon as Rhys heard the words of the cenleons that came to him like a whisper, the threads seeping out from his fingers were cut short as he raised his hand; his eyes¡­


    ¡­focusing on the Hearts floating above the head of the cenleon named Edissa,


    "I think it''s best to keep them alive and befriend them ¡ª we still need more information about this region."


    "They eat people, boy," Talia let out a small sigh. She was obviously not in agreement with Rhys, and she was not afraid to show it by making a snarl ¡ª and yet, she still quickly lowered her arms even as the man-eating cenleons were only meters away from them, "But we can always just kill themter once you are done ying whatever games you are ying."


    "I''m not ying anything," Rhys shook his head before he turned his focus back to the cenleons, "If you and your people do not want to die, thene with us!"


    "You¡ª" If Dominique and Talia were not already bewildered and utterly shocked at Rhys''s existence, then they are now. Their eyes, as wide as they could be as they stared at Rhys from head to toe,


    "...You can speak theirnguage?"


    "Boy¡­" A wide smirk crawled onto Talia''s face, "...I knew it. I knew it! I knew you were the perfect being we have long sought for! Ha¡­ Haha!"


    And just like that, Rhys watched as another Heart floating above Talia''s head was filled, leaving only a single one left until Rhys acquires her ability. Rhys couldn''t appreciate it for long, however, as the cenleons abruptly stopped in their tracks as they also stared at Rhys from head to toe.


    "You¡­ can speak our¡ª"


    "It does not matter! Let us just follow the human for now!"


    "Let''s go," Rhys then turned around as soon as the cenleons once again started running. Dominique, although still shocked about the situation, was the first to run and dive into the hole, followed by Talia who leaped while her eyes were still fixated on Rhys.


    As for Rhys, he stopped right just short of diving into the Hole and gestured to the cenleons to jump. The cenleons, however, once again stopped in their tracks as soon as they saw the Hole.


    "That''s¡­ that''s human territory! This might be a trap!"


    "How many times must I tell all of you it does not matter! We stay here and we are dead! At least we might alter our fate by leaping to the abyss!"


    Once again, however, their hesitation was short-lived as the one who seemed to be their leader leaped straight into the Hole; his screams, slowly fading away along with his figure.


    "That¡­" Edissa and the other dozen cenleons looked at each other, before beating their chests 3 times and then leaping into the Hole at the same time. Edissa was thest to leap; her eyes, observing Rhys like she was some sort of hawk.


    Edissa had long gray hair; dry and clearly unkempt as it barely even moved as she leaped, almostpletely covering her breasts ¡ª as other than the leather strap and fur bag she was carrying, Edissa waspletely bare and naked even with the snow. Her lower body, which was simr to that of a lion had fur the same color as her hair, which only started to fade around her human belly.


    Rhys could not really get a good look, but her hair probably extended to the mane that trailed down across her entire middle back. He also couldn''t get a good look at her face, as she and the other cenleons were wearing some sort of face makeup. Her eyes¡­ Her eyes, however, almost reflected Rhys''s ¡ª silver.


    Rhys watched Edissa''s silhouette disappear into the Hole before turning to focus on the Ice Warden.


    This¡­ walking cmity, Rhys can''t really imagine how he would even begin to start fighting such a creature. And yet¡­


    ¡­Arachnea is supposed to be stronger than it?


    Just¡­ how stronger does he need to be?


    And so, with onest look at the Ice Warden, Rhys just let out a small breath before nonchntly falling back first into the Hole; kicking the wall a few secondster and pushing himself down to hasten his dive ¡ª and not even secondster, he caught up with Edissa and the other cenleons¡­


    ¡­only to see all of them iling their arms and legs, panicking violently.

 Chapter 222 Relax

    "Is this your first time diving?"


    Rhys was initially going to push himself down to the Surface faster, but after seeing the cenleons panicking, he opted to slow down and fall closer to Edissa.


    Edissa was screaming and iling around, but as soon as Rhys dove closer to her, she immediately stopped struggling and closed her mouth; trying her best to look away from Rhys.


    Unfortunately for her, she was still swinging and spinning randomly in the air; her panicked face, showing itself from time to time to Rhys.


    "I am going to hold you to keep you steady, okay?" Rhys said as he dove even closer to Edissa; raising both his palm to show he was not going to do anything harmful to him, "So, please ¡ª do not eat me."


    "Who. is¡­!" Edissa was trying her best to speak but was only brought to an awkward situation as her words and face faded and came back several times in front of Rhys. Still, she seemed incredibly prideful as she just continued to speak even while her words dissipated,


    "...going to eat you!"


    "..." Rhys stared at this 6-limbed creature for a few more seconds as she swayed and spun before deciding to help her stabilize herself. The only problem was that he did not really know where to hold her. And so, he just decided to hold her around her human waist; the faded fur around it, extremely smooth despite looking incredibly dry due to the chill.


    "!!!" Edissa, however, let out a loud roar as her legs kicked on their own; her arms tucked in on their own as she gritted her teeth. Still, this was better than spinning around and around for several minutes.


    "You are going to feel incredibly dizzy in a few moments," Rhys then said, not even caring that Edissa''s entire body was trembling, "But this is better than being frozen to death."


    "Get¡­ get your hands off of me. You¡ª"


    Rhys did not even let Edissa finish her words as Rhys quickly let go of her, causing her to once again spin around; her hind and front legs, once again moving erratically as they instinctively tried to find a ground to stand on.


    This time, Rhys did not help Edissa at all and just watched her continue to fall without grace, even fully knowing that she wanted his help due to her desires practically screaming into his mind.


    It was a surreal view ¡ª Rhys had actually seen several other bipedal humanoid races in the Underworld during his stint in the Underworld Corps, but this was the first time he was seeing a humanoid with a quadrupedal lower body this up close, and it was extremely fascinating.


    "H¡­ help, help!" And very soon, Edissa started asking for his help; her eyes, barely even straight anymore as her body started to lose strength. And so, once again, Rhys grabbed her by the waist, causing her body to jolt again ¡ª but this time, she did not resist at all and just looked away.


    "Is this your first time ever going to the Surface?" Rhys then said, but Edissapletely ignored him as she tried her best to contain her dizziness, "Look, you need something to distract you from the nausea you are feeling ¡ª talk to me."


    "Talk¡­" And finally, with her letting out a stuttered sigh, she turned to look at Rhys, "...How can you speak ournguage?"


    "...How indeed," Rhys let out a small hum as he thought about it for a few seconds before just shrugging his shoulders, "I have many skills. Is this your first time going to the Surface?"


    "...It is," Edissa whispered; her already ufortable face, turning even more sour as she looked ahead to the deep abyss she was falling into. She was going to look away andpletely ignore Rhys again, but as soon as she felt her soul being left behind by her body again, she took in arge gulp and nced at Rhys,


    "We do not call it the Surface ¡ª we call it the Forbidden Land."


    "Forbidden Land¡­" Rhys lowered his eyebrows, "...Then why do so many of your kind go above the Surface?"


    "You darepare my kind to beasts?" Edissa truly wanted to lunge at Rhys and w his eyes out violently, but refrained from doing so as she might once again spin around until she dies. After all, her brothers and sisters who are below her were alreadypletely knocked out; vomit, escaping their sorry faces,


    "The Forbidden Land is where the Great Gods y their games, only mindless creatures used for entertainment are banished there!"


    "Banished¡­?" Rhys''s eyebrows lowered as he heard Edissa''s words. The first to reveal to him that the history that humans know of ispletely different from the truth was Arachnea, the second one was the first demigod, King Aethelc, and now¡­ another native of the Underworld was telling him that the gods sent the monsters and beasts to Earth.


    The thought of the past did not linger in Rhys''s mind for long, however, as he truly did not want to involve himself in it ¡ª his goal was different, after all.


    He was not interested in knowing the truth or seeking it, or whatever fate or prophecy he was involved in ¡ª his story is different. Whether the gods are the viins or not does not concern him at all.


    "What do you think the Surface¡ªthe Forbidden Land looks like?" Rhys asked.


    "Dark and filled with death," Edissa''s voice lowered, "A field of graveyards of the most horrendous of mindless beasts."


    "It''s¡­ not like that at all," Rhys let out a small sigh, "Our horizon is endless, and our sky even more ¡ª almost like you could just fall right into it if you''re not touching the ground."


    "What you are describing is Olympus," Edissa let out a small harrumph; one of her legs, stomping the air as she did so, "Do you really think I will believe your words, Druid? You might talk like us, but your feeble and small brains can not evene up with a better lie."


    "You think¡­ we are not an advanced civilization?" Rhys could really only look to the side, "Is that why you eat us?"


    "What are you talking about? Humans have always been food," Edissa scoffed, "You eat too, right? Have you ever wondered why you are eating what you eat?"


    "...Right."


    "I can not expect your feeble mind to understand," Edissa shook her head as she looked away, no longer seemingly interested to continue the conversation. And surprisingly, Edissa seemed to be starting to adapt to the dive, as the difort visible on her face have already faded away ¡ª well, that is, until¡­


    ¡­they reached the Surface.


    "!!!" As soon as the sudden shift of gravity enveloped her body, she found herself suddenly gasping for breath even though her lungs were already full; the whites of her silver eyes, showing themselves as she lost consciousness several times in the span of just seconds.


    Luckily for her, she was caught by Rhys after being spewed out by the Hole ¡ª the same could not be said for her brethren.


    "These guys are huge¡­" Dominique pulled the other unconscious cenleons out of the cell so they would not identally fall down again and return to the Underworld to freeze to death¡ªno.


    At this time, the Ice Warden has probably blocked the other end of the Hole in a thickyer of ice, they would just probably die due to the fall¡­ but then again, they could probably survive the fall¡­ only to be frozen as soon as they touch the ice blocking the entrance,


    "...And heavy."


    "Stop talking about yourself, dyke," Talia let out a scoff as she watched Rhys carry Edissa out of the cell, "You zeem to be very interested with that one ¡ª are you also wondering what sort of specimen woulde out if you mate with her?"


    "...No," Rhys gently dropped Edissa on the floor.


    "So, how do you want to do this?" Talia ced her hands on her waist.


    "Let''s feed them first as soon as they wake up," Rhys turned to look at the dozen unconscious cenleons. And now that he was looking at all of them clearly, he could not help but just squint his eyes from their condition, "They look incredibly¡­ famished."


    "Feed them with what?" Dominique raised an eyebrow, "Do you need the gang to prepare something for these¡­ animals?"


    "No," Rhys seemed confused at Dominique before he started looking around the hall¡­ which waspletely covered with the bodies of the inmates he killed,


    "They have a buffet here."


    "...You evil son of a bitch," Dominique stuck out her tongue in disgust as her entire body got the shivers, "Well, I won''t be here for that ¡ª just so we''re clear, you''re not¡­ joining them in eating anyone here, right? ''Coz¡­ you have a history with that."


    "...I shouldn''t have told you that."


    "Toote, dregger."


    Rhys could really only shake his head as he watched as Dominique walked away with her middle fingers raised. This was perhaps the very first time he was called a dregger in a very¡­ endearing way.


    "Don''t tell me you are also nning to sleep with that dyke? She is of the homosexual category," Talia crossed her arms, "I do not mind you sleeping at all with other women, in fact, I endorse it ¡ª I am already old. But choose your partners, Fuhrer."


    "...Please don''t call me that," Rhys''s eyes widened, "...And trust me, you''re not that old in bed. You¡ª"


    "You should have killed us when you have the chance!"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, he found his neck suddenly being wrapped around by Edissa''s arm; her broken but still sharp ws, threatening to carve off his head,


    "Now we will take¡­ take¡­ Where¡­" Edissa''s voice, however, quickly weakened as soon as she realized she was surrounded by corpses,


    "...Where have you brought us!?"

 Chapter 223 Compensation

    "Where¡­ where have you brought us?"


    "The Surface, where else?"


    And although his neck was currently being held and under the threat of being torn to shreds, he seemedpletely unperturbed and just raised his palms in the air. He slightly nced back and up at Edissa, only for him to be nudged hard, and the dirty shattered ws of Edissa to dig through his skin even further, but still not fully prate it.


    "The Surface¡­" Edissa''s eyes once again quickly scanned the area, and the only thing she could really see was that they were inside some sort of ruins, with the broken walls leading to some sort of endless darkness. But most importantly, the longer she scanned the area, the more corpses she could see,


    "...You lied! You described Olympus, and yet all I see here is death!"


    "Well¡­" Rhys turned to look at Talia, shaking his head to signal her not to do anything, "...This isn''t the Surface."


    "You just said it was!" Edissa once again nudged Rhys.


    "It''s only a very small part of it, not even a single dot," Rhys muttered, "And the people you see here are¡­ bad people, the criminals of my kind. Murderers, traffickers, rapists ¡ª all of them are bad people."


    "Rapists? What are rapists?" Edissa lowered her eyebrows, "Stop inventing words when you do not need to. Tell me the truth or I will kill you!"


    "How will you even know if I am telling the truth?" Rhys sighed, "I don''t have a reason to lie to you ¡ª I just saved your lives. As for the bodies surrounding us, we killed them just several hours ago, they are still fresh, you can help yourself if you want to."


    "Help myself¡­?"


    "Eat them," Rhys shrugged, "You seem like you haven''t eaten anything for a year."


    "I have never been hungry!" Edissa raised her voice, almost screaming as she tightened her grip on Rhys''s neck, "I am one of the best hunters of my tribe, I have never been hungry because I can shoot a prey from a mile away with my eyes closed and¡ª"


    And before Edissa could finish her words, a rumbling thunder suddenly echoed throughout the ruined hall.


    "What was that!? What monsters are you hiding in here!?" Edissa finally let go of Rhys as she prioritized handling the bigger threat that suddenly appeared within her midst. She then focused on where the rumble came from, only for the sound to lead her to one of her unconsciouspanions, or more specifically, toward the stomach of one of herpanions,


    "Wh¡ª"


    And before she could even utter another word, she heard the very same sound from her own stomach, causing her to just lower her head there and then in absolute embarrassment.


    "Help yourself," Rhys then let out a small sigh as he slowly backed away from Edissa, "I''ll return in an hour, you should be done then and willing to talk."


    "You think of me as a scavenger!? I am not going to eat something I did not hunt!" Edissa once again raised her voice as she turned to look at Rhys; her decently-sized breasts which werepletely exposed, bouncing fervently as she waved her hand, "And where are you going!? Are you not afraid that we will escape!?"


    "Then escape," Rhys gestured to Talia, the two of them just turning their backs at Edissa as they walked away from the hall, "You can go back to the Underworld, where you will die. Or you can get out where you''ll be met by an endless amount of water you have probably never seen before, if you did miraculously survive trekking the treacherous ocean, you''ll be hunted down by the Explorers. Either way¡­


    ¡­you are not prisoners here."


    Rhys did not even wait for Edissa to reply to him as he just left the hall with Talia, only to be weed by another group of corpses across the corridors of the prison. Rhys, however, just casually stepped on them while walking.


    "Are you sure those hybrids can be left alone?" Talia muttered.


    "I said what I said, Talia ¡ª they are not our prisoners," Rhys shook his head, "There will be no prisoners in thend we will build, no camps, no chains."


    "Should I take that ominously?" Talia squinted her eyes.


    "Take it as you want to take it, Ma''am," Rhys smiled.


    "Well, that is good and all ¡ª but they are beasts," Talia shook her head, "But I am curious why you changed your mind as soon as you looked at the female cat ¡ª you did the same to me when you looked above my head."


    "Perceptive," Rhys smiled, "You''re the second one who noticed that."


    "Is the other one you are speaking of the Commander of the Underworld Corps?" Talia raised an eyebrow.


    "No, another one ¡ª the one who works for me in the shadows."


    "Oho? It would zeem there are a lot of capable people in your army," Talia smirked, "I am excited to leave this ce and finally see them."


    "Well¡­


    ¡­we might still just die here."


    ***


    "Fool."


    An hourter, Rhys returned to the hall where he left the cenleons as promised, only to be weed by their antagonistic eyes and sharp ws pointed once again at his neck. The only one who was not showing hostility to him was the man who seemed to be their leader; his four paws, carefully stepping closer to Rhys.


    Seeing as all of them had blood covering their mouths and trailing all the way down to their necks and bellies, it would seem they could not help but break their hunter''s oath and just feast. If there was something that surprised Rhys, however, it was the fact that the remaining bodies they did not eat were now nicely and respectfully lined up across the hall.


    "You are a fool to return alone here, human," Edissa let out a scoff as she looked at Rhys, "What can I expect from someone of lower intelligence, you are¡ª"


    "Edissa, enough!" And as their leader was only a meter away from Rhys, he immediately reprimanded Edissa and ordered for his people to lower their guards, "They may be a lower life form, but it does not change the fact that this human saved us!"


    "But Maha, he is¡ª"


    "I said enough!" Their leader, Maha, stomped one of his paws on the floor and hissed, causing Edissa and the other members of their group to lower their heads and back away, "All of you, give the human and me some space, now!"


    And with those words, Edissa and the other cenleons had no choice but to turn away and go to a corner of the hall, with Edissa still ring at Rhys before shaking her head and sitting at a corner¡­ while still ring at him.


    "Human, I was told by my daughter you wished to speak with me?" Maha took another step toward Rhys; his head, almost 3 feet higher than Rhys''s, "I take it you wish forpensation for trying to help us?"


    "Compensation¡­" Rhys was initially trying to me all of the death on them, but that changed when he saw the Hearts floating above Edissa''s head ¡ª and right now, Rhys did not really have a n for them other than to stay here¡­ and then ultimately frame them for everyone''s death,


    "...No ¡ª your tribe is free to leave anytime you wish."


    "Leave where?" Maha smiled, "I took a look outside these broken walls, and all I saw was an endless darkness."


    "That''s called the sky and the ocean," Rhys also smiled, "It''s dark because it''s nighttime now. You will see it differently in a few hours."


    "Night time¡­?" Maha squinted his eyes, "I suppose it does not matter. Speak, what is thepensation you want? We do not ept food from another without anything to trade it with. What do you want?"


    "I don''t really need anything, but¡­" Rhys looked Maha in the eyes, "...are you sure? I saved 14 of you, thepensation I expect to receive will not be light."


    "Speak of it," Maha let out a short but very deep breath as he returned Rhys''s stares, "If I can provide it, then I will."


    "Edissa," Rhys then pointed at Edissa, who started looking back and forth between him and Maha as soon as they looked at her, "I want her."


    "You want her?" Maha looked down to think of what Rhys meant by his words, "What for? I was told that you are responsible for all of the food that surrounds us ¡ª you do not need a hunter of inferior skills by your side, it will only hold you back."


    "I''m not¡ª"


    "Inferior!?" And before Rhys and Maha could continue their conversation, Edissa rushed toward them and raised her voice, "What are you saying, Maha!? Why are you talking about me!? Enough discussions and let us get rid of this human already!"


    "No," Maha stretched his arm to the side to block Edissa, "There is no us anymore, Edissa."


    "What¡­?" Edissa raised an eyebrow.


    "From now on, you belong to this human as his Bond."


    "What!?"

 Chapter 224 Primal Fear

    "What are you saying, Maha!? Why would I be anyone else''s Bond, much less a human!? I am a mighty hunter of the Abn! I am not going to¡ª"


    "This is not a discussion, Edissa."


    It wasn''t only Edissa who was shocked at the sudden news his father gave her. The other cenleons were also confused as to why their Chief would even utter such a disgraceful and humiliating order.


    "Chief Maha, but you promised me Edissa as my bond!"


    "Muran, you dare contest my words!?"


    One of the male cenleons, Muran, quickly stepped forward, thergest and most muscr of them all; his limbs as he moved, contracting with each step. But of course, even with the domineering presence of Muran''s physicality, Maha did not back down at all as he stomped his paw on the floor and hissed, and Muran did the same,


    "I will not ept this, Issa and I are in love!" Muran confessed as he stood beside Edissa.


    "No, we''re not!" Edissa quickly pushed Muran away, "And Maha, why am I only hearing of this now!? You also promised me to Muran, of all people!?"


    "Muran is the strongest hunter of our tribe," Maha grunted as he looked Muran in the eyes as the two of them were still not backing down from each other, "But unfortunately, I owe this human the life of 14. And when he only asked for one, I can only give Edissa to him."


    "This human¡­" And as soon as Muran heard their chief''s words, his hostility quickly strayed away from Maha as he walked toward Rhys; almost letting out a growl as he literally looked down on him, "...Retract your price before I retract your face, human. I am only giving you a chance because you did help us escape, even though we were fully capable of surviving our predicament without your help."


    "That''s not going to happen," Rhys only smiled as hepletely ignored Muran''s feeble attempts to show dominance. He then turned to look at Edissa''s face blood-painted face, "I have taken a liking to her, she''s very beautiful."


    "Wh¡­" Edissa was too flustered to say anything. And right when she was actually about to say something, Muran suddenly stepped between her and Rhys; hissing as his ws started to show themselves.


    "I warned you ¡ª but what can I expect from someone of inferior mind," Muran let out a small scoff as formed his arms into a cross, "Even with my ws shattered, you are no match for me. I challenge you for the right to im Edissa as my Bond."


    "No."


    "You have no right to refuse, that is thew."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he nced at Maha, who had a small smirk on his face. It was obvious what was happening here ¡ª the reason why Maha easily gave up his daughter without even batting an eye was not because he honored his words, but because he knew full well Muran was going to challenge him,


    "...Are you going to back down on your words, Muran?"


    "I will honor my words ¡ª but it is true that once challenged, one must ept. That is thew," the smile on Muran''s face faded away as he looked at Rhys.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys looked down and let out a small hum.


    "Heh¡­" And as soon as Muran saw this, he could not help but also smirk as he nced at Edissa, "...Do not worry, Issa. I will not let this humany even a single finger on you."


    "A little toote for that," Rhys whispered before sighing, "I''ve already ced my hands on her waist for more than a couple of minutes."


    "That¡ª" Edissa wanted to refute Rhys''s words, but couldn''t as it was the truth.


    "It''s true!?" Muran noticed Edissa''s hesitation; his voice rising as he quickly rushed in front of Rhys and swung his broken ws at him, but did not really let them touch his head just yet, "ept the challenge, human. Or forfeit and kill yourself!"


    "He is your strongest warrior, is that right?" Rhys looked at Maha, "Are you sure you''re going to let this happen?"


    "It is thew," Maha sighed and shook his head, once again trying to hide the growing smirk on his face.


    "Okay then. Just so we are clear, you wanted this," Rhys also let out a sigh as he nced at the ws in front of him before looking up at Muran, "I ept."


    "Die!"


    And as soon as Rhys uttered those words, Muran immediately retracted his hand, only to swing it toward Rhys again. This time, however, he did not target his head at all but crouched down to take a swing at Rhys''s right leg.


    Rhys, however, did not move at all.


    "I pity you, human! You can''t even move from your fear!" Muran roared as his ws went right through Rhys''s leg; not even offering a slight resistance.


    "Fear¡­"


    The wide smirk on Muran''s face instantly faded away. His ws did go through, but not because they sliced and shredded Rhys''s leg like it was melting butter¡­ but because whatever was left of his already shattered ws were nowpletely gone; flung away and tearing parts of his paw. It was painful, yes ¡ª but Muran couldn''t really process what just happened.


    He looked at Rhys''s leg, only for him to see hints of silver from the shredded parts of Rhys''s pants.


    "Tell me, beast¡­" Rhys let out a small groan as he looked Muran in the eyes,


    "...What fear, exactly, do you smell from me?"


    And as soon as Rhys said that, Maha, Edissa, and the others finally realized something. They have always thought of humans as just prey, any other thought was absent from their mind ¡ª but from all of the situations they have encountered so far, has the human ever shown any signs of being a prey?


    Their meeting was already weird enough¡­ but now as he said it, even though he was surrounded by them with hostility, Rhys truly has never shown any signs of fear at all.


    "Do any of you actually know¡­" Rhys looked at his hand, not even bothering to attack Muran even though he was vulnerable, "...how many of your kind, other humanoid races, I have killed during my time as a soldier? And I didn''t just kill them, that was not the only order I received¡­


    ¡­I had to scare them, scare them enough that they would never attempt to smuggle themselves to the Surface ever again, to show them that the Surface is a dangerous ce. And I do that by hurting them in ways they have never been hurt before."


    "!!!"


    And before anyone could even react, Rhys swung his foot toward one of Muran''s front legs,pletely shattering his bones as the cenleon found himself tumbling forward ¡ª perhaps a mistake, as Rhys leaped up and flipped back in the air, kicking Muran straight on the chin andpletely knocking him down.


    But Rhys was not done, however, as he caught Muran''s human body before he could drop to the floor; not to prevent him from dropping, however, but to lift his entire body that was probably thrice the size of Rhys with a single hand.


    Rhys then turned to look at Maha and the other cenleons, and as soon as he met Edissa''s eyes, he threw Muran up before grabbing one of his hind legs and then mming him violently on the hard floor¡­ again and again.


    Muran probably woke up once, only to be knocked out unconscious as his head was the first to hit the floor several times.


    "Enough¡­" Maha could really only grit his teeth, "...That is enough!"


    And as Maha roared, the other cenleons started to surround Rhys; their shattered ws, all protruded as they started growling.


    Rhys stopped mming Muran on the floor as he looked at Maha.


    "That is enough, human ¡ª you have won."


    "No," Rhys shook his head as he tightened his grip on Muran''s leg, "If I let him live, he wille after me ¡ª and if I don''t show you the difference between us, all of you wille after me. I have warned you, Chief Maha, what is about to happen now is your fault."


    "You have my word, human! None of us will seek revenge!" Maha raised his voice.


    "I had your word earlier, that''s not really turning out well, is it?" Rhys sighed, "Well then¡­


    ¡­Let''s get to it."


    And without even caring about the hostile cenleons surrounding him, Rhys twisted Muran''s leg, which immediately woke him up from unconsciousness ¡ª perhaps a mistake, as he woke up only to see and feel his leg turning in a way that it shouldn''t; his flesh, being torn by his own bones before finally beingpletely torn away by Rhys.


    "Y¡ª"


    And before Muran could even let out a scream or say anything, Rhys used his torn leg like a bat and started hitting him on the head with it; his own bones, tearing away his face.


    "Stop¡­ stop it! That''s enough!"


    Once again, Rhys was asked to stop. This time, however, he did so¡­ as the one who pleaded with him to stop was Edissa.


    "I get it, I am your Bond now. Just please¡­


    ¡­please stop this."


    "Hm¡­


    ¡­No."

 Chapter 225 Edissa

    "We¡­ we should have just surrendered to the Eternal Chill."


    The cenleons were now all huddled up together; their bodies, trembling even stronger than when they were close to almost being frozen to death. They feared the Ice Warden, that was not a question at all ¡ª but it was a fear simr to that of an impending typhoon, an inevitability one would just have to ept if it happened.


    And perhaps, as they were wishing, perhaps it should have really just happened ¡ª perhaps they would have died peacefully instead of being forced to watch one of their own drown in his own blood; struggling, but still alive.


    "Just¡­ just kill him!" Maha gritted his teeth; his hand, already bleeding even though he did not even have his ws protruded, "At least give him the honor of death!"


    But s, their words fell on deaf ears as Rhys just continued to torture Muran; but he wasn''t going to stop, because it was not Muran he was torturing, it was everyone else who was watching the scenario unfold.


    Fortunately for the other cenleons, the horrible scenario in front of themsted just a few more minutes before Rhys stopped;pletely squashing Muran''s head into pieces like a watermelon.


    The sound it created as his head burst open, echoing through the open hall.


    "Well then¡­" Rhys then wiped the blood and sweat on his face as the darkness that once surrounded the open hall was reced by light ¡ª the orange sky which was now showing itself would have probably caused the cenleons to gasp in awe, but sadly, they were too focused on looking at Muran''s brains to even notice the outside,


    "...I hope we get along from now on."


    "Get¡­ along?" Maha''s eye twitched as Rhys approached him while covered in Muran''s flesh and blood.


    "Yes," Rhys nodded as he reached out his hand, causing Maha to slightly flinch, "What Muran did has nothing to do with my rtionship with all of you, it won''t make sense going through the effort of saving all of you only to kill you here on the Surface. But of course¡­


    ¡­what happens now is up to you."


    Maha did not really say anything and just turned to look at his people before focusing on Rhys''s hand.


    "In this ce, we shake our hands if we agree with each other," Rhys nodded, "It is also as a sign of trust that you won''t attack me, and I won''t attack you."


    "We¡ª"


    "I ept!"


    And before Maha could even express what he wanted to say, Edissa suddenly rushed toward them and grabbed Rhys''s hand instead.


    "Edissa! You do not get to decide¡ª"


    "Maha, please¡­" Edissa let out a deep breath as she looked at her father in the eyes, "...Your decision to follow this human was correct, and we are alive because of that ¡ª please do not waste that. Human, you are not going to hurt any more of us if I be your Bond, right¡­?"


    "I am not going to hurt any of you even if you don''t be my¡­ bond, whatever that even means," Rhys shook Edissa''s hand¡­paw. It was unclear what her hands were, exactly. Her feet were clearly paws, but her human hands were shaped like human hands, but their palms were soft and fluffy,


    "As I said, Muran died because he was being difficult, violent. I am not going to expect that from the rest of you, right?"


    "No," Edissa took in a big gulp as she started looking at Rhys from head to toe. Rhys was small, tinypared to the cenleons, but for some reason, Edissa felt like she was actually looking up at him. Edissa stared at Rhys for a few more seconds before turning to look at her people,


    "Everyone, can all of you please leave me alone with Rhys?"


    "Edissa, you can''t¡ª"


    "You offered me as a bond to him, and now you''re worrying about me, Maha?" Edissa almost hissed at Maha as he tried to approach her, "And I''m no longer a part of the tribe, remember? You can no longer order me around. You sold me."


    "That was not my¨C"


    "And since I am now this human''s bond, and he has clearly overpowered all of us ¡ª that means that I am already higher in the hierarchy than you are, Maha," Edissa let out a small harrumph as she stomped her paw, "So, go walk."


    "Where¡­ do we even go?" Maha blinked a couple of times as he started looking around, "This ce is mystic and weird ¡ª look at that, I see Helios moving!"


    Maha then turned to look at the shattered wall which showed the ocean, pointing at the rising sun.


    "You''re free to explore everywhere," Rhys gestured to Maha to head out of the hall, "We''ve already informed the others about you."


    "The others¡­?" Maha looked at the corpses they already cleaned up, "...There are still others? Wait, where are we? What is this ce?"


    Maha finally realized that the weird situation they were in was weird not because it was their first time on the Surface, it was weird because of the human in front of him.


    "We''re in prison," Rhys let out a small sigh, "These people are criminals."


    "...And you killed all of them?" Maha was even more confused, "What are you, then? A soldier?"


    "Yes," Rhys nodded. Maha was about to let out a sigh of relief, but Rhys was not done with his answer, "And also a prisoner."


    "What¡­?" Edissa''s legs slightly weakened as soon as she heard Rhys''s words. And before she could even retract her order and ask Maha and the others to stay in the hall, they already started leaving; all of them, avoiding her eyes, "Wait, I''m¡ª"


    "Did you want to talk about something?" Rhys started walking toward the corpses that Edissa and the others arranged, "My name is Rhys, by the way. Rhys Wilder."


    "Rhys Badaway Rhys Wilder?" Edissa squinted her eyes.


    "Rhys Wilder," Rhys nced at Edissa, "And you are Edissa? Is there anything else besides that?"


    "Edissa is just Edissa," Edissa shook her head, "And¡­ I do not really have anything to talk with you about ¡ª I¡­ just didn''t want to see Maha and the others. But I do have questions, a lot of them."


    "Maha, he''s your father?"


    "Yes," Edissa started looking out the broken walls. And as soon as Rhys noticed that, he started making his way toward the debris and stepping to the outside.


    "Come with me," Rhys gestured to Edissa to follow him out.


    "Out in there?" Edissa once again took in a big gulp as she looked at the bright lighting from the outside.


    "Don''t worry, you''re not going to fall up there," Rhys once again reached out his hand to Edissa.


    "What¡­ are we agreeing on?" Edissa nervously looked at Rhys''s hand.


    "...Nothing," Rhys let out a small sigh as he shook his head, "I just want to hold your hand."


    "Why¡­? You told me I won''t fall."


    "You might," Rhys smiled. And as the rising sun started to shine down the sides of his silhouette, Edissa could really only squint her eyes to get a better view of Rhys''s face, "You don''t need to hold my hand, you probably won''t trip since you have like 6 limbs¡­ like an insect."


    "Wha¡ªDid you just call me an insect!?" Edissa quickly rushed to follow Rhys, only for her legs to instinctively buckle up on their own as soon as she saw the endless horizon in front of her. She felt her skin crawl as she saw the ocean, the endless blue and orange that veiled everything,


    "There''s¡­ nothing here?"


    "There''s everything here," Rhys turned to look at Edissa, only to see¡­ a pair of feline ears pop out on the top of her head, "You just need to know where to look."


    "This¡­ is nothing like the stories," Edissa stepped forward, instinctively grabbing Rhys''s hand as she did so, "It''s ake¡­?"


    "Ocean," Rhys let out a small chuckle, causing Edissa to almost hiss at her.


    "Stop treating me like a child," Edissa scoffed, "I am merely uninformed."


    "Your tribe, is this all of you?" Rhys thenpletely changed the topic as he looked at the rising sun.


    "...Yes," Edissa nodded with hesitation, "The Ice Warden came and wiped out half of my city¡­ and the other remaining half died while we were running away from it."


    "...What''s a Bond? I keep hearing all of you say that."


    "That¡­" Edissa''s face immediately turned red as she nced at Rhys''s hand before letting it go and looking away, "A Bond is¡ªwait, what is that?"


    "Hm?" Rhys quickly turned to look to where Edissa was looking, only to see a small dot hovering on the horizon.


    "It''s buzzing, is¡­ it some sort ofrge insect?" Edissa''s ears started fidgeting.


    "It''s¡­ a chopper," Rhys then said as he once again grabbed Edissa''s hand, "We need to go back."


    Rhys was already expecting the outside to check on them, and now that there was visible damage in the prison even from afar¡­


    ¡­things are about to go down.

 Chapter 226 Plan

    "Talia, we havepany."


    "We see."


    Rhys immediately ran to the Warden''s quarters, only to find Talia, Dominiqueandsome of her people, looking at the surveince monitors inside the room; their faces, all sharing different expressions of worry¡­ except for Talia, who seemed to be very excited with whatever was about to go down.


    The helicopter was only about tond, and judging by how long it hovered in the airspace above the prison, they''d taken quite a good look at the aftermath of the massacre. Of course, Dominique''s gang put their efforts into cleaning everything, but therge crevice in the holes and walls of one of their hall


    "Boss, you think this will¡ª" Dominique slowly strayed her eyes away from the monitor, only for her to almost jump in ce as she saw the shadow following behind Rhys, "Why did you bring that here!?"


    "It''s fine, she''s friendly," Rhys just casually waved his hand and gesturedEdissato follow him inside. Edissa, however, could not help but knot her eyebrows as she saw the looks of shock and horror in Dominique''s and her gang''s faces.


    Although it was to be expected and the most normal of all reactions to seeing a natural predator, Edissa was still slightly conflicted that the people were looking at her like she was some kind of monster. Perhaps a day ago, she would feel nothing but pride with this kind of reaction. But now that she was suddenly Rhys''s blood, she felt slightly¡­ disappointed.


    Was Rhys Wilder also seeing her like this? But he told everyone he found her beautiful, despite lookingpletely different. She sees the humans as disfigured as theyck body mass and limbspared to them, but she wouldobviouslybe lying if she said Rhys''s face was not attractive at all.


    In fact,if he was acenleonwith that kind of face, even if he wasn''t strong, he would probably be used as a breeder just for the simple fact of how handsome he is.


    But s, the only thing Edissa couldreallywas just slightly react and follow behind Ryhs as he approached his tribe. If she could speak to the others, she would probably greet them, even if it felt weird acknowledging the presence of prey.


    She tried looking them intheyes, but most of them just quickly looked away ¡ª except for Dominique, who squinted her eyes at her¡­ before nodding. Edissa nodded in response before finally turning to look where everyone was looking.


    They were looking at some sort of t... board. Were the humans just staring at these things for entertainment? As expected of lesser intelligent beings, they are¡ª


    "Are those tiny humans!?" Edissa''s pupils instantly dted as she saw the people on the screen. And of course, this sudden outburst of hers caused the others to raise their guard as they didn''t exactly understand what she was saying. And their guard was raised even further as soon as Edissa also saw her tribe on the screen,


    "Maha and the others!? What¡­ what have you humans done to them!? What is this sorcery, Rhys!?"


    "You¡­ don''t know what a screen¡ªa TV is?" A small hint of a smile could be seen crawling on Rhys''s face, "I thought your kind was the more advanced being?"


    "That¡­ has nothing to do with being more advanced, this is sorcery!" Edissa took a step back as she focused on the screen as her tribe went off-camera, "Where did they go!?"


    "Not sorcery, technology," Rhys let out a tiny sigh while shaking his head, "I don''treallyknow how to exin it to you, other than it''s built. It''s not magic."


    "You¡ª"


    "I don''t know what you and diz neanderthal are talking about, but it has to wait," Talia stepped in between the two, interrupting them and not caring at all that theyliterallytowered over her, "But that helicopter''s about to touchgroundany second now and no oneizthere to wee them."


    "Youreallythink they''re even friendly?" Dominique strayed her eyes away from Edissa, "Why are they evennding in the first ce if they saw the damage Mike did in the prison? Heliterallycleaved an entire part of Typhon''s in half. That shit should already be a clear sign that something''s fucked."


    "How long have you been here?" Talia scoffed while shaking her head, "This prison has taken more damage through the years."


    "Not to this extent," Dominique also scoffed as she crossed her arms, "And we''re not as old as you, Grandma."


    "B¡­ boss!?" Dominique''s gang could not help but slightly back away in fear as they heard the way Domomique talked to Talia. This was perhaps the first time they wereactuallyseeing Dominique interact with Talia ever since the massacre happened, and they were not sure whether or not talking so casually to her was the right idea.


    "Don''t call me Boss, I already told you the pretty boy''s the boss now," Dominique waved her hand.


    "We¡­ know, you''re the boss, he''s the Big Boss. But¡­ what do we call Talia?"


    "I don''t know, Fraulen or something? Figure it out yourself," Dominique once again focused her attention on the monitor, "Anyway, Boss. What''s our next move?"


    "The truth," Rhys whispered before just turning around and walking away.


    "Wait, the truth!?" Dominique quickly grabbed Rhys''s arm. As soon as she did so, however, Edissa quickly rushed toward her and pulled her hand away, causing her gang to all raise their guardsupagain. Dominique,howeverweirded out, did not heed Edissa any mind at all as she just focused on Rhys, "We''re fucked if you tell the truth! They''re going to kill Talia, and us!"


    "My truth," ¡ª was Rhys''s only reply as he gestured to Talia to follow him, "Dominique, you stay here with your family. If anything goes wrong¡­ lock yourselves up in a single cell."


    "What are you even¡ª"


    "Please."


    "..." Dominique couldreallyonly look at Rhys''s beautiful silver eyes as he nced back at her. She stared at him for a couple of seconds before nodding her head and saluting, "Good luck, Sergeant. I hope I see you soon again."


    "You will," Rhys also turned back and saluted, not only toher,but the rest of her gang. And as soon as he did that, Dominique''s gang also stood straight and saluted back. They stayed like that until Rhys, Talia, and Edissa left the room.


    "Why¡­" One of Talia''s men looked at her as he lowered his hand, "...are we being so dramatic?"


    "Yeah, we''ve only known the guy for less than a month or something¡ªand a quarter of that he spent on istion."


    "...And don''t you unrank him?"


    "Boss¡­ are youactuallycrying."


    "Shut up," Dominique sped her fists and ced them on her heart while she suddenly sobbed out of nowhere, "You wouldn''t understand the bond he and I have, we''re like blood brothers."


    "But you''re a lesbian."


    "Shut up!"


    ***


    "Are you nning on telling me your n¡­?"


    "Better if you don''t."


    "You''re not going to surrender me, are you?"


    Rhys and Talia were now heading toward the airstrip. This time, however, they were no longer wearing any disguises and were just in their prison uniform.


    "No."


    "And are you sure about her following us?" Talia nced at Edissa, who was following behind Rhys, "Are you going ahead with your initial n of putting the massacre on them?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "As I said, I n to tell my truth. Just follow my lead."


    "If I sense any betrayal from you, I am going to kill you, Rhyz Wilder."


    "Please do," Rhys smiled as he nced at Talia, "The moment I betray my woman and the people I love is the day I should die."


    "Love? Do not throw such a word so casually, tsk," Talia scoffed and clicked her tongue as she looked away from Rhys''s eyes, "And not while dragging thecorpzeof two Nobles."


    "They''re props," Rhys let out a small chuckle as he slightly tugged the threads wrapped around his hand, causing the two headless corpses, as well as their heads which were attached to their waist to slightly juggle.


    Edissa, who had seen the entire exchange, could not help but furrow her eyebrows; her cat-like ears, slightly folding as she red at Talia''s back.


    "What is your rtionship with that woman, Rhys?" Edissa asked, slightly hissing as she stood beside Rhys.


    "She is¡­ one of my mates," Rhys shrugged.


    "One of your¡­ mates!?" Edissa''s eyes widened, "How many mates do you have!?"


    "7. 8 if you include Arachnea."


    "The God of Spiders!? How dare you make a jest like that!?" Edissa once again hissed, causing Talia to raise an eyebrow.


    "Ireallywish I could understand what she is talking about ¡ª she''s not badmouthing me, is she?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head. Edissa and Talia wanted to say something else, but Rhys quickly shushed the two of them as they neared the helicopter. And as soon as they did so, the door opened up; revealing a dramaticallyrge minigun; two of them, both pointed at Talia and Edissa,


    "Everyone¡­"


    As for Rhys, he just smiled at the people inside the chopper,


    "...My mission is sessful."


    "Mission¡­?" The people inside the chopper all looked at each other in confusion,


    "...What mission?"

 Chapter 227 The Art of Bullzhit

    "Mission¡­? What mission?"


    Even with the violent st of wind flowing through the airstrip, the air of confusion persisted between Rhys''s group and the people on the helicopter. Even Talia, who was expecting a lot of things to happen in this exchange, waspletely taken aback by Rhys''s words.


    Mission?


    Was Rhys actually in Typhon''s for a secret mission?


    "Yes," Rhys did not seem fazed at all with the confusion and even threw the two corpses he was dragging to the helicopter, causing the people to once again point all of their high-caliber weapons at Rhys, "I would like to report that Operation: Typhon is sessful."


    "..." Talia''s face slightly winced as she heard Rhys''s words. But of course, she tried her best not to react at all and just focused on maintaining a neutral expression, just letting Rhys handle whatever itishe was doing.


    As for Edissa, her eyes were just as wide as they could be as she stared at therge helicopter; her broken ws, slightly showing themselves as she thought it was some sort ofrge insect mount.


    "Operation¡­ Typhon? Who¡ªWait, you''re Rhys Wilder!" Despite the other people on the helicopter stopping him, one of the men jumped out as soon as he realized who Rhys was, "What¡­ is going on here? And who are these¡ªwait, these are Nobles!"


    "Yes," Rhys looked at the headless corpses of Mike and Art, "Michael Curry and Arthur Adams. I wouldreallylike to talk to your superior officer, Sir."


    "Well¡­" The man slightly hesitated to speak as he once again stared at the corpses, "...I am the superior officer avable, name''s Brenson. We are here to deliver the supplies¡ªwait, sorry. Just wait a minute. What the fuck is going on again? And why¡­ is a monster following you?"


    "If you are the highest-ranking officer, then I suppose you''ll be receiving my report, Sir?" Rhys saluted Brenson, standing straight and his silver eyes filled with respect, causing Brenson to also collect and fix himself, "Shall we talk in the Warden''s office?"


    "Right¡­ how''s the Warden? I was told he was sick by thest people who delivered the supplies. And the damage we saw, does that have something to do with your mission¡­?" Brenson took in a small gulp. This wasobviouslyvery much above hispay-grade, and yet he could not help but get excited since he was being involved in something big.


    "onnell''s dead," Rhys then nodded his head at the corpses, "Mike assassinated him more than a week ago, as soon as thest supply team left."


    "What!?"Brensononce again took in a small gulp as he looked at his team, who just looked even more confused than before theynded, "We need to report this!"


    "You should," Rhys agreed without any hesitation, "Also, contact the mayor of Old York ¡ª he is the one who gave me the mission. Tell him that Operation: Typhon is sessful."


    "Mayor of Old York¡­? You mean Presidential Candidate Smith?"


    "...Yes," Rhys was slightly surprised by Brenson''s words, but did not make himself obvious as he turned around, "Then, while your people are returning to the ind, shall we talk about my mission?"


    "That¡ª"


    "You don''t have to be suspicious about anything, you can bring all of your team if you want to," Rhys let out a small chuckle and shrugged before ncing at Talia,


    "If I wanted todo harm, you wouldn''t have even been able tond. Talia Talcott would have brought your ne down and put you under the sea. If you want, we can discuss it here, but it would be better for you toe inside so that you can look at the situation yourself. I mean, if you don''t want to, then I will have to wait for another superior officer to check on¡ª"


    "No, it''s fine,"Brensoncleared his throat and once again stood up straight as he nced back at his team, "Allen, you''re with me. The rest of you, go back to the bay and report what happened¡­ and also contact Presidential candidate Smith and tell him about Rhys Wilder."


    "Are you sure about this, Brenson?"


    "Yes,"Brensonjust nodded, "And Rhys Wilder has a point, we would already be dead if he wanted to. Not¡­ not that you wouldreallykill us, right? You only kill Nobles?"


    "I''ve killed lots of people, Officer Brenson," Rhys answered without any hesitation before gesturing to Brenson to follow him, "But only because I was ordered to."


    "What¡­ about Ss West?" Brenson nervously followed Rhys, once again trying his best not to look nervous in front of him.


    "That was not part of my mission," Rhys shook his head, "That''s why I''m in prison, Sir."


    "R¡­ right, right,"Brensoncleared his throat before ncing at Talia and Edissa, "...And why is there a monster following you again?"


    "Which one are you talking about, thecenleonor Talia?"


    "Thecenleon."


    "You''ll find out soon," Rhys let out a small chuckle. The walk inside the prison was relevantly quiet, but as soon as Brenson saw the corpses scattered everywhere, he and hispanion could not help but raise their guards.


    "What¡­ what is all of this, Rhys Wilder!?" Try asBrensonand hispanion mighttoescape, it was already toote as they were already inside; the gate to the airstrip, already closed shut behind them.


    "There was a riot between two gangs," Rhys exined, "Of course, I instigated it since¡­ it was my mission to assassinate Michael Curry and Arthur Adams."


    "You¡­ involved innocent people just for your mission!?" Brenson raised his voice.


    "With all due respect, Sir ¡ª all of these people are criminals," Rhys shrugged as he pointed at one of the corpses close to them, "That''s Nathan Lake, found guilty of murder in 3 ounts. That one is Alicia Locke, found guilty of rape of minor children in 12 ounts."


    "That¡­ then what about the monsters? How do you exin that thing?" Brenson nervously nced at Edissa again.


    "You mean them?"


    "...Them?" Brenson blinked a couple of times before looking to where Rhys was pointing, only to see several more cenleons neatly arranging the bodies as soon as they passed by one of the prison halls, "What in the¡ªthere''s more of them!? Are theyactuallyeating the bodies!?"


    Brensonand hispanion once again raised their guardsup, only for Rhys to pat him on the shoulder and gesture to him to rx.


    "Don''t, they are the only innocent people in this prison," Rhys sighed, "Mike, Michael ¡ª the Noble with the dark skin I surrendered to you earlier has been digging a Hole for months now, unbeknownst to onnell and the other staff ¡ª they''re all dead, by the way."


    "What¡­!?"Brensonand hispanion could not help but just carefully approach the hall; their steps,asquiet as they could be as they tried getting closer to the cenleons.


    "Hm. I happened to save their pack when Talia and I dove through the Hole and met them, you don''t have to worry, they''re very¡­ friendly. Just don''t get too close."


    "R¡­ right."


    Andas Brenson and hispanion werepletely perplexed and mesmerized at the situation they suddenly found themselves in, Talia subtly pulled Rhys away to talk to him.


    "Operation: Typhon¡­?" Talia whispered, "Couldn''t youe up with a better mission title?"


    "As long as they believe it," Rhys just shrugged at Talia as he nced at her.


    "And are you sure we can trust this¡­ Mayor?"


    "Who knows," Rhys smiled at Talia, "But he''s always used me as a political pawn. So, if he doesn''t want to be seen coborating with a criminal for a massacre¡­


    ¡­then he better make up a good story."


    "Heh... You fucking maniptive bastard."

 Chapter 228 Rising

    "Operation¡­ Typhon? Ha¡­ Haha¡­ Ahahaha!"


    "M¡­Mayor?"


    A few hours after the supply team left Typhon''s Ind, Brenson, who opted toe back with them to the city since he was getting the creeps from the cenleons, personally went to the Mayor to tell what Rhys told him.


    Brenson was already a little weirded out with the situation, and now that the mayor-turned-presidential candidate was justughing at him hard, to the point that therge desk in front of him was shaking ¡ª it would seem he was fooled.


    "I¡­ I knew it!" Brenson immediately stood up from his chair, "I''ll inform the military right away to subdue Rhys Wilder!"


    "Stop."


    Before Brenson could actually leave, however, the Mayor''s assistant, Dan, blocked his way to the door. Dan then smiled at Brenson before gesturing to him to remain seated.


    "Where¡­ did you suddenly pop out from?" Brenson could not help but just blink a couple of times as he was sure it was only him and the Mayor inside his office. But now, Dan was suddenly here, holding several pamphlets that all promoted the Mayor''s candidacy for President ¡ª Joseph Hayden.


    "Whatever do you mean, Officer Brenson?" Dan smiled as he adjusted his sses, "I have been here from the start. Please, take a seat."


    "That¡­" Brenson then turned to look at Joseph, only to see him also gesturing to him to sit back down.


    "Rhys works with me," Mayor Joseph then smiled while shaking his head, "As you may or may have not known, the boy and I are quite close ¡ª I was the one who sponsored his education when tragedy befell him and his sister."


    "So¡­" Brenson squinted his eyes before proceeding to return to his seat, "...This Operation: Typhon, you really approved it?"


    "Oh, I didn''t just approve it," Joseph seemed incredibly amused as he tried his best not tough, "I was the one who ordered it. After all, you may not be aware, but the criminals locked up in Typhon''s are the worst of the worst, incredibly dangerous."


    "I''m aware, I deliver supplies there," Brenson nodded, "They even dug a Hole inside. Luckily, Wilder was there."


    "A Hole¡­ Yes, a Hole," the smile on Joseph''s face widened even further, "That is exactly why I sent Mr. Rhys Wilder there, since I have been receiving reports from my informants that something¡­ terrible is going on."


    "...And so you ordered him to massacre everyone?" Brenson blinked a couple of times.


    "No, of course not," Joseph once again burst out in a fit ofughter, almost causing the entire room to shake; his desk, barely even holding on, "But I trust Mr. Rhys Wilder''s judgment, he probably killed all of them since he saw them as a danger to society."


    "...Isn''t it just because the leaders of the gang are Nobles?" Brenson''s eyebrows began to lower, "And he left the only Commoner gang leader alive. Isn''t this just a hate crime?"


    "Then why is Talia Talcott alive, as you say?" Joseph sighed, "Talia Talcott, an infamous bigot who had killed millions and millions of Lowborns. Why would Rhys keep someone like that alive?"


    "That¡ª"


    "You do not know Mr. Rhys Wilder as I do," Joseph then stood up from his seat, causing Brenson to just turn his head up from how tall he was ¡ª much taller than Rhys, who probably already stood at 6''6", "Mr. Rhys Wilder, you see, is a very stubborn individual; a being of sheer will, if you may. He¡­


    ¡­followed my orders, and I fully hold ountability for what he had done."


    "Wait, so when he killed Ss West¡­" Brenson also stood up, "Did you¡ª"


    "Oh no, that was all him," Mayor Joseph once again burst out inughter as he gestured to Brenson to leave, "I would like to chat more, but I would need to practice a speech, so¡ªif you don''t mind?"


    "Ah, yes. Of course," Brenson awkwardly pointed at the door himself as he started walking away. He could not help but stop, however, as he realized Dan was no longer there¡­ and he did not even hear the door open.


    "Is there something wrong, Brenson?" Joseph asked.


    "N¡­no, not at all," Brenson then just headed to the door, ncing at the Mayor before opening it, "And also, I''ll be voting for you. I think it''s great, what you''re doing for the Lowborns."


    "I''m not only doing this for the Lowborns," Joseph chuckled, "I am doing this for¡­ equality, a real one."


    "Then I hope you win," Brenson then nodded before finally leaving Joseph''s office. And as soon as he did so, Dan the Assistant once again suddenly emerged from nowhere behind Joseph.


    "Mayor, it would seem Mr. Rhys Wilder has yed you," Dan adjusted his sses again, "Although I hate to say it, it would seem he picked up your bad habits. Should I¡­


    ¡­neutralize him?"


    "Hm¡­?"


    Dan''s usually emotionless eyes then widened as he took a step back as Joseph suddenly red at him; sweat, quickly forming on his face.


    "Forgive me for getting ahead of myself," Dan then took in a small gulp as he bowed his head, "I''m¡ª"


    "Pft." And before Dan could even express more of his regret, Mayor Joseph just once again burst out inughter, "Remember when I said that Rhys Wilder is a tree that would birth chaos?"


    "He seems to be doing that very well, Mayor."


    "Beyond my expectations," Joseph chuckled, "Politics, dear boy, strives in chaos ¡ª Mr. Rhys Wilder just gave us the opportunity to win this whole thing."


    "Then let me congratte you in advance, President Hayden," Dan once again bowed his head. This time even lower, "Although I did not doubt you would seed even without Mr. Wilder''s stunt. But¡­


    ¡­what do you n to do with him now? Get him out of prison?"


    "Get him out of prison?" Joseph smiled sarcastically at Dan, "He only just got there ¡ª and based on our friend''s story, Rhys just encountered a tribe of cenleons. I''ll let it y out."


    "...Could it be you already knew this was going to happen?" Dan squinted his eyes.


    "You overestimate me, Mr. Dan," Joseph shook his head, "I do not control the boy''s actions. I merely¡­ create a path for him."


    "The cenleons just happened to be right near the Hole?"


    "Who knows," Joseph then ced his hand on his back as he looked out the window, "But as I have said, Mr. Dan. I strive for equality, where everyone stands on the same ground. Lowborns, Commoners, Nobles. And of course, let''s not forget¡­


    ¡­our people below."


    ***


    "...Are we safe?"


    "We should be, it has already been a week since those government ves left."


    Back on Typhon''s Ind, Dominique and Talia were out in the yard, both bathing in the warmth rays of the sun with nothing but their underwear on. It wasn''t only them, the female members of Dominique''s gang were also with them and just rxing there.


    As for the men, they were busy reconstructing the prison and fixing it. But of course, one might say this was unfair, but not at all ¡ª they were all fixing the prison, it just so happened that it was the men''s shift.


    But perhaps the most surprising of all of this is that the cenleons were working too. Obviously the others still could not understand them, but they were still working together without any problems or without eating each other.


    "B¡­ Big Boss, you shouldn''t really be doing this."


    "No, it''s fine."


    And even Rhys was not an exemption, as everyone watched as he practically carried arge boulder and covered arge hole in the wall; evenpressing and crushing it so that it wouldpletely fit and taper the broken wall,


    "I might be gone for a long time, so let me do my part."


    Rhys was about to wipe off his sweat, but before he could do so, Edissa suddenly appeared and wiped the sweat for him. Edissa was no longerpletely naked, and was now wearing a prison uniform¡­ albeit begrudgingly.


    Her and the other female cenleon''s breasts swaying around was a distraction for everyone working, and that is why Rhys told them to cover up.


    "Big Boss¡­ are you really diving down the Hole again? Didn''t you and the Boss almost diest time?"


    "The Ice Warden should be gone by now," Rhys nodded, "And we can''t just be stuck here forever ¡ª we need to see what''s down there."


    "But¡­ wouldn''t we be killed and arrested if they found out?"


    "I have a feeling that''s not going to happen," Rhys smiled as he recalled Mayor Joseph''s face, "All of you might even be pardoned soon."


    "R¡­ really!?"


    "Well, except Kristie," Rhys then pointed at the bald woman sunbathing, "Her crimes are, well¡­ up there."


    "Pft," the men working all quickly stopped what they were doing as theyughed.


    "What are you talking about, Rhys?" Edissa, who noticed everyoneughing, could not help but ask Rhys what was going on, "Are¡­ they happy that we are finally returning to our home?"


    "Oh no, not you," Rhys waved his hand, "What about you? Aren''t you happy that you''re returning home?"


    "We have no home, Rhys," Edissa shook her head, "Maha and the others are just nning to join a bigger tribe and tell them what happened. But¡­ are you reallying with us?"


    "Yes¡­" Rhys nodded before ncing at Talia; the Hearts floating above her head, not really showing any progression ¡ª he needed to do something else to capture her heart, "...I would like to meet your people, Edissa."


    "But¡­ why?"


    "Well, I am your Bond¡­" Rhys smiled at Edissa, causing her feline ears to quickly go down,


    "...I feel like it''s my obligation to get to know you and your people more. Don''t you agree?"


    "That¡­" Edissa''s healing ws slightly showed themselves as her fur started to stand on their ends; her¡­ posterior, slightly rose as she heard Rhys''s words whisper into her ears,


    "...You¡­ don''t really need to do that."


    "Well¡­


    ¡­I want to."

 Chapter 229 The Plan

    "Wait, you''re really going? Are you crazy!?"


    The damage to the prison was extremely substantial, and yet just after a few days, Rhys and the rest of the inmates were able to plug in all the holes and cracks. They were lucky, as three of Dominique''s gang members were Elemental types able to control earth, and one was even able to bend metal.


    There really was no point in fixing the prison since there were only a few of them left and they wouldn''t even be using half of the space, but Rhys insisted on fixing it¡­ because he had other ns for the ce.


    And now that it was almostpletely back to its previous splendor, Rhys was finally leaving the prison ¡ª not back to society, but to the Underworld with the cenleons as he promised them.


    "Just let the beasts go back on their own. Why would they even need you, a literal outsider, to help guide them in their own world?" Dominique, however, waspletely against the idea; to the point that she was even pulling and snatching Rhys''s bag from him; the two, now just both holding his bag.


    "Can¡­ you let go of my bag first, Dom?" And although there was a smile on Rhys''s face, his eye was starting to twitch as Dominique wouldn''t let go of his bag, "You do know you''re harassing an amputee veteran, right?"


    "Bullshit, you didn''t even serve for a year," Dominique also had a smile on her face, but it was clear she was also annoyed at Rhys, "And you''re not in the Suicide Squad anymore, you little bitch. So, why are youmitting suicide, huh?"


    "Boss¡­"


    Dominique''s gang, who have been watching this exchange unfold for more than an hour now, could no longer help themselves from interfering as they approached Dominique,


    "Could it be¡­ that you''ve fallen in love with the Big Boss?"


    "What the fuck!?" And as soon as Dominique heard that, she finally let go of Rhys''s bag and looked at her gang, "Who said that!? You all know full well I''m a full-on dude. Like, pussy here, pussy there!"


    Dominique started gesturing all sorts of obscenity with her hands while she stuck out her tongue, causing her men to justugh at her. As for Rhys, he could not help but just sigh as he stared at the Hearts floating above her head.


    Four out of five of them, nowpletely filled up ¡ª and the fifth one has been flickering on and off for the past couple of days. It was, however, still true that Dominique did not harbor any romantic feelings for him, not at all. Riley had tried testing it, but all he got from Dominique was a disgusted and weirded-out expression as he tried to flirt with her¡ªno.


    She outrightughed at Rhys''s face. Suffice it to say, he wasn''t going to try that again. Dominique truly does, andpletely swings for the other team. The Hearts she was harboring for him, they werepletely¡­ tonic.


    "Dom," Rhys then let out a short but very deep sigh as he approached Dominique and ced his hand on her shoulder, "I''ll be back as soon as I get them to their city."


    "You don''t even know what kind of city that is¡­" Dominique whispered as she nced at the cenleons, who were already waiting for Rhys. Dominique whispered, even fully knowing that the cenleons couldn''t even understand a word she was saying, "...Even if we have gotten close to these beasts, they''re still beasts who eat humans. Who knows what they''re going to do to you there?


    Have you ever thought that maybe they will use you as an offering so they could be epted by the other tribe or something?"


    "That¡­ won''t happen," Rhys shook his head even though he was actually also sharing Dominique''s concerns, "I have Edissa with me, I am her Bond."


    "And Bond, what does that even mean? Like, she''s your ve now?" Dominique nced at Edissa, "I mean, I gotta admit she''s god damn pretty and all, and she has really nice tits. And I would''ve definitely tapped that¡­


    ¡­except for the fact that she has four legs, and the lower body of a fucking lion! I know your dick''s big, bro ¡ª but what the fuck!?"


    "...How did your mind even go there?" Rhys then took a step back as he looked Dominique in the eyes, "As I said, there''s no need to worry ¡ª you know how strong I am."


    "I do," Dominique pointed at Rhys''s face, "And I also know how abnormal and strong the creatures down there could get. You always have to remember¡­ the chance of you dying down there is always high, no matter what."


    "I''ll crawl back up if I''m missing all my limbs," Rhys waved his hand before adjusting and finally equipping his bag, "Okay, bro? I''ll be back before you know it."


    "I''m not your ''bro'', bro. I''m a fucking woman, call me sister," Dominique shook her head.


    "You just said you were a ''full-on dude'' just moments ago," Rhys and Dominique''s men all shook their heads and sighed.


    "Yeah, but that doesn''t change the fact that I''m a woman, bitch. If I wasn''t, then that would just mean I''m straight. Ah, what the fuck. Just go, I don''t care about you," Dominique scoffed before walking away, "But if you don''te back, I promise you, you little bitch¡­"


    Dominique then nced at Rhys, looking up at him with her eyes filled with an almost seething rage,


    "...I will fucking drag you back here even if I have to raze the entire Underworld."


    "...Roger that," Rhys smiled and nodded, but Dominique just once again scoffed; shaking her head while walking away with her men.


    "Are you sure you do not want apanion, Rhys Wilder?"


    And as soon as the others were gone, Talia approached Rhys from behind, "The dyke''s right, you can never underestimate the Underworld. This world will suffer without you."


    "...You''re overestimating my existence too much," Rhys shook his head.


    "I am not," Talia closed her eyes as he took in a very long and deep breath, "Your existence is the result of a thousand years of history. The perfect existence that we have strived for, that the world has waited for. With your seed flourishing, humans could reach heights they could have never imagined reaching."


    "Stop that, Talia," Rhys approached Talia and gently ced his hand on her cheek, "I do not care what the world would think, I only want to be more than good enough for you, and for the others."


    "If you want to be good enough for me, then you need to be good enough for the world, boy," an arrogant smirk crawled on Talia''s face. But even with her arrogance, however, she still rested her cheek on his hand in the end, "And do not lie to my face, Wilder¡­


    ¡­you very much care what the world thinks of you, that is your greatest weapon. You, like me, are a despicable being who maniptes and uses people ¡ª perhaps the only difference is that you really care for them."


    "...You''re the third person who has said that to me."


    "I''m assuming the other two are in your harem?"


    "I¡­ don''t have a harem."


    "Speaking of your harem¡­" Taliapletely ignored Rhys''s words, "Have you put your seed in any of them already? Perhaps in Ayesha? I would really like to see that offspring the two of you would produce, or perhaps that Noble princess, or her aunt who controls fire."


    "No," Rhys quickly answered, "That''s not part of my n."


    "It should be," Talia leaned away, "How else are you going to create the mightiest army in the world?"


    "...I won''t use any of my future children as soldiers," Rhys looked Talia in the eyes, "That is not the future I want for them, for any of them."


    "Tch, just go ¡ª I''ll handle things here while you are gone," Talia pushed Rhys away, "Since I''m now affiliated with you, their perception of me should have somewhat changed already."


    "You might meet the others. At least, Maria should be on the next supply," Rhys nodded, "I have a feelng you won''t like her. She''s¡­ a little special in the head."


    "Rhys, you''re the most deranged person I have ever met. No one would top you."


    "You know what, I retract my words. I actually think the two of you might just get along."


    "Just go, make sure to retur¡ª"


    "I will." And before Talia could even finish her words, Rhys suddenly embraced her, "I will make sure to always return to you, Talia."


    "Stop that," Talia clicked her tongue. She did not, however, push Rhys away and just rested her head on his chest. But a few secondster, she whispered in his ear,


    "Don''t think I don''t know what you''re trying to do with this prison, Rhys. You''re not really bringing these half-breeds home, are you? The reason you fixed Typhon''s... You¡­


    ¡­You''re trying to get more of them."

 Chapter 230 The Underworld

    "You''re not really bringing these half-breeds home, are you? You¡­


    ¡­You''re trying to get more of them."


    There was a silence between the two as Talia whispered those words to Rhys. Of course, the silence was as short as the distance between Talia''s lips and his ears, as Rhys responded with a somewhat silent chuckle and pulled Talia even closer to him.


    "I don''t know what you''re talking about, Talia," Rhys whispered back.


    "There should be no secrets between us, Rhys Wilder," Talia, however, just tiptoed even higher and stuck her cheek on Rhys''s, "And it truly is quite obvious that you''re doing that ¡ª and Imend you for it. For someone who ims to hate all the politics, you''re the biggest of us all."


    "..." Rhys stayed quiet for a few seconds before just letting out a sigh; his warm breath, causing a slight tingle on Talia''s ear, "I''ve grown tired of the world talking about me, Talia ¡ª it''s time to give them something else to talk about."


    "Don''t fool yourself, boy," Talia chuckled as she pulled away from Rhys, "You will always be at the center of this. Now go, your half-breeds are waiting."


    "Don''t¡­ call them that."


    "It''s not like they understand," Talia''s chuckle then turned into a full-on st ofughter as she walked away; herugh, not fading away even after she disappeared as it echoed across the empty hallways of the prison.


    "That old human¡­" And as soon as she was gone, Edissa approached Rhys, "...I can truly see why you have chosen her as one of your mates ¡ª her personality is quite strong, a true leader. And¡­ she''s incredibly strong too."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just nodded before looking up at Edissa, "...Are you and the others ready?"


    "We''ve actually just been waiting for you, Rhys," Edissa nodded back before the two of them walked to Maha and the other cenleons.


    "You truly did not need toe with us, human," Maha stepped forward as soon as he saw Rhys approaching them.


    "I do," Rhys shrugged, "None of you are used to diving through Holes. If there is a chance that something else is down there that can kill you, it will kill you since all of you will be vulnerable."


    "We are not that weak," one of the cenleons slightly hissed. He was going to step forward, but the other cenleons stopped him.


    "Forgive him, human," Maha sighed while shaking his head, "He is Meelo, Muran''s brother."


    "Muran? Who''s that?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "You dare not remember the warrior you''ve humiliated!?" Meelo once again hissed; this time even more feral as he red at Rhys, "I swear, I will not rest until I avenge my brother!"


    "Meelo, that is enough!" Maha raised his voice as he also bared his fangs at Meelo, "We have already talked about this! We¡ª"


    "Let us clear something here."


    And before Maha could finish his words, he and the rest of the cenleons felt a familiar feelinging from Rhys that caused all of their hair and fur to just stand up on their ends. It was the very same feeling they felt when the Ice Warden just trampled on their vige.


    "None of you are my friends," Rhys whispered out, "We have spent time together, yes ¡ª but do not forget that you are refugees here, and I helped you."


    It wasn''t fear.


    It wasn''t even anger. All of them were just feeling¡­ hopeless.


    Maha could not really say anything anymore and just looked at Rhys as he suddenly red at him; the tone of his voice, now devoid of any of the friendliness he was sharing with Edissa.


    "And I am helping you still," Rhys ced his hand on his back as he stared at the rest of the cenleons in their eyes, "I could just very well send you off and push you down that Hole back where you came from. Most of you would probably faint, and then be eaten by whatever''s on the other side ¡ª and trust me, I can still do that even if I dove with all of you¡­


    ¡­I can even make it easier for all the predators down there to do so. Break all of your limbs, and then watch as you try to just crawl while some monsters devour your brethren. But I won''t do that ¡ª but not for any of you, but for Edissa."


    "Rhys¡­" Edissa could not help but just whisper out as she heard Rhys''s words. And unlike the rest of her people, none of Rhys''s killing intent was pointed at her.


    "Edissa wants toe with all of you to this other tribe," Rhys continued his words, "And as she is my Bond, that means I need her toe back safely ¡ª she can''t do that if she''s alone. So¡­


    ¡­let''s get to it, then."


    Rhys then finally smiled as he gestured to Edissa to walk with him to the Hole ¡ª only a couple of them could really fit, so Edissa and Rhys went ahead and just dove down without waiting for anyone else. But of course, as everyone heard Edissa just scream out from the top of her lungs, the other cenleons realized that they truly did need Rhys.


    "Meelo¡­" Maha grunted before walking toward the cell, "...Let it go."


    And with those words, Maha just let himself fall down. His voice which was filled with bravado, however, was quickly reced by a shriek.


    "The Chief''s right, Meelo¡ª there is something obviously wrong with that human, or all of the humans we have seen so far. They are¡­ incredibly strong, not like with the stories we have heard as¡ª"


    "I don''t fucking care!" Meelothen hissed at his brethren, causing them to just shake their heads and just dive down the Hole. As for Meelo, he stayed on the Surface for a few more seconds, baring his fangs to no one before finally diving into the Hole. And just like the rest of his brethren, he screamed like a little girl.


    As soon as all of them were gone, however, Talia suddenly stepped out of the shadows; her eyes ring at the cell.


    "...Sad, I wanted to kill one of these half-breeds," Talia then let out a sigh, disappointed that no one created trouble for Rhys, "Well¡­


    ¡­I''ll have more chances."


    ***


    "R¡­ Rhys, your¡­ your advice worked! I didn''t even feel dizz¡ª"


    "You shouldn''t move¡­ immediately."


    Rhys could really only let out a short but very deep sigh as Edissa wheezed and puked in front of him. An improvement on her side, perhaps, as other than her, no one else puked¡­ because they werepletely knocked out.


    "Oh¡­?" And while the rest were still unconscious, Rhys took this chance to scout the surrounding area, only to find he did not need to at all as he could see everything from a mile away, "This¡­ was a Meadow region?"


    The knee-thick snow that covered the surrounding area was allpletely gone, reced by a verdant field that spanned probably for miles before he could see a Region Shift in the distance.


    It would be an understatement for Rhys to say that this was the best view of the Underworld he had ever seen ¡ª as aside from the Regions that were covered in thick fog to hide them from the rest of the globe-like world, Rhys could see everything clearly; finally getting a sense of how trulyrge the Underworld is.


    "No," Edissa, however, had none of Rhys''s glimmer. And it wasn''t because she was still nauseated, "This was a vast forest¡­ the Ice Warden destroyed everything. But like me and my tribe, it will rise again ¡ª that is how it has always been."


    "...I don''t think your tribe is rising anytime soon," Rhys let out a disappointed sigh as he nced at all the sprawled cenleons behind him. Rhys had never seen a centaur before, but he was sure they weren''t as flexible as the cenleons who could curl their entire body into a ball.


    "How far is it again?"


    "I believe it''s there."


    Rhys turned to look to where Edissa pointed to, only to see a region from the distancepletely covered in fog.


    "That''s about 2¡­ 300 kilometers?" Rhys squinted, "We should have brought a jeep with us. Well, not like it would fit in the Hole."


    "Rhys, I have been meaning to ask¡­" Edissa wiped the sweat from her forehead as the color on her face finally returned, "...That flying thing which held humans inside it, was it some sort of¡­ creature? Like this Jeep you keep mentioning in the past few days."


    "Humans¡­ are not as dumb as you think we are ¡ª well, we are, but not in the way you think," Rhys let out a small and deep sigh as he tried to find the right words, "We are¡­ more technologically advanced than you. Objectively¡­ more knowledgeable in terms of creating things of convenience."


    "...Our ideas of the Forbidden Land truly are different," Edissa lowered her head, "We have always thought of it as a yground for the gods."


    "You''ve said," Rhys let out another small sigh as he decided to wake up the rest of the cenleons.


    "It''s just weird," Edissa followed Rhys, "You have been calling this, our world as the Underworld ¡ª but that is also what we call your world."


    "What do you mean?" Rhys nced at Edissa.


    "Your world," Edissa shrugged, "It''s¡­ Hell? That''s why the gods send the monsters there, it''s punishment. To punish¡­ your kind?"


    "Punish our kind¡­?"


    "It''s an old story, actually¡­ it might have been just a fable," Edissa shrugged, "I don''t really know much about it ¡ª but if you want to know more, then¡­


    ¡­I''m sure the city we are going to would have more information."

 Chapter 231 Barred

    "Are any of you ready!? How much fur do I need to shed for all of you to move!? We''ve already wasted time just waiting for all of you! You, old man, you''re holding everyone down!"


    "Edissa¡­ he''s still your father. You don''t need to be so¡ª"


    "Shut up, we''re no longer tribesmen!"


    Rhys thought that Edissa had already moved on from her father just giving her away as a Bond since they had been talking a lot during the time they were fixing the prison, but it would seem that was not the case at all.


    Edissa still clearly holds a grudge.


    "We will leave once another one of my furs flies away from my body, anyone still not ready will be left behind!"


    These cenleons, they have a lot of pride and more to spare. Rhys has already noticed it ever since meeting them ¡ª but as long as it doesn''t involve their death, they are incredibly stubborn. Maha and some of them still clearly have not recovered at all from the whish of the gravity shift, and yet they forced themselves to stand up on their paws.


    As for Rhys, he did not really bother much about them as his chronic overthinking tendencies wereing back to him. He already promised himself and Aethelc that he won''t pursue any of the gods'' bullshit and that it didn''t concern him ¡ª his only mission was to make sure no one would be above him and abuse him anymore.


    And yet, right now, Edissa''s words repeated in his mind.


    King Aethelc told him that the true enemies were the gods, Arachnea told him something simr, and now Edissa was just confirming all of it.


    If the gods truly were ying with them¡­ then doesn''t that mean that all of his suffering was because of them?


    They sent the monsters to the Surface, and then impregnated the humans with their seed in order for them to fight back ¡ª and ording to Edissa, they all did that just for entertainment¡­


    ¡­and as punishment for the humans'' sins. What sins?


    For the poption of the Underworld, the Surface was Hell¡­


    ¡­and that they were originally from the Underworld.


    "...No," Rhys then whispered to himself and shook his head, "It doesn''t matter."


    "Did you say something, Rhys?"


    And before Rhys could start talking to himself, Edissa tapped him on the shoulder,


    "The others are ready to leave. Are you¡ª!!!"


    And before Edissa could finish her words, Rhys suddenly grabbed her hand before just leaping above her and sitting on top of her feline body.


    "Wha¡ª" Edissa quickly lost strength in her legs and dropped to the ground; her face, turning incredibly red.


    "Oh¡­ I''m sorry," Rhys quickly jumped down and stood in front of Edissa, "Are you still weak from the gravity shift?"


    "N¡­No!" Edissa quickly shook her head, "Stop¡ªstop going on top of me, Rhys! I''m not a centaur who would let a bipedal bond on top of me, nor a horse for that matter! Stop doing that!"


    "...You mean I can''t ride you?"


    "I''m not a horse!" Edissa covered her face, "We¡­ only our mate is allowed to go on top of us! It¡­ it literally leaves us weak and vulnerable."


    "You have the same weak point as a cat?" Rhys slightly leaned away as he looked at Edissa from head to toe before looking behind her waist, at the part where her human body and feline body began to merge, "...But that''s not your neck."


    And as soon as Edissa heard that, she quickly covered her neck from Rhys.


    "Wh¡­what are you going to do!?"


    "Nothing¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes; his thoughts, doing deeper into a rabbit hole as he started to think how exactly he would mate with Edissa when the time came. He was sure that, unlike Arachnae, Edissa was not able to separate herself from her feline body since she wasn''t exactly a god.


    Once again, Rhys''s morality and ethics were being challenged.


    "Why¡­" Edissa, who was about to stand up, once again quickly lowered her hind leg as she noticed Rhys suddenly looking at her behind, "...I am your Bond, not your mate!"


    "I wasn''t thinking of anything like that," Rhys quickly said while shaking his head, "If the others have recovered, then let''s not waste any time."


    "R¡­ right," Edissa''s tail started to il as her ears stood up. And as they did so, the other cenleons all started to move. At first, they were only walking, but as theirg finallypletely dissipated, Edissa and the others started running ¡ª and they were fast, incredibly so. If it wasn''t for Ayesha''s ability and his unlimited stamina, he would have probably been left behind by them.


    They weren''t only fast, they were agile too. As soon as they reached a Forest region, Edissa and the others opted to move above the trees; leaping from one branch to the next; how they were able to stand on the thin branches despite their heavy weight, Rhys could really only guess.


    One thing Rhys did notice, however¡­ was that they were traversing the harder path on purpose.


    "I think it''s best if we slow down, everyone!" Edissa raised her voice, but Maha and the others did not really listen to her at all as they just continued to run through the trees. Edissa then turned to look at Rhys to see how he was doing, only to see him just also casually leaping from tree to tree.


    Unlike them, however, Rhys was practically causing a storm of leaves to drop as every tree he leaped upon swayed from the sheer force of his kick,


    "Are¡­ you not tired, Rhys?"


    "Ask me again in a few hours," Rhys only smiled at Edissa.


    "I''m sorry¡­" Edissa sighed as she followed Rhys''s rhythm, "...It is obvious they are making it hard for you."


    "It''s fine," Rhys shook his head, "The faster I get back to the Surface, the better anyway¡­ We should just run to the city without stopping."


    Another hour had passed, and the cenleons finally stopped running as soon as they were out of the Forest Region. Most of them were already breathing through their mouths, and the hot Desert region they now found themselves in did not help at all.


    "That human¡­" Meelo grabbed the bottle of water his friend was drinking and chugged it while ring at Rhys, "...I swear, I will have him killed as soon as we get to Nahisha."


    "...Why don''t you just give it up?" His friend snatched the bottle from him, "The humans that we''ve met so far on the Surface arepletely different from the ones we''re eating ¡ª there''s something wrong with them. Why are they so strong¡­?"


    "Who cares? They''re still food," Meelo''s fangs started to show themselves as a growl almost escaped his lips, "And they should remain our food. Once we reach the city, I will¡ª"


    "Since you''re so excited to reach the city,"


    And before Meelo could finish his words, Rhys suddenly turned his head toward him and started approaching,


    "We should just continue on with our journey. I think that would be the best for everyone so we can get you home as fast as possible."


    "What¡­?" Edissa quickly walked beside Rhys, "But we just ran more than a hundred kilometers at full speed, Rhys. We need to rest."


    "Rest? Obviously not," Rhys let out a small chuckle as he continued to move closer to Meelo; looking him in the eyes as his voice turned deep, "Since all of you have the energy to chat with your lungs, then you have the energy to run."


    Unfortunately for everyone there, Rhys spent more than a month as a drill instructor in the Underworld Corps ¡ª and perhaps the most terrifying one since he literally couldn''t get tired.


    "So¡­ Arise, kittens," Rhys chuckled, "We have a long road ahead of us."


    "You think we''ll just follow your ord¡ª!!!"


    And before Meelo could finish his words, Rhys grabbed him by the cheeks and squeezed his jaw tight,


    "Yes. Yes, you will."


    One might consider this bullying, and Rhys not being better than the people he hated ¡ª but it wasn''t. It was obvious that Meelo and the other cenleons wished for his harm, he was already being amicable by not framing their murder here and now.


    "If you don''t run, then I suppose you''re the weakest of the pride."


    And as soon as Rhys said those words, it was almost as if the eyes of the cenleons lit up as they all hid their water bottles and stood up; not even waiting for the others as they started running again.


    Edissa, who saw this, could not help but just cover her face in shame.


    "We¡­ we truly aren''t the smarter species, are we?" Edissa asked.


    "Collectively, perhaps," Rhys shrugged, "But individually, I assure you ¡ª there are a lot of dumb humans. Anyway, what are you doing?"


    "Hm?"


    "Run."


    "...Right."


    And after almost an entire day, Rhys and the cenleons finally arrived at their destination. And surprisingly, without encountering any troubles. There were monsters, but the group did not really bother and just continued their pace.


    Most of the cenleons quickly just dropped or fainted while holding their heart as soon as they reached the so-called city ¡ª well, Rhys was assuming that it was a city, but he could not really see anything since it was covered by arge gate, and an even taller wall.


    Rhys would have liked to already see the inside, but¡­


    "Don''t, he''s with us!"


    "Why is this human not tied up!? And which tribe are you from!?"


    The city wasn''t letting them enter.

 Chapter 232 Offering

    "Why is this human not bound!?"


    "Which tribe are you from!?"


    "State your intent!"


    Of course, it wouldn''t be as simple as just walking into the city and being weed by the other tribe. Rhys already knew he was going to have trouble even trying to get near the so-called city, but he didn''t think that even Edissa''s tribe would be at the res of the cenleon knights.


    Knights ¡ª that was the only way Rhys could really describe them.


    Unlike Edissa''s group, who waspletely naked when Rhys met them and did not seem to have problems in being so, the cenleons in front of him werepletely armored; the only thing you could see with them were their tails, paws, and head.


    Cenleons, from Rhys''s observation thest few days, were highly reliant on their flexibility and agility ¡ª they were almost twice as big as humans, but they were incredibly fast. Wouldn''t the armor hinder their natural ability to move?


    "Please, our tribe is seeking refuge in the grand city of Nahisha!" After finally being given the chance to speak, Maha sat down on all fours and even ced his hand on the ground, and he was not alone; the rest of the tribe and even Edissa got down as he did so, "I am the leader of a ruined tribe, my vige was on the path of the winter of death ¡ª this is all that remains of my people.


    I wish to submit, my title surrendered."


    "Hm¡­ which tribe?"


    And while Maha started speaking with the guards, the only thing Rhys could really do was scan the surrounding area. Nahisha was in a Mixed Region ¡ª a Swamp Region, and a Rocky region. There were a lot of trees, most crawling through boulders and thick rocks. Even the walls of their city seemed to have been born by the merger between the two.


    The water lines that crawled randomly through the damp ground were covered by t wooden bridges ¡ª the city and their region had all the right to be chaotic and messy, and yet Rhys could not help but be in awe of how clean and proper everything was. If anything, it reminded him of the old estates of Nihon, bringing out the elegance of nature.


    ¡­The insects, however, were another matter. No wonder the cenleons were wearing thick armor, Rhys could see what seemed to be a mosquito the size of arge dog just casually resting on the wall¡ªwell, saw. It was suddenly eaten by a fog kameleos, the very same species Rhys encountered during his Explorer Exam.


    It¡­ was amazing ¡ª these people found a way to live with these creatures, and it all seemed so natural. Why¡­ couldn''t the humans have done the same?


    "Him, we are offering him!"


    And while Rhys was once again busy in his own world, Meelo suddenly stood up from the ground and started violently pointing at Rhys. Rhys just nced at Meelo for a few moments before looking at the guards.


    Rhys did not even have to think what sort of conversation they had to know what was happening ¡ª Nahisha was not going to let Maha''s tribe inside the city without any offering, and Rhys, a human, just happened to be here.


    "Are you mocking us!?" The guards, however, seemed to not be as excited or proud as Meelo as their ws and fangs showed themselves while approaching Rhys; their eyes, looking at him from head to toe, "You dare offer your leftovers to us!?"


    "..." Rhys could really only look at his missing arm before looking back at the guard, and after a few moments, Rhys closed his eyes as he tried his best not tough. This expression, however, caused the guards'' eyebrows to lower as they red at Rhys.


    "Why is this humanughing!?" The guards then put their attention to Maha and Meelo, "Did you poison or drug him!? And you are giving him to us!?"


    "No¡­ no! We did not such thing!" Maha quickly lowered his head even further; his eyes, now ring at Meelo, "He¡­ he is not an offering!"


    "Then does that mean you came here with nothing to off¡ª"


    And before the guard could even finish his word, they all turned toward Rhys as he suddenly dropped to the floor and started convulsing.


    "Ah! I knew it, you poisoned him! Guards, this is a ploy! They are attacking us!"


    "Wait, no! Please!" Maha finally stood up while shaking his head vehemently, "We have truly lost our home, please! This is not what you think it is!"


    "We are done with words, kill the¡ª"


    "Pft."


    And once again, everyone was interrupted as they heard a soft chuckleing from Rhys, who was now standing up with an amused expression on his face,


    "Sorry¡­" Rhys then let out a small sigh, "...Humor is new to me."


    "The¡­ the human speaks!?"


    And with that, the attention of all the guards was on Rhys ¡ª even those who were on top of the wall could not help but look down; their ears slightly fidgeting as they tried to confirm if they heard it right.


    "I do," Rhys nodded, "My name is Rhys, and in exchange for letting these people in, I''m offering information."


    "What the¡ªIt''s sorcery!"


    And as the guards once again bared their ws and fangs at Rhys, he realized he may have made a mistake. And it was solidified as soon as they started rushing at him without any word or hesitation.


    The only thing Rhys could really do was close his eyes andment his situation. And as he opened them again, a pair of hands was already swinging toward him; their w, almost like daggers.


    Rhys, however, just casually took a step to the side and slightly leaned back; not only avoiding the initial attack, but also avoiding the attack of the one lunging at him to the side. It wasn''t his intention to hurt anyone, so he just lightly kicked the guard in front of him, pushing himself away at the same time.


    "Stop this," Rhys groaned while casually dodging a sneak attack from behind; stomping his foot on the ground and lightly kicking the damp dirt and probably lots of algae onto the guard''s face ¡ª the guard, however, was able to dodge it.


    Rhys had noticed it before during his duel with Muran ¡ª although Muran was clearly weaker than him by a mile, Rhys noticed their innate insane reflexes. But of course, it was nothingpared to the ability he received from Arachnea.


    The guard who avoided the dirt continued to rush toward Rhys, but Rhys just casually pushed him away; causing him to roll several times on the ground before recovering again.


    "Edissa¡­" Rhys then nced at Edissa, who absolutely had no idea what to do, "...Does your tribe really need this city?"


    "Yes¡­?" Edissa blinked a couple of times as she watched Rhys just casually toying with the guards, "We¡­ can''t join a smaller tribe, they will just see us aspetition and kill us."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys let out a small sigh before he finally stopped dodging; the thick water crawling beneath their feet, now suddenly rising along with Rhys''s hand. Rhys did not continue to raise his hand, however, as he just closed it into a fist and suddenly lowered it.


    And as soon as he did so, the damp ground beneath the guards'' feet suddenly started to crawl into their armor¡­ before just suddenly turning heavy and bringing all of them down to the ground,


    "...Enough. Let me speak to someone with authority."


    "You¡ª"


    And as one of the guards still tried to speak, Rhys once again mmed all of them to the ground using the damp dirt inside their armor.


    "I''m not a sorcerer or a wizard or whatever you think of me," Rhys then sat on the ground, imitating the cenleons'' way,


    "I''m¡­ a Son of Eros."


    Rhys then revealed as he looked at everyone ¡ª although this information might be best kept a secret, he was sure that anyone who wants to know it, already knows it. Arachnea knew who he was, and if the gods were interested in him, then he was sure they were already watching him.


    It was best to use it as armor instead.


    "Son of Eros¡­" The guard looked at Rhys with wide eyes,


    "...Who?"


    "Hm¡­" Rhys sighed, "...Right."


    And it would seem it was the same as in the Surface, no one knew the god whose blood flows through his veins. Rhys was about to say something else, but before he could do so, a small rumble trembled in the air as therge gate finally started to open.


    "I heard there was a talking human wanting entry to the city?"


    And there, a cenleon, probably younger than Edissa, walked out of the gates along with an entourage of knights¡­ who were carrying spears and halberds, which judging from the color of their des, were made from their ws.


    "P¡­ Prince Dubhai, please return to the city! It is not safe here!"


    "Ah, is it you! Are you the talking human!?"


    "Yes." And as this slightly jolly cenleon hopped its way toward him with his exaggeratingrge sses, the only thing Rhys could really do was¡­ smile,


    "Yes, I am."

 Chapter 233 The Dessert

    "I''ve never seen a talking human before. Wait, are you really human!? I''ve studied your species for years and¡­"


    Rhys and the others were finally allowed to pass through the gate by Prince Dubhai''s orders. He seemed to be spouting all sorts of things from his excited mouth, but Rhys was not really listening to any of it as he was in slight awe of what he was seeing.


    A city.


    It truly was an entire city. He was expecting somewhat wide streets, market stalls, and a few people walking here and there like how it usually is with those fantasy animations andics ¡ª but it wasn''t like that at all.


    If it wasn''t for the cenleons, then Rhys would have thought he was just visiting a less advanced country with how normal the city looked. In fact, it looked more normal than the sights he saw when he went to Ennd to visit Lina''s royal family.


    There were even streetmps which were clearly run by electricity of some sort.


    This wasn''t Rhys''s first time visiting a settlement of another race, but the ones he did, especially the Hissyrs who had scales for skin but shared more characteristics with humans, were not this advance at all.


    "Ah. That''s called electricity, e¡ªlec¡ªtri¡ªci¡ªty," Prince Dubhai then noticed Rhys looking at the streetmp and immediately pointed at it, "Is it your first time seeing it?"


    "...No," Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as Prince Dubhai slightly leaned down to talk to him even though he was the smallest cenleon he had seen so far, "I was just wondering why you have street lights when the Underworld doesn''t really have a concept of night and day. Does it get dark in this region?"


    "Oh¡­" Prince Dubhai seemed visibly confused as he looked at Edissa, "...This is amazing, no? Where did you even discover this human from? He is even more fluent than the people in the castle."


    "That¡ª" Edissa, who was walking behind the two, didn''t really want to say anything, as in truth, she was slightly embarrassed with what was happening. After all, she had also thought that the humans were savages and just prey with no intellect at all, just slightly smarter than the monsters, but she was quickly proven wrong as soon as she got to live in their world.


    "I can answer your questions, anything you want." Fortunately for her, Rhys answered for her, "Just let Edissa''s tribe live here and we can talk."


    "Oh, that''s no problem at all," Prince Dubhai then gestured to his men to assist Maha and the others, who were behind Edissa and also just looking at this grand city. Of course, Maha quickly bowed his head and followed the guards; he seemed to want to say something to Rhys, but Rhys did not even bother ncing at them as he and Prince Dubhai continued their walk.


    "Oh¡­?" Prince Dubhai, however, stopped walking as he noticed Edissa was still following them, "...Are you not going with them?"


    "I am Rhys''s Bond," Edissa shook her head, "I go where he goes."


    "Ho¡­!?" An almost screaming gasp escaped Prince Dubhai''s mouth as a smile quickly crawled on his face, "One of us¡­ a Bond of a human? That is¡­ wow."


    Prince Dubhai then let out a chuckle of disbelief and gestured with his hand as if his mind was blown. Rhys had noticed this since earlier, but Prince Dubhai''s way of expressing things seemed almost too human.


    "I have so many things to ask you, Rhys. That is your name, right?" Prince Dubhai''s ears almost stood up to their limits as he started walking backward as he talked to Rhys.


    "It is."


    "Yummers," Prince Dubhai smiled, slightly revealing his fangs, "Let''s get to the castle first and get you guys situated."


    "We''ll¡­ be living in the castle?" Edissa could not help but smile at Rhys as she heard that, "We will only really be spending a few hours here before going back."


    "Then stay in the castle," Prince Dubhai shrugged, "I insist¡­


    ¡­I''ve already had them prepare your rooms for you."


    ***


    "What the¡­"


    The only thing Edissa could do was listen as the sound of metal rolled and scratch the ground in front of her. It was then followed by a loud tinkering noise as the guard locked her and Rhys inside a cell in a dungeon.


    "What is the meaning of this, Prince Dubhai!?" Edissa hissed as she mmed her hands on the bars, "Why did you lock us up!?"


    "Why¡­?" Prince Dubhai seemed visibly confused, "...Rhys is a human, I can''t have him roaming around the castle, that would freak the staff ¡ª and someone might eat him, I don''t want a precious subject to be eaten."


    "A¡­ subject?" Edissa''s voice slightly turned weak as she finally looked at the cells on the other side of the dungeon, only to see several humans who werepletely naked; most of them missing their limbs, and some even being fed through a tube, "You¡­ put us in a barn!?"


    "Oh no, no. Me? I don''t eat humans, I''m a vegetarian. I''ve been told that the meat of the humans is the most delicious thing in the entire world, but I just don''t dabble," Prince Dubhai let out a small chuckle as he started waving his hands, "I''m a doctor, and I primarily research humans since they are soplex.


    I''ve always known they were more intelligent than they let on¡­ but for some reason, we just can''t understand each other. Maybe now, with Rhys, we can¡­"


    "What the¡­" Once again, Edissa was leftpletely bbergasted as Prince Dubhai just started talking to himself. He then nced at Rhys, who seemed to have already made himselffortable,ying on hay and just yawning, "Rhys, please help me out here!"


    "Rx, Edissa," Rhys waved her off, "I''m also enjoying hearing his thoughts. A vegan cat, that is new."


    "Rx¡­?" Edissa then once again nced at the humans who looked like they were already begging for death, "He will experiment on you, Rhys. Look at what he is doing to your kind."


    "W¡ª"


    "Who taught you how to speak!?"


    Edissa hissed and jumped from her spot as Prince Dubhai suddenly mmed himself on the metal bars; his breaths, incredibly heavy as he stared at Rhys, "Are you from the Forbidden Land, or were you born here? No¡­ are there any others like you? Do you also know how to read, what about writing?"


    "Prince Dubhai!" Edissa could no longer take the Prince''s incessant yapping as she also mmed her hands on the bars and hissed, causing Prince Dubhai to almost scream as he leaned back, "Let us out, now. You have no idea what you''re trying to do here, or what you''re even dealing with."


    "I do, it''s a human," Prince Dubhai adjusted his sses as he stared at Rhys again, "They are the gods'' most detestable creations. Punished for their greed and disobedience and then sent to the Forbidden Land ¡ª did you know that there are scriptures that hint that the humans were once a thriving people, enough to wage war against the gods?"


    "What?"


    "See?" Prince Dubhai scoffed, "You are the one who has no idea. You people from the smaller tribes are just like these humans, uneducated. The only difference is that we can actually talk to you. And if you''re still not aware of it, I am calling you stupid."


    "Rhys," the tone of Edissa''s voice quickly changed as her eyes became dead there and then, "Can you do to this one what you did to Muran?"


    "That will lead to a lot of problems."


    "Well, you two just talk for now," Prince Dubhai then pped her hands before turning around and leaving, "I''lle back once a few of my fur fall down with some tools and questions. Oh, yes ¡ª I''ll leave this too."


    Prince Dubhai then rolled some sort of ball through the metal bars before letting out an almost childish and exciting giggle.


    "I look forward to seeing what happens next. Ooh¡­ this should be exciting."


    "Why are you so rxed!?" Edissa, however, did not find it so amusing as she just pped the ball away with her paw before pointing at Rhys, "I have only known you for a short amount of time, but this is very out of character for you ¡ª you are a warrior, ruthless. Why did you not intimidate that scrawny cub!?"


    "He thinks I am simple, let him think that," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he sat up, "The more he thinks that, the better we can finesse our way out of this¡ªcan you smell that?"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, he slightly covered his ears as he caught a whiff of something ¡ª and it wasn''t the other humans who were being captive there.


    "It smells¡­" Rhys''s eyebrows began to furrow, "...nice andfortable."


    "No¡­" Edissa, however, did not seem to share his sentiment as she dropped to the floor and started wheezing, almost as if it was too heavy to breathe. She then quickly turned to look at the ball she kicked away, only to see fumes emitting out of it, "...That¡­ that is satyr weed."


    "Satyr weed?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the smoke very slowly starting to fill up their cell, "Some sort of rxant?"


    "N¡­no¡­" Edissa started shaking her head vehemently countless of times as her fur and tail began to stand up, "We¡­ well, they¡­ they use it whenever it is time to mate. It''s¡­


    ¡­an aphrodisiac."

 Chapter 234 This Chapter is Rated ER, But Not The Emergency Room (Slightly R-18)

    Satyr Weed, or as it is widely known by the locals, Horny Satyr Weed. And as its name suggests, it is extremely popr with those who wish to indulge themselves in the pleasures of the flesh.


    Well, perhaps it is even more popr to those who wish to force someone ¡ª as just a single whiff of this would cause even those who arepletely unwilling to suddenly open their legs or thrust their sword to whatever hole they see.


    And right now, the cell Rhys and Edissa were in was currently filled with its fumes. Perhaps if there was a constion to this, it is that one could not even see inside the cell anymore since it waspletely drowned by the smoke of the satyr weed. For some reason, the smoke was not even seeping out of the cell even with the gaps of the metal bars. Magic, perhaps?


    "Edissa¡­?"


    Rhys could really only squint his eyes as he watched as Edissa seemed to struggle. He could not really see her that well through the veil of lust, but the way her silhouette moved was enough for Rhys to tell that she waspletely out of it.


    Her hind legs were shaking while her front legs werepletely down on the floor; her hands, practically ripping off the clothes from her skin as she started touching her own breasts. But of course, Rhys could really only guess that that is what she was doing, he can''t see her properly, after all.


    But he can see enough due to Arachnea''s senses.


    "R¡­ Rhys¡­" Edissa''s words flowed like a feather through Rhys''s ears. There was a slight whimper in them, a soft and singing moan, "Don''t¡­ don''t do anything, please."


    "I won''t," Rhys shook his head, as unlike Edissa, he waspletely lucid. The aphrodisiac has no effect on him at all, perhaps thanks to Eros¡ªno. It did have an effect on him, but not mentally; the thing between his legs was throbbing uncontrobly, "But you need to rx, Edissa."


    "How¡­? How!?" Edissa''s voice became high-pitched as she started grabbing her arms; her long tail, starting to move on its own and started brushing between her hind legs. But of course, Rhys could really only specte that that is what she was doing, "It¡­ it''s starting to hurt. I need¡­ I need to distract myself with something."


    "I can''t see anything, Edissa," Rhys let out a small sigh while shaking his head, "If you want to do something, I won''t mind."


    "No!" Edissa screamed, "My¡­ my pride as a warrior will not allow me to soil myself in front of you."


    "You''re my Bond, Edissa," Rhys shrugged, "If not in front of me, then where?"


    "Then¡­ forgive me, but¡­ but I need to do this or else I¡­ I would be in so much pain."


    Rhys could then see the silhouette of Edissa''s tail start to move. It brushed between her legs, but soon stopped as Edissa''s entire body trembled.


    "It''s¡­ it''s not enough," Edissa whispered, "I need¡­ I need something bigger."


    "Do you¡­ want my help, then?" Rhys slightly hesitated as his morals were once again being questioned. If he goes with this, then he would truly no longer have an excuse ¡ª this is beastiality,


    "Are you¡­ able to turn humanoid?"


    "What¡­? What kind of question is that?" Edissa whimpered.


    "That''s a no, then," Rhys grunted as he stood up, "Do you want my help, or not? Don''t worry, I can''t see anything ¡ª this won''t change anything between us."


    "Are you¡­ are you not being affected by the satyr weed?"


    "I might be immune to it."


    "Then¡­" Edissa stuttered as her body started crawling on its own toward Rhys, "...This is a necessity, Rhys."


    "This¡­ is my first time doing it with¡­ someone with four legs," Rhys then tried to lighten the mood, "I did do it with someone that has 8 legs."


    "Please, stop talk¡ªEep!"


    And before Edissa could even finish her words, she let out a small yelp as Rhys ced his hand on the base of her tail, causing her to stretch up her hind legs even higher. She then very slowly started caressing her breasts; her fingers, lightly pinching her extremely pink teats and causing them to perk up.


    "Uhn¡­" Edissa bared her fangs as she slightly hissed before ncing back at Rhys, "Put it¡­ put it in now so we can get¡­ get this over w¡ª!!!"


    Edissa could not help but tighten her grip on her breasts; causing her soft flesh to bridge the gap between her fingers; her face, now extremely red as she felt an incrediblyforting warmth crawling inside her.


    Her tail, once again moving on its own. It first brushed across his neck, before moving toward his left ear and twirling around it.


    As for Rhys, he truly thought he would feel weird about this, perhaps even disgusted ¡ª but not at all. It almost seemed¡­ natural. Edissa was tight, extremely so. The fur between her hind legs, nowpletely damp from her juices.


    Is the blood that was flowing through his veins making all of this seem natural?


    Edissa''s tail continued moving, now softly brushing across his cheeks and even across his lips. Edissa''s fur was soft, to the point that Rhys could bury his hands on it.


    "Uhn¡­ uhn¡­ harder¡­" Edissa''s hand lifted her breasts as she lowered her head; kissing her nipples before softly sucking them as her entire body moved as Rhys vited her insides, "I¡­ I didn''t know¡­ I didn''t know it could feel like this¡­ I''ve¡­ I''ve always just done it with my tail. It''s¡ª!!!"


    Soon, however, Rhys''s hands got bored and he just grabbed Edissa''s tail near the base, causing all of her fur to stand even higher.


    "That¡­ wait¡­" Edissa''s hind legs began trembling as Rhys started caressing the bottom of her tail, just a few centimeters away from her other hole. And soon, her left leg began to lift up as she felt an intense pleasure prating through her entire body, "Aah¡­ oh¡­"


    Her tail then quickly twirled around Rhys''s neck as she nced back at him. She could not really see him too well through the cloud of smoke, but she could imagine just how majestic Rhys looked.


    "I''m¡­ I''m doing it with¡­ this is so dirty."


    Unbeknownst to Rhys, however, Edissa also thought she would be quite disgusted ¡ª after all, for her, just a month ago, Rhys was food. But now, she was swallowing him in her other mouth.


    "I feel¡­ I feel so dirty, it¡­ it feels so good," Edissa''s breaths became heavier and heavier as she caressed her breasts. She then began to lean back so she could see Rhys clearer, even just by a bit. And as cenleons were incredibly flexible, her back was now almost basically nted on top of her feline body.


    Of course, as Rhys saw this, he quickly also leaned down to kiss her. Edissa''s eyes turned wide for a few seconds before just surrendering and even sticking out her tongue. Rhys was also quite shocked, of course, as Edissa''s tongue was quite¡­ rough. But nothing his durability couldn''t handle, of course.


    "Han¡­" Edissa let out a moan as Rhys also started caressing her breast; very lightly pinching and twirling her nipple while also brushing the base of her tail, "I think¡­ I''m¡­ I''m near¡­ Rhys¡­ Master Rhys¡­


    ¡­I''m¡ª!!!"


    Edissa then felt an electrifying rush of warmthpletely striking her entire body, causing her fur to almost vibrate as she lost all of her strength. As this drowning pleasure was happening, however, her eyes were wide open and looking at Rhys.


    "It¡­ I''m dying¡­ I''m dying," Edissa''s voice was almost all moans as her juices flowed from her vagina without pause. Her body then trembled uncontrobly as Rhys removed hisrge cock inside her. She was about to say something, but as soon as she saw therge silhouette right in front of her face, the only thing she could do was shake her head, "You¡­ why is it not going down?"


    "...You and I might have different levels of¡­ libido," Rhys whispered.


    "That¡­" Edissa could not really speak as Rhys''s cock slightly brushed across her cheeks. She was about to straighten her body, but as soon as she caught a scent of Rhys''s juices, she felt an intense heat once again prating straight through her bones.


    She opened her mouth as thick, and heavy breath escaped from her lungs¡­ and without even saying anything, she grabbed Rhys''srge cock and put it inside her mouth.


    Rhys''s eyes turned wide at first. After all, cenleons literally eat humans ¡ª Rhys was going to step back at first, but Edissa, with all of her flexibility, stretched her arms and wrapped it around Rhys''s waist.


    "Gukh¡­" Edissa slightly gagged as she forcefully swallowed Rhys whole; the shape of his cock, emerging deep into Edissa''s throat. Edissa then began pushing Rhys''s hips, gesturing to him to move. Rhys was hesitating at first, but just also surrendered as he gently thrust deep into her throat as Edissay on top of her feline body.


    "...Hm," Rhys could not help but whisper as Edissa''s tail started to wrap around his thigh and then between her hind legs as she started pleasuring herself again. Rhys then gently started caressing Edissa''s breasts, causing her to slightly flinch and gag. And soon, Rhys felt the heat finally surrounding him,


    "Edissa, I think I''m also¡ª"


    Rhys was about to gently pull his cock from Edissa''s throat, but Edissa pulled his hips hard.


    "You¡ª!!!"


    "H¡­Gkhn¡­"


    Rhys almost let out a hiss of his own as he came deep inside Edissa''s throat. Hisrge cock, practically rampaging and viting it.


    "Are you¡­ okay?" And Edissa finally let him go, the first thing that Rhys did was gently caress her cheek.


    Edissa did not really answer and just let out a small, "Hm," while shaking her head.


    "So¡­


    ¡­Again?"

 Chapter 235 Up There

    "Ugh¡­"


    After a good hour, the fumes thatpletely veiled Rhys and Edissa''s cell were finallypletely gone; not even a single strand of smoke to be seen anywhere ¡ª and it would seem it took along its effects with it.


    It shouldn''t have ¡ª the effects of the satyr weed shouldst at least 3 hours, and yet right now, Edissa''s sexual drive was all but depleted. It wasn''t gone, but it was depleted due to Rhys justpletely ravaging her body. She enjoyed everyst bit of it, but now, she waspletely out ofmission as she could not even stand up.


    "Are you cold?"


    "D¡­ don''t¡­" Edissa''s entire body jolted awake as Rhys touched her arm, causing a rush of electricity to crawl through her skin and flesh. Even the wind was causing a sharp, but pleasurable pain in her body, and the warmthing from Rhys''s fingertips was worse as her lower body reacted on its own.


    She didn''t want to do it anymore, but her body seemed to still quite wee Rhys''s touch. But of course, Rhys had already noticed her reluctance and just covered Edissa''s torso with his shirt.


    "Are¡­ you feeling much better now?" Rhys asked.


    "Yes¡­ yes," Edissa could barely even muster up a whisper, "It¡­ doesn''t hurt anymore¡­ well, it does¡­ but it''s a different pain now, much¡­ much better than the alternative."


    "What would have happened if you didn''t relieve yourself¡­?" Rhys could really only walk to the corner of the cell and grab the ball containing the satyr weed. He then gently cracked it with his hand, only for it to justpletely crumble and turn into ashes.


    "It¡­ it will be very painful," Edissa shivered, "And¡­ I''ve seen some getting sick and even dying when they couldn''t do anything about¡­ about it."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then nced back at Edissa. And unfortunately, what they did did not seem to have a significant effect on the Hearts floating above her head. Or perhaps it was fortunate, as Rhys did not really want this kind of act to be the key to unlocking Edissa or anyone''s heart.


    And if it happened to fill up one of her Hearts, Rhys did not really know what he was going to do. Whether or not his morality will actually prevail and he would avoid using it to seduce and conquer other people''s Hearts.


    Becausetely, his morality was being questioned by himself.


    ¡­He just had sexual intercourse with a woman whose lower body was that of a lion, and he wasn''t seeing anything wrong with it.


    "...Fascinating."


    Rhys then let out a small sigh as he looked at Prince Dubhai, who was now standing outside their cell and looking back and forth between him and Edissa. Rhys had actually heard himing in, but chose to just ignore himpletely.


    "The satyr weed obviously did not have an effect on you," Prince Dubhai then started writing something on the notebook he brought with him, "Clearly, that is isted since I have already tested the weed on the other humans, and they started mating like crazy. Are you truly just special, Rhys¡ª!!!"


    And as soon as Prince Dubhai turned his attention back to Rhys, he was met with Rhys''s hand as it suddenly just lunged at him and grabbed him by the jaw. And without even letting Prince Dubhai move or struggle, Rhys pulled him toward the cell.


    The sound of metal being rammed nged loudly throughout the entire dungeon, but that was not only the loud sound ¡ª Prince Dubhai''s bones also cracked, whispering a snap which caused him to just whimper.


    "Prince!"


    His guards quickly rushed to help him, but Prince Dubhai waved them away and ordered them to stand down.


    "Such¡­ such strength," Prince Dubhai let out a chuckle; his blood, spraying from his nose and mouth as he looked at Rhys with his eyes filled with an almost perverted excitement, "Are¡­ are there many more like you¡­? I have seen plenty of humans, but none who are as strong as you. Are you special? Of course, you''re special. You are the first human we could actually converse with.


    Interesting, this is very interesting."


    "You''re just lucky," Rhys tightened his grip on Prince Dubhai''s face, "I know at least 3 people stronger than me, and there are a lot more who are at the same level ¡ª and unlike me, they wouldn''t even hesitate to kill each and everyst one of you."


    "There¡­ are more of you? Then why¡­ why am I not seeing more!?" Prince Dubhai moved his eyes the best he could to look at the other humans confined in his dungeon, "All¡­ all I''ve seen are these people."


    Rhys also nced at the humans on the other cells, and just one look, he was sure they were not even Explorers. An almost equal number of Commoners and Lowborns, perhaps amongst the people who just chose to live in the Underworld.


    "I''ll let you go, but only if you stop all of this nonsense and just talk to me like we are equals," Rhys slightly lightened his grip on Prince Dubhai, "If you don''t, then please don''t me me if I also don''t see you as an equal."


    "A human¡­ as an equal¡­?"


    "Prince! Let''s just get rid of this human and eat him!"


    "Silence!" Prince Dubhai hissed as his guards began approaching the cell. And as soon as they stopped, Prince Dubhai once again let out an almost manic giggle, "Fine, fine. Let''s talk like civilized people. I''ve always nned to do that. In fact¡­In fact, I already have my study ready for you. I¡­


    ¡­made it human-friendly."


    ***


    "Hm¡­"


    Rhys briefly thought of what Prince Dubhai meant by human-friendly, but all he really did was ce a chair in his study for him to sit on. He had already spent more than a week with the cenleons back in Typhon''s, and it never really crossed Rhys''s mind even once that¡­ a chair would actually be a foreign concept to them.


    As for Prince Dubhai, he was just running around the study while having a dozen books in his arms,pletely ignoring Rhys and Edissa even though he asked them to follow him.


    "I know what you want to do¡­" Rhys then let out a small sigh as he looked at Edissa, who was sitting on the floor right next to him; her tails, swinging wide and without pause as her eyes practically did not leave Prince Dubhai for even a single second, "...Now is not the right time, or ever ¡ª he''s still royalty."


    "I know¡­" Edissa hissed as she started showing her fangs. She did, however, instantly stopped hissing as Rhys ced his hand on top of her head and started brushing it, "What¡­ what are you doing?"


    "I''m trying to calm you down, is it working?" Rhys smiled at Edissa.


    "N¡­ no," Edissa whispered as her tail finally stopped moving and just wrapped around herpletely still.


    "Your kind doesn''t seem to know a lot about the humans at all," Rhys muttered.


    "Because there was nothing to know¡­" Edissa breathed out as her head and body started to subconsciously lean closer to Rhys as he continued to brush her head, "...I told you, you were¡­ food. Almost a delicacy since your flesh are the most delicious thing in the vastnds, almost nothinges close."


    "I have theories about that!" And finally, Prince Dubhai stopped rummaging through his study and finally ced all of the books he grabbed on his desk, "Since in ancient history and other religious doctrines, it is said that the humans are being punished by the gods ¡ª and one way to make that is to make their flesh and blood attractive to all the other creatures.


    Of course, I am not a big fan of religion, but there''s merit there¡­


    ¡­of course, everything about the humans is a spection, especially since we absolutely can''t understand any of you. Until now, that is. I have tried learning yournguage for years, a lot of us have, and yet we can''t understand any of you no matter what."


    "Our studies came up the same," Rhys then finally talked in a clear tone as he looked Prince Dubhai straight in the eyes, "Like you, my kind have actually also researched the other races extensively ¡ª and by extensively, I mean more than you have ever learned from us."


    "...Impossible, you don''t have the means. Your brains are not capable of higher thinking."


    "That''s what we thought about you," Rhys shook his head, "Like your research, the scientists of my world have also tried learning yournguage¡­ but there seems to be a barrier preventing that from happening. Not anguage barrier, but something else."


    "...Are you a scientist, Rhys?"


    "No, I''m just¡­ a normal human," Rhys let out a small sigh while shaking his head, "Well, I suppose for the rest of you, I''m not ¡ª I have the blood of a god flowing through my veins."


    "What¡­!?" Prince Dubhai''s eyes widened.


    "And it''s not just me ¡ª all the humans do," Rhys nodded, "That is probably why our blood is so alluring to all of you."


    "What!?" Prince Dubhai once again hollered.


    "Interesting, right? You''re an academic, you understand ¡ª there are a lot more things to learn in the Surface, in the Forbidden Land as you call it. So¡­" Rhys then once again smiled as he continued to pat and caress Edissa''s head,


    "...How about I take you up there?"

 Chapter 236 Humanity

    "How about I take you up there?"


    "Up¡­ there?"


    "Rhys?"


    Not only Prince Dubhai, but Edissa was also quite confused by Rhys''s statement. Edissa could not help but just squint her eyes as she looked at Rhys; she initially thought that he did not want any of the cenleons on the Surface, since he was so excited about kicking them out and even bringing them here¡­ and now he was bringing others to the Forbidden Land?


    "Don''t you mean¡­ down there?" Prince Dubhai''s confusion, however, was short-lived as he just quickly smiled at Rhys, "And for my kind to go there, it is suicide ¡ª who knows what truly goes on there. The monsters who dig their way through the Forbidden Land often do note back at all."


    "Then don''t you want to know why that is?"


    "Because only humans can really live there," Prince Dubhai shrugged, "That is how the gods intended it to be."


    "No," Rhys smiled, "Didn''t your guards mention to you that Edissa and her tribe sought refuge in the Forbidden Land before going here? That was how we met."


    "What¡­?" Prince Dubhai squinted his eyes before looking at Edissa.


    "Well, we met here," Edissa shook her head, causing Prince Dubhai to let out a sigh of disappointment. He was going to confront Rhys for his lie, but Edissa continued to speak before he could do so, "Ournd was trampled by the Ice Warden, and then we saw Rhys and his women out in the distance ¡ª that was when he screamed to us in anothernguage and offer us refuge¡­


    ¡­in the Forbidden Land."


    "You''ve¡­ been to the Forbidden Land!?" Prince Dubhai then suddenly pounced toward Edissa, only to be met with her hind leg as she quickly spun in the air and kicked him away.


    "I¡­ I apologize! "I¡­ I didn''t mean to do that," Of course, Edissa did not mean her apology at all as she was stillpletely livid at the prince for the stunt he pulled on her and Rhys. But of course¡­ a part of her actually¡­ quite liked what happened to them.


    "What does it look like!? Does it look like the depictions!?" Prince Dubhai then quickly rummaged through his books again before showing a certain page which Rhys could really only define as the depiction of hell.


    "N¡­ no," Edissa shook her head before looking around Prince Dubhai''s study which seemed to be made of rock and cobblestone, "If anything¡­ it looks like this."


    "Interesting," Prince Dubhai turned around, "...So, all we know about the Forbidden Land is wrong."


    "I think our kind could both benefit if you visit mynd, Prince Dubhai," Rhyspletely ignored the two''s shenanigans as he stood up from his chair.


    "There''s¡­ no merit in that since we can''t¡ªwait," Prince Dubhai then turned to look Rhys in the eyes, "We can understand you, you can be our mediator."


    "That''s what I''ve been trying to say from the start, Prince Dubhai," Rhys reached out his hand to Prince Dubhai. He was confused at first, but as he looked at Edissa who was gesturing to him to shake his hand, the prince did not hesitate at all and did so.


    "Let me just gather some of my things."


    "Bring more people if you''d like," Rhys shrugged, "The more you are, the better ¡ª so that my people know that you are actually a¡­ civilizedmunity. But bring only¡ª"


    "Those who will not be tempted to eat your kind," Prince Dubhai continued Rhys''s words for him, "You do not have to worry in that regard, we have an organization here who do not partake in eating humans."


    "Have you seriously not tried going to the Forbidden Land?" Rhys asked, "The hissyrs have always tried to¡­ they don''t live long, however. It was my job to eradicate them before they coulde up."


    "The hissyrs are barbarians," Prince Dubhai scoffed, "And now knowing that we could actuallymunicate with your kind, they are barbarians who are even more dumb than humans. Stay here, Rhys! I just need to prepare some things and¡ª"


    "Brother!"


    And before Prince Dubhai could even finish his words, a loud and obnoxious voice suddenly barged into his office. No, it wasn''t only his voice that was obnoxious, even the random man''s words were quite obnoxious as Rhys could hear his steps, which was extremely rare when it came to the cenleons.


    Rhys then turned around, only to see the very first cenleon he had seen with a mustache.


    "What is this news that I am getting that you brought a human to castle grounds? What¡ªwhat!?" The cenleon with a mustache quickly halted his steps as soon as his eyes met with Rhys. And without even any hesitation, he pointed at him and ordered his guards,


    "Kill it! Kill it now!"


    His guards also did not hesitate to follow his orders, but Prince Dubhai quickly moved in front of Rhys and stretched his arms to the side,


    "Stop it! I will not let you harm a single strand of hair on this almost hairless creature!" Prince Dubhai hissed at the guards before looking at his brother, "Abu, I will not have you trespassing on my quarters!"


    "We are done ying your games, brother!" The cenleon with a mustache, Abu, hissed even louder as he pointed at Prince Dubhai, "Your disgusting hobby stops here! I can not have you wasting these delicious delicacies because you are ying with them! We''ve let you go on for so long since we thought you were actually breeding and farming them, but this stops now!"


    "..." Both Rhys and Edissa just looked at each other as the two brothers began hissing at each other. Rhys watched the two argue for a few more seconds before just taking a step forward and letting out a short but very loud sigh.


    The guards who saw this were confused. After all, they were currently pointing their weapons at him, and just one more step would lead to him being stabbed. They all looked at each other on what to do, but before they could even think¡­ Rhys truly did take another step.


    "!!!"


    Contrary to their expectations, however, the des of their weapons did not go through Rhys at all and instead, they found themselves actually being pushed back.


    "What are all of you doing!?" Abu, who was busy arguing with his brother, finally noticed this and could not help but just scream at his subordinates'' ipetence. And so, he grabbed one of the spears his men were holding and just swung it without any hesitation toward Rhys¡­


    ¡­only for the de to just shatter there and then as it made contact with Rhys''s skin.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just slightly leaned his head back to avoid the shrapnel from hitting his eye. In truth, he already knew the weapons would have no effect on his body, but he didn''t think it would actually shatter.


    He was bing strong¡­ stronger than he thought, and he wasn''t even actively trying to use any of his abilities at all.


    "What in the¡ª" And before Abu could finish his words, Rhys''s hand moved so fast that he wasn''t even able to react to it; the only thing Abu could do was lose the strength in his legs and faint as Rhys hit him straight on the chin.


    "I don''t really want to be stuck in a family affair," Rhys whispered out before he just started knocking Abu''s guards one by one, "How fast can you gather your people?"


    "...Less than a day?" Prince Dubhai took in a small gulp as he looked at the aftermath of what Rhys did ¡ª it did not even take several seconds for his office to just turn quiet, "There¡­ are still humans stronger than you?"


    "Yes," Rhys just shrugged before he started letting out threads from his fingers and tying up Prince Abu and his guards, also throwing a bundle to Edissa so she could help him. As for Prince Dubhai, he was shocked at first that Rhys was once again exhibiting other abilities ¡ª but he did not stay and just started getting ready for his sudden adventure.


    "Rhys¡­" And as they finished tying up the unconscious group, Edissa quickly approached Rhys with a slight confusion in her eyes, "...What are you trying to do? Do you truly want Prince Dubhai to learn about your people? What if they used it against your kind?"


    "He could," Rhys shrugged, "But after seeing what the humans are truly capable of, his mind won''t ever go there¡­ and we should probably follow behind him to make sure he''s not bringing any useless things."


    "...Right."


    It did not really take Prince Dubhai more than half a day to get ready and call for more people to join him. His entourage was just several of his loyal guards, and then more than a dozen cenleons who shared his enthusiasm for humankind. All of them were quite excited as they stepped out the gates of their city.


    Well, they had to act fast before the castle discovered Abu.


    "Wait, Rhys¡­" And as they were about to leave, Edissa grabbed Rhys by the shoulder, "...Are you not going to take the other humans in Prince Dubhai''s dungeon?"


    "Oh¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Edissa. But after a few seconds, he just shrugged and continued walking away,


    "...What for?"

 Chapter 237 The Activists

    Rhys¡­ do you not care about your own people?"


    Rhys and the others were now halfway through their adventure back to the Hole leading to Typhon''s, resting inside a thick sea of trees. It had probably already been 2 full days, and yet they were still halfway ¡ª cenleons were fast and could run a hundred kilometers in about an hour.


    Unfortunately, their stamina was not as good, especially those who live in the cities, and especially someone like Prince Dubhai, who had probably not even run with all of his might his entire life.


    And so, this was the 3rd time they stopped to camp. It was the third time, and yet Rhys''s words still had not escaped Edissa''s mind. It has been taking a toll on her that Rhys would just abandon his own kind like that when he could have just requested Prince Dubhai to free them, and he would probably be happy to do so.


    "What makes you think that?" Rhys, who was just quietly practicing his ability to materialize and control water, quickly turned to look at Edissa as soon as he heard her question; the water orb on his hand, dropping to the ground and washing away all the dirt and dried leaves, "I''d like to think I do care about my own people."


    "Well, it''s just that¡­" Edissa then nced at Prince Dubhai, "...Why didn''t you ask him to free the humans in the cage?"


    "Oh," Rhys blinked a couple of times before just shrugging his shoulders and then gracefully moving his hand; the water that already soaked the ground beneath his feet, separating from the dirt as he once again started to control it, "If we brought them, then it would take us even longer to get back."


    "But still, we''re not really in a rush, are we?" Edissa questioned.


    "We are," Rhys looked at Edissa, "I just knocked out someone from the royal family, they are probably on our tail now."


    "That¡ªstill, you could have still freed them, they could travel on their own."


    "Edissa, they are not my people," Rhys sighed before looking Edissa in the eyes, "You are my people."


    "H¡­huh?" Edissa was quickly caught off guard by Rhys''s statement.


    "Yeah," Rhys, however, did not even seem to think much of his own words as he just shrugged, "You and the others."


    "That¡­ that''s not what I meant," Edissa sighed, "I meant they are literally your own kind."


    "My own kind¡­" Rhys once again dropped his water orb and started thinking, "...well, they could save themselves if they want to."


    "I¡­ still can''t figure you out, Rhys."


    "You will," Rhys chuckled, "I''m¡­ not thatplicated. And I could actually say the same to you."


    "Hm¡­?"


    "You left your father and everyone else in the city without even saying a final farewell to them."


    "Because they''re still alive, Rhys," Edissa shook her head, "I could still see them whenever I return to the city."


    "...What makes you think you''ll ever return?"


    "...Right."


    Edissa then spent a couple more hours talking to Rhys and learning more about him. But s, the only thing she found herself doing was getting more and more curious about him. She and Rhys just did a sexual act that no one has probably ever done before, and yet other thanforting her and asking if she was alright, Rhys was not really talking about it.


    Of course, Edissa appreciated that ¡ª but¡­ she actually wanted to talk about it. About¡­ how it made her feel. Because right now, she found herself staring at Rhys''s lips more and more.


    It was weird. Rhys lookspletely different from her, and she does still thinks of humans as food, but when ites to Rhys, it ispletely different. It was almost as if she found herself thinking more and more about him in a way that was¡­ something else.


    She still can''t quite exin it.


    Well, if only she was able to see the Hearts floating above her head, then she would have already figured it out. Right now, her Fourth Heart was starting to flicker.


    Rhys was not really trying to actively woo Edissa, since he did not really think that her abilities would actually improve his strength by that much, considering the cenleons he had fought so far were absolutely no match against him.


    Their main strengths were their reflexes and speed ¡ª but he already has that with Ayesha and Arachnea. And in terms of reflexes, they were not even in the same category as the god of spiders.


    He¡­ really used all of his luck in meeting Arachnea, didn''t he?


    Several more hours passed in the camp and Prince Dubhai seemed to have finally recovered enough to travel again. Rhys could probably just carry him, but he understands that he still has dignity that needs to be kept.


    Especially since his group of¡­ cenleon activists are with him.


    "Alright, alright!" Prince Dubhai raised his voice as he stood up, "Enough beingzy, it''s time to continue our trip to the Surface!"


    "Alright! Time to meet some humans!"


    "...The others probably don''t even know even realize their prince is actually keeping humans as captive down his dungeon," Edissa let out a small hiss as he saw the cenleon human rights activists treating Prince Dubhai like their leader, "But I have to be honest with you, Rhys¡­ this is actually the first time I''ve ever encountered cenleons who don''t like to eat humans. As the prince said¡­


    ¡­your meat is quite¡­ quite taste¡ª"


    Edissa was not able to finish her words as she ''identally'' nced at the thing hiding between Rhys''s legs. Her mind, quickly brought out the memory of her practically swallowing it whole. Her mind, however, also quickly snapped back as she realized that Rhys noticed her looking at his thing.


    "Wait, no¡ªnot like that!"


    "I know what you mean."


    "Good, good¡­" Edissa sighed, "What I''m trying to say is that you seem to want to connect my people and your people¡­ but we still see you as food."


    "Well, it doesn''t really matter," Rhys shrugged, "I just need the world to talk about something¡ªwe havepany."


    Edissa squinted her eyes for a few seconds at Rhys''s words, but her ears also quickly stood up as she started hearing something. She then turned toward the direction of the noise, and even though her vision was blocked with a wall of trees, she was still aware that there were probably more than a few dozen cenleons approaching them.


    And soon, Prince Dubhai''s guards also heard them. They quickly surrounded the prince, and sadly for the other activists, the guards did not really care for them and even violently pushed them away to protect Dubhai.


    "What¡­ what''s going on!?" Prince Dubhai could not help but panic as the guards raised their weapons. His question, however, did not even need to be answered as Prince Abu and an entire battalion of cenleons started appearing from the trees and bushes and also quickly surrounded them,


    "They¡­ they already caught up to us!? What¡­ what do we do!?"


    Some of the guards could not help but re at Prince Dubhai ¡ª was he really asking why they caught up to them when he needed to rest every other hour? But of course, the guards couldn''t really say anything.


    "Dubhai!" Prince Abu then stepped forward with an entourage of his personal guards, "As the heir to the kingdom of Nahisha, I hereby sentence you to death for treason!"


    "T¡­ treason!?" Prince Dubhai screamed.


    "Anyone who still wishes to join my brother''s campaign would also be treated the same!" Price Abu then red at Dubhai''s guards, as well as the activists, "You¡ª"


    Before Prince Abu could finish his words, however, the activists started walking, causing a smile to form on his face. His smile, however, was short-lived as the cenleon activists started holding hands and also protecting Prince Dubhai.


    "Save the humans, save the world!" The activists then started chanting.


    "What in the¡ªall of you have turned mad!" Prince Abu raised his voice, "What are you thinking of saving next, bread!? They are literally food!"


    "Brother, you don''t understand!" Prince Dubhai hopped so that he could take a look at his brother, "The humans, they are far more civilized than what we initially thought!"


    "Does it matter!?" Prince Abu screamed in frustration, "Cows also make groups, does that mean they are as intelligent as us!? Stop this foolishness!"


    "As I said before, I don''t really want to be stuck in a family affair."


    "What in the¡ª!?" Prince Abu seemed to still have a lot of words to say, but he waspletely shocked and more than bewildered as soon as he saw Rhys approaching him, "It¡­ it can talk!?"


    "That is what I have been trying to tell you, Brother!" Dubhai also screamed in frustration, "They can talk!"


    "This¡­ is sorcery!" Prince Abu hissed at Rhys, "For the sake of the safety of my people, I will have you killed, human!"


    "I''m getting tired of this," Rhys let out another sigh as he shook his head, "Prince Dubhai, how do you want to celebrate being an only child?"


    "Oh, well¡­ I actually have 5 more siblings."


    "Oh¡­


    ¡­right."

 Chapter 238 See You On the Other Side

    "Are you¡­ nning on killing him?"


    "All of you heard that! Not only is my brothermitting treason, he also wants to kill me by colluding with this sorcerer!"


    No one could really refute Prince Abu''s words. How could they, when he was actually making sense? And now that Rhys was actually thinking more and more about this from his perspective, he actually agrees with him.


    If one of his friends suddenly started taking the side of a random talking pig he just met, and now that talking pig was threatening to kill him ¡ª wouldn''t Rhys also be feeling extremely angry?


    No, not just angry, but betrayed.


    Unfortunately, Rhys was the pig in this scenario.


    "Would you be willing to talk, Your Majesty?" And so, Rhys decided to go with a more diplomatic route instead, "I am sure we can work this out once you hear our side."


    "Silence, enchanter!" Prince Abu, however, just pointed and hissed at him, "I will not have the words of a sorcerer tempt the ears of my people anymore! Men, kill him!"


    Sadly, Prince Abu didn''t seem that much interested in hearing Rhys out.


    "I''ll ask one final time," Rhys sighed as he looked at the feline knights who were slowly approaching him with their weapons or ws out, "I can''t have any of you chasing after us and finding out where we''ll go ¡ª I will have to kill all of you."


    "W¡ªwait, Rhys!" Prince Dubhai forced himself out of his guards'' protection while waving his hand, "He¡­ he''s still my brother!"


    "And your brother wants you dead," Rhys sighed, "And as I said, I can''t have them following us ¡ª that''s my final warning."


    "Brother, you heard him!" Prince Dubhai pleaded, "Just turn back!"


    "You have been enticed by this sorcerer! Can you not see he is not human at all!? How can a human even talk!?" Prince Abu shook his head, "Men, kill Prince Dubhai as well!"


    "W¡ª"


    And with Abu''s orders, his knights finally rushed toward Rhys.


    "I warned you," the tone of Rhys''s voice soon changed as he slightly moved his hand; revealing the thin threads he was holding. And as he pulled his hand up, the guards who were rushing toward him all dropped to the ground. All of them tried getting up, but all that happened was their legs separating from the rest of their bodies,


    "What happens now will be your fault."


    "Just what¡ª"


    And before Prince Abu could say anything else, he watched as all of his men suddenly split apart like they were made of tofu. His men, who were wearing full armor made from their ws, which were hard enough to cut down stone.


    "I am quite curious, though¡­" Rhys then just casually swung his arm several times; causing the drops of blood that managed to attach themselves to his threads to be blown away everywhere; to the trees, the ground, and toward everyone there,


    "...You keep calling me a Sorcerer. I thought it was just some sort of derogatory term you keep throwing around since this is the first time you''ve seen a human talk. But it''s not, is it? What''s a Sorcerer?"


    "That¡­" Prince Abu could really only look around him, and all of a sudden, he found himself alone ¡ª he practically brought out a battalion with him, and now all of them were lying on the ground in several pieces. Still, Abu did not show any signs of fear at all as he just returned Rhys''s stare, "...I will not share words with a sorcerer."


    "...I changed my mind," Rhys then let out a sigh while shaking his head, "We''re bringing you with us."


    "W¡ª"


    And before Prince Abu could finish his words, he felt his vision suddenly darken as Rhys just suddenly appeared right in front of him and mmed his fist on his stomach; strong enough to cause his front legs to leave the ground, but not strong enough for his organs to erupt.


    "You¡­" And surprisingly enough, Prince Abu still had words left to utter as he fell to the ground, "I¡­ I will not allow myself to be a puppet."


    "Well¡­" Rhys then quickly ced his hand in Prince Abu''s mouth as he threatened to bite off his own tongue; his sharp fangs, embedding themselves on his flesh. On, since Abu was not strong enough to even nick or cut Rhys''s flesh,


    "...We''re all puppets controlling each other."


    "Rhys! Master Rhys!"


    And once again, Prince Dubhai freed himself from his guards'' protection and rushed toward Rhys. His guards all wanted to stop him from approaching Rhys since his protection was still their number one priority ¡ª but s, despite Dubhai''sck of strength and stamina, he was extremely slippery.


    Prince Dubhai just stopped short of getting close to Rhys and just lowered his legs in front of him.


    "Please¡­ he''s still my brother!" Prince Dubhai then pleaded, "Don''t kill him! I can ask some of my guards to bring and carry him back to the castle while he''s unconscious ¡ª he won''t be able to follow us then. I promise you, he¡ª"


    "Rx," Rhys let out a small sigh as he lifted Prince Abu by the cor before awkwardly cing him over his shoulders; Abu''s leg, however, was dragging across the ground as their bodies were too long even for someone as tall as Rhys, "We''re bringing him with us."


    "...What? But he would¡ª"


    "Be careful, Prince Dubhai," Rhys then suddenly red at Dubhai, "For a second there, I was going to kill you and make a deal with your brother instead ¡ª don''t forget, you''re only alive because you''re useful. I would have already killed you for what you did to Edissa."


    "W¡ªright. I¡­ I misspoke."


    "Hm," Rhys just raised an eyebrow as he started walking back to Edissa, whose eyes werepletely locked on to the sliced corpses, "Want to carry him?"


    Edissa did not respond, however, as her mind was currently busy trying to think of how lucky she and her tribe were that they did not meet this version of Rhys. If not¡­ then she would have also probably found herself in pieces.


    "Edissa, do you want to carry him?"


    "Huh?" Edissa finally snapped out of her stupor as she looked at Rhys, and then at Prince Abu who he was carrying over his shoulder, "What¡­? No."


    Despite her worries, however, Edissa did not fear Rhys at all. How could she¡­ when the tone of Rhys''s voice instantly bes gentle whenever he talks to her? Any sign of hostility or aggression,pletely reced by aforting warmth.


    "I already told you, Rhys¡­" Edissa let out a sighing chuckle as she shook her head, "...We''re not centaurs, we don''t put anything on our back."


    "Not even if I put a saddle?"


    "Rhys!"


    "They''re wearing armor," Rhys looked at Prince Dubhai''s guards.


    "That''s different!"


    "Fine," Rhys also let out a sigh as he just nced at Prince Dubhai and gestured to him to follow and continue their trip. Unfortunately, Prince Dubhai still needed to rest several times, causing their trip which should have only been a quarter of a day to turn into several days.


    And of course, Rhys had to knock down Prince Abu quite a few times until Prince Dubhai told him that he brought a sedative with him.


    As expected of a perverted scientist. Maybe Rhys should have really killed him instead?


    And finally, after another full day, they reached the Hole back to the Surface.


    "This is¡­ magnificent," Prince Dubhai quickly started running around the surface of the Hole, "And this leads straight to the Forbidden Land!? I can''t wait to see what savages await us there."


    "Tch, what a country bumpkin," Edissa let out a small but confident scoff as she looked down at Prince Dubhai.


    "You do know you were like that, right?" Rhys could really only shake his head at Edissa''s words, "Anyway¡ª"


    And as soon as Prince Dubhai run near him, Rhys quickly pulled and then pushed him straight into the Hole. His guards, of course, were quick to once again approach Rhys.


    "Edissa."


    "You just threw him in without warning!? You¡ª"


    And before Edissa could finish his words, Rhys also pushed her down.


    "Jump," Rhys then turned to look at the activists. And as soon as they saw the smile on his face, they all just jumped on their own; their shrieks, fading away into the distance. The guards all looked at each other for a few seconds before just also following down.


    Suffice it to say, all of them screamed.


    "Your Majesty, wake up."


    With everyone gone, Rhys then pped Prince Abu several times to wake him up. It probably took 6 ps, but Prince Abu''s eyes finally opened.


    "Huh¡­?" He waspletely groggy, but as soon as his eyes met Rhys, his body just instinctively leaped from the ground, "You will never take me alive, Sorcer¡­er."


    And midway through his words, Prince Abu realized that there was nothing for him tond on but a dark abyss.


    "Well¡­" Rhys smiled,


    "...See you on the other side."


    "N¡­ Nooo!"

 Chapter 239 Connection

    On a casual day on Typhon''s Ind, Dominique was just minding her own business. And by business, she was getting busy with her girlfriend, who''s also a part of her gang.


    Well, perhaps it wasn''t that good of an idea to be having fun in the very hall where the Hole is, but this was really the only prison hall where the others actively avoided even passing by ¡ª it was the perfect spot.


    That is, until, a wild cenleon suddenly popped out from the Hole, and Dominique caught a glimpse of it in the corner of her eyes. Unfortunately for Dominique, her girlfriend was currently going down on her¡­ and she was right about to climax when another cenleon popped up.


    "Stop¡­ stop!" Dominique screamed, but as she did so, her girlfriend''s tongue just suddenly became even more violent even though she was already extremely sensitive from justing.


    It did not just end with one, more and more came¡­ along with her. Her body trembled each time another cenleon popped out from the Hole.


    And very soon, she could no longer help herself as sheughed at the exaggeratingly funny situation she found herself in. And as she did so, her girlfriend finally realized something was wrong and also nced back, only for her to almost jump up in ce and immediately grab her clothes to cover herself.


    She also threw Dominique''s panties at her, seemingly angry that Dominique did not tell her anything.


    "Oh my god, oh my god," Dominique''s girlfriend hurriedly got dressed. If there was any constion in their current situation, it was that all of the cenleons werepletely knocked out ¡ª well, all except for one.


    Edissa, although groggy and clearly nauseated, managed tond on her four legs; her ears, immediately waving as she heard the presence of someone else inside the prison hall. She then quickly turned to look at Dominique and her girlfriend, only to see them half naked; both of their mouths, clearly wet.


    Dominique just waved at her. Her girlfriend, however, did not seem as amused as she quickly ran away while screaming. Edissa did not seem to bother with them, however, as she just quickly started pulling all the unconscious cenleons out of the cell so that they wouldn''t be jammed inside.


    "You chose a hell of a time to return," Dominique then let out a small but very deep sigh as she got dressed while approaching Edissa. But of course, the two did not really understand each other, and Edissa just nodded in response.


    "Can you help me get the others out?" Edissa said. And surprisingly enough, even though Dominique had no idea what she was saying, Dominique just started helping her and pulling the others out. Just in time, as more and more cenleons emerged from the Hole ¡ª like a monster storm, except all of them were unconscious.


    And finally, after what seemed like the 30th cenleon, Rhys appeared.


    "...You left with more or less a dozen man lions, and then you returned with 3 times that number?" Dominique could really only let out a sigh as she weed Rhys back, "I really can''t figure out that brain of yours, Boss."


    "They''re here to sightsee," Rhys looked at all the unconscious cenleons who were lined up on the floor, "...As soon as they wake up. Also, keep an eye on that one ¡ª the others don''t eat humans."


    "They look more civilized than Edissa''s group, no offense," Dominique nced at Edissa, who did not respond at all, "So, how is it? Are these the more cultured man lions?"


    "They are," Rhys nodded, "You would be surprised with the level of their technology ¡ª I think¡­ it would be around the 19th century?"


    "Seriously¡­?" Dominique blinked a couple of times in shock, "I thought they would be living in huts and caves and some shit. You''re saying they have like buildings and houses?"


    "Yes, they even have a castle."


    "Damn it, I should havee with you," Dominique groaned, "I could have used the vacation. You smell like blood, though."


    "...I did have to kill a few," Rhys then also let out a sigh as he once again looked at the cenleons lined up on the floor, "They probably wouldn''t wake up in an hour or two, but just to be safe. Edissa, can I leave you to guard them for a bit?"


    "Of course," Edissa bowed her head, "The only thing I really have to worry about is Prince Abu. How do you want me to deal with him if he bes violent?"


    "You already know how the telephone works, right?"


    "...Yes."


    "Just call as soon as he wakes up. Or you can bring him outside to see the sky, that disarmed you the first time you see it. I''m sure he''ll have the same reaction."


    "Hm¡­" Edissa nodded several times, "...Even now, it almost feels like I am going to fall up and drown. Okay, leave this to me, Rhys."


    Edissa''s ears and tail then stood up on their ends as she squinted her eyes while scanning the unconscious cenleons, truly serious with the job assigned to her.


    "So, did anything happen while I was away?" Rhys then gestured to Dominique to walk with him.


    "Nothing that grand," Dominique shrugged as she followed beside Rhys and left the hall, "And you were right, though ¡ª one of your¡­ women visited the prison. Maria or something, a hot scary lookingdy."


    "Oh? Did she say anything?"


    "Well¡­ she and Talia got in a bit of an argument, but they settled it," Dominique sighed, "Maria thought she did something to you since you were missing, but when she found out that you dove down into the Underworld, she just quickly calmed down and started talking without any emotions again, she''s weird. You could honestly just ask her yourself."


    "Ask her¡ªMaria''s still here?" Rhys almost stopped walking as he looked at Dominique.


    "Yeah. She never left and just started checking the Warden''s logs. Apparently, Talia didn''t delete all of it and onnell still had a secret system stashed somewhere," Dominique shook her head, "Seriously, you didn''t tell me you have your own like secret agent as part of your harem."


    "I don''t have a harem," Rhys sighed.


    "Bro, you have like 7 women," Dominique hit Rhys on the arm, "You even managed to rizz up that hot grandma¡ªwait¡­ Is your name Rhys because you have rizz? Wait, is your name really even Rhys or did you just name yourself that!?"


    "...That''s my name," Rhys just leaned away from Dominique as she continued to hit his arm while hyping herself up, "And what else happened while I was gone?"


    "Well¡­ follow me," Dominique then finally left his arm alone as she proceeded to walk in front of him in a hasty manner. Rhys was slightly hesitating to follow her since she had a wide grin on her face, but there really was nothing else to do but do so,


    "Don''t be so shocked, Boss."


    "What is it?" Rhys lowered his eyebrows as Dominique led her in the direction of the airstrip, "This would really work better if you just tell¡ª"


    "That''s him!"


    And as soon as Rhys stepped out of the prison building, he was suddenly weed by several shes of light; a crowd of people, quickly rushing toward him with cameras and mics on their hands.


    "Rhys Wilder!? Is it true you are here on a secret mission!?"


    "I heard they were willing to shorten your sentence in exchange for what you did, is that true!?"


    "Were the prisoners that you killed really terrorists who were nning to escape the prison!?"


    "What is¡ª"


    Rhys then took a step back and immediately closed the door on all the reporters and journalists before very slowly looking at Dominique, who was just smirking mischievously at him.


    "You really should have told me about them," Rhys sighed.


    "Pft¡­ I just wanted to see you flustered once in my life," Dominique''s mischievous smile turned into a fit ofughter as she started pping her thighs, "You¡­ you should have seen your face! You¡ª"


    And before Dominique could finish her words, Rhys then casually messed up his growing hair before styling it; the look on his face,pletely different from just seconds ago.


    "What the¡­" Dominique raised an eyebrow as Rhys''s demeanor instantly changed. He did not even say anything before just once again opening the door; he was not smiling, but the expression on his face was quite weing¡ªno, it was too weing, "...You two-faced bastard."


    "Everyone," Rhys then raised his palm at the reporters, causing all of them to cease their questions, "Right now, I am tired since I just came back from the Underworld ¡ª so I would really only answer one question."


    "The Underworld!? Is it true that you were able to talk to one of the natives of the Underworld? A half-breed?"


    "They are not half-breeds, but yes."


    "!!!" Everyone started looking at each other as they heard Rhys''s confirmation. They were going to ask more, but Rhys once again raised his palm.


    "And right now¡­" Rhys then looked at the camera closest to him, "...their prince is inside resting."


    "Prince¡­!?"


    "Yes," Rhys let out a very small smile, "The people of the Underworld¡­


    ¡­they wish to connect with us."

 Chapter 240 To The Hyenas

    "...What was that all about?"


    Dominique waspletely shocked by what she had just witnessed. She could really only watch in awe from inside the building as Rhys''s entire demeanor justpletely changed as he addressed the questions of the reporters.


    It was almost as if he was apletely different man entirely ¡ª and as someone who had also served in the Underworld Corps, Dominique was also trained topletely act calm under pressure, no matter what¡­ but this waspletely different.


    Rhys was also mostly answering the questions of female reporters, and by their expressions, he was convincing them all. It was almost as if they were just eating whatever came out of his mouth, almost literally as the women have their mouths opened while just feasting with their eyes.


    And now that he was done and entered the prison building again, his demeanor shifted into Rhys that Dominique was familiar with.


    "Why are you making this weird?" Rhys just squinted his eyes at Dominique as she was looking at him from head to toe, even patting him in several ces almost as if she was touching a ghost.


    "Who are you¡­? What have you done to Rhys!?" Dominique then lightly pushed Rhys away before pointing right at his face.


    "You really should have told me about them," Rhys only let out a heavy breath as he lightly swatted Dominique''s hand away, "And why ¡ª how are they even here? I also saw arge satellite outside, does that mean we have connection to the outside world now?"


    "Nah," Dominique followed behind Rhys as he started walking away, "The reporters are using it. Some of the gang actually wanted to talk to their family, but it would seem we do not have the same privilege as you since they were almost shut down by the new guards."


    "...New guards?" Rhys looked around, only to seerge empty hallways, "I haven''t seen anyone in uniform."


    "Well, they''re more like military, I think. They don''t go inside the buildings," Dominique shrugged, "I''ve heard from the Maria chick that they have orders not to enter the building. But if you ask me, I think Talia scared them off ¡ª they''re mostly just in the airstrip and the road leading here."


    "And where''s Talia?"


    "She should be¡ªWhat the fuck!?" Dominique could not help but almost jump in fright as Maria suddenly popped out of her shadow without any sort of hint or warning. And while Dominique waspletely shocked, the woman who just so casually emerged from her shadowpletely ignored her.


    Maria just quickly and very swiftly went to Riley; wrapping her arms around his neck before just kissing him there and then.


    "What¡ª" Dominique was going to say something, but she could not help but just shut her mouth as soon as she saw Maria putting her tongue inside Rhys''s mouth. She wasn''t just casually kissing him, she was dead-smack viting the inside of his mouth in front of Dominique, a stranger.


    Dominique then suddenly lost her breath as Maria suddenly nced at her; a small smile, crawling on her face while she was busy kissing Rhys.


    Was she¡­ actually enjoying that someone was watching?


    "Uh¡­" Maria then let out an unnecessary small moan as she finally leaned away from Rhys. She then turned to look at Dominique while wiping off the saliva trailing from her lips, "I didn''t see you there. I''m sorry for showing such an unsightly sight."


    "The fuck you didn''t," Dominique gulped, "You came out of my shadow!"


    "Rhys," Maria then turned her back to Dominique, not even bothering to answer her anymore as she focused on Rhys, "It would seem that you have been busy. I truly thought you would rest for a little while while in prison, but it would seem trouble and opportunity just finds you wherever you go."


    "Please greet me like a normal person next time," Rhys could really only sigh as he wiped the saliva on his face, "And I''m guessing you didn''t just wait for me to return here to murder my mouth?"


    "I did," Maria shrugged; her voice, still as monotonous as ever, "I did wait for you just to do that, Rhys Wilder. But also, I am here to tell you¡­


    ¡­that Wilder''s Harem has been forcefully disbanded by the Explorer Association."


    "...Why?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he heard Maria''s words.


    "Because you were sent to prison, and no one really wanted to step in your shoes as the guild master," Maria shook her head, "And there is also the fact that some of our members took it upon themselves to incite a rally for your freedom."


    "That''s¡­ not good," Rhys could really only close his eyes and sigh.


    "I have to say, Rhys Wilder," a very small hint of a smirk crawled on Maria''s face, "You managed to be even more popr while in prison ¡ª people are, after all, free to think whatever they want of you. Your absence made it possible for people to think you arepletely unreachable already¡­


    ¡­like a god."


    "That''s not my intention at all."


    "It''s not?" Maria then stood closer to Rhys as she started trailing her fingers on his chest.


    "...I''m not as smart as you think I am."


    "That I know," Maria then tapped Rhys''s chin, "But you never know with you, Rhys Wilder. You have a way of turning situations in a way that would suddenly benefit you ¡ª like what happened in this prison, and your decision to involve Joseph Hayden."


    "Joseph¡­ Hayden?" Rhys furrowed his eyebrows, "Who''s that?"


    "The former mayor of Old York."


    "That was his name?" Rhys breathed out before just starting to walk away, "Anyway, when are you leaving?"


    "I n to stay here until your release," Maria just shrugged as she walked beside Rhys. As for Dominique, the only thing she could really do was follow behind them, still seemingly confused as to what to think about Maria.


    "I''ve been sentenced to life in prison."


    "Not for long," Maria shook her head, "But I think you already know that. With all the circumstances involving your arrest and your stay here in Typhon''s, even those who were previouslypletely uninterested in your case are starting to voice out their opinions ¡ª the government has no choice but to listen¡­


    ¡­and I do believe they are nning to pardon your crimes soon."


    "I see," Rhys sighed.


    "It''s too bad," Maria licked her lips, "I quite like seeing this rugged side of you. They murdered your hair, but you look even more bad this way, in a good way. Like a beast that would ravage me and vite me sexually in front of all the people."


    "What the fuck¡­" Dominique could not help but once again widen her eyes at Maria''s statement, "...Rhys, are all of your women whacked in the head? I thought Talia would be the most crazy one."


    "You have not even met K," Maria nced at Dominique, "If you think Talia and I are crazy, wait until you meet her."


    "Katarina isn''t that crazy," Rhys looked at Maria.


    "You don''t see it because the one she is crazy about is you," Maria scoffed, "W¡ª"


    "This woman is still on our side of the border?" And before Maria could finish her words, Talia appeared from the other end of the hallway, ring at her, "I thought you''d left."


    "I thought you would have died already considering your age," Maria responded almost immediately, "I suppose we are both wrong."


    "Heh," Talia only smirked before focusing on Rhys, "Wilder, your pet called on the line. I have no idea what she is saying, but it seems urgent."


    "...Where is she now?"


    "Behind me," Talia then pointed her thumb behind her, and there, Edissa was dragging a very unwilling Prince Abu across the floor.


    "Ah, Rhys!" And as soon as Edissa caught Rhys in her eyes, she immediately kicked Prince Abu on the head, momentarily causing him to stop struggling, "Prince Abu is awake! I brought him to the courtyard like you said, but it caused him to be even more manic."


    "I guess he''s stubborn until the end," Rhys sighed.


    "Should¡­ we just kill him?" Edissa then looked Rhys in the eyes, "He''s also starting to annoy me."


    "No¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes at Prince Abu for a few seconds before approaching Edissa and grabbing the prince from her hand, "...Is the vegetarian prince and his cohorts awake too?"


    "Mildly."


    "Call them and then follow me," Rhys ordered Edissa before turning around and walking away.


    "Yow, yow!" Dominique quickly walked beside Rhys as she noticed where he was heading, "That''s the way back to those hyenas."


    "I know," Rhys just casually shrugged his shoulders before dragging Prince Abu with him. As for Maria and Talia, the two just looked at each other before scoffing and following behind Rhys.


    "Wake up," Rhys then pped Prince Abu several times on the cheek to wake him up,


    "It''s time to introduce you to the world, Your Majesty."

 Chapter 241 The Bridge

    "What¡­ what is going on!?"


    Prince Abu woke up, only to see Rhys looking down on him with a smile on his face. He remembered being dragged by Edissa, but not much after that. He knew he was thrown into the Forbidden Land, but why does it feel like he was just back inside the castle?


    He had always been told by his teachers and by the books he had read that the humans are just cattle, nothing really even noteworthy to add to them. And so what is this?


    What was this castle he currently finds himself in?


    "Where¡­ where did you take me!?"


    "The Surface," Rhys slightly crouched so that his eyes would be on the same level as Prince Abu, who can''t seem to stand on his four legs.


    "This¡­ why did you bring me to your castle!? What do you n to do with me!?"


    "Sir, this is a prison," Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "Even now, you lie!" Prince Abu finally garnered the strength to stand up and started touching the walls of the prison hallway, "Such¡­ such exquisite texture and design. How can this be just a prison!? I can hear it too, the walls are thick!"


    "...What''s with that dude? What''s he saying?" Dominique and even Talia could not help but just look at Prince Abu like he was insane, "I think this hot tigress might have knocked him out too hard."


    Edissa, who had brought Prince Dubhai and the other cenleons, red at Dominique as she was sure she was talking about her again.


    "Come on," Prince Abu couldn''t really spend more time adoring the walls as Rhys began pulling him away; his long ws, just embedding through the walls as he tried his best to hold on.


    "Im¡­Impressive!" Prince Abu did not seem to care about Rhys for long as he just once again adored the wall,


    "Even¡­ even the way it breaks is so beautiful! Such¡­ such masonry, such good!"


    "..." Rhys nced at Prince Abu. He thought he was the more normal prince, but it turns out he is just as weird as his brother ¡ª he was just passionate about something else. But if he was fascinated with just this¡­


    ¡­then it was the right decision to bring him along.


    He obviously has more authority than his brother, and would probably be even more pivotal in theing days.


    "I am telling you this now, Your Majesty," Rhys then pulled Prince Abu in front of him, looking him in the eyes with his tone somewhat cold, "You are about to meet civilians, I would advise you to be on your best behavior. Because if not, you will die."


    "Then just kill me. Do you think I would prostrate myself from your threats?" Prince Abu still held the pride of a monarch as he returned Rhys''s re.


    "I am not threatening you, I am warning you," Rhys shook his head, "If you harm any of them, the soldiers of my world will kill you without any hesitation. And also, don''t be too shocked with what you are about to see."


    "Stop ying mind games with me," Prince Abu scoffed as he nced back and looked at the door leading to the airstrip, "It is obvious that what I saw back then is only an illusion ¡ª why would everything be flooded?"


    "Flooded¡­ you mean the sky?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "The what?" Prince Abu hissed, "It is¡ª"


    And before Prince Abu could finish his words, Rhys suddenly pushed him through the door. Prince Abu quickly held onto the door as soon as he saw the sky again, instinctively thinking that he might drown. But after a few seconds, he calmed himself down and let go.


    "Tricks, as expected of a sorcerer. What else will you¡ª" And once again, Prince Abu was not able to finish his words as he noticed several humans staring at him, "What are all of you¡ª"


    Bright shes of light interrupted Prince Abu''s words as the reporters started taking photos of him. He hissed and roared, and yet none of them cared; he was about to rush toward the reporters, but Rhys grabbed him by the tail and lightly yanked him back.


    "Everyone," Rhys then raised his palm, "Please remove your shes. His kind is not used to it."


    "R¡­right."


    "Stupid, why would you use your sh!?"


    And with Rhys''s words, everyone turned off their sh, leaving only the shutter of their cameras to click in the air as they took hundreds of photos of Prince Abu.


    "What is this¡­ what are they doing to me!?" Prince Abu showed his fangs ¡ª humans were meant to be food, and yet right now, it almost seemed as if they were the predators and he was the prey as they all looked at him like he was some sort of¡­ meal, "What are they holding!?"


    "Do you see those people standing there?" Rhyspletely ignored Prince Abu''s anxiety and pointed at the soldiers who had their fingers ready to pull the trigger on their high-caliber rifles, "They are the ones that are going to kill you if you make a mistake, so calm down."


    "They''re all holding the same thing!" Prince Abu''s tail started rising up.


    "No, those tall people are holding weapons," Rhys then let out a small sigh as he asked one of the reporters for their video camera, "This one is a tool used to¡­ repeat a memory. Like a painting but it does so instantly."


    "...You should have just said a heliograph," Prince Abu scoffed.


    "Right¡­" Rhys was once again surprised that the cenleons actually know what a camera is, "...But not quite, heliographs are old. This one is capable of also recording¡­ movement."


    "What are you even¡ªSorcery! Why am I in there!?" And as soon as Rhys saw a recording of Prince Abu to himself, Prince Abu once again bore his fangs and thenpletely wed that video camera.


    "N¡­ No!" The reporter Rhys borrowed the camera from could not help but just scream there and then, "That¡­ that''s worth thousands of dors!"


    "You''ll bepensated by the Mayor Hayden," Rhys let out a small sigh as he both gestured to Prince Abu and the reporter to calm down, "And also, let me all introduce you to Prince Abu ¡ª I hope that everyone would give him the respect he deserves, he''s royalty."


    "Woah."


    And once again, the people started taking photos of Prince Abu, making him ufortable.


    "!!!" And once again, Prince Abu then suddenly lowered his entire body as he heard a loud ringing echoing above him. He looked up, only to see a helicopter flying from above, "Is¡­ is that a gryphon!? A dragon!? What is it!?"


    "It''s a tool we use so we can fly," Rhys quickly exined, "So¡­ are you going to rx anytime soon?"


    "A¡­ tool to fly?" Prince Abu whispered to himself. And after a few seconds, he looked Rhys in the eyes; his anxiety and confusion with all that was happening around him, nowpletely gone,


    "If you promise to share with me your tools and teach my people how to make them, I will fully cooperate with anything you want¡­ Rhys," Prince Abu said as he finally stood straight with his four legs.


    "That is exactly why I brought you here, Your Majesty," Rhys bowed his head before reaching out his hand toward Prince Abu, "Shake my hand and then smile at the cam¡ªat the heliographs."


    "..." Prince Abu looked at Rhys''s hand for a few seconds before doing as he said and shaking it, "You still killed my people."


    "I defended myself," Rhys smiled as he pulled Prince Abu closer to him; the two of them, smiling at the cameras, "And don''t let me regret not letting you join them in their death, Your Majesty ¡ª after all, your brother was initially my first choice."


    "So¡­" Prince Abu smiled, "...What are you, the leader of these people?"


    "Not at all. I''m a criminal," Rhys looked at Prince Abu.


    "And now apparently the most important figure of your people¡­ and mine," Prince Abu scoffed.


    "You''re not calling me a sorcerer anymore?"


    "I''m not a fool, human," Prince Abu shook his head, "I know a politician when I see one. You¡ª"


    "So many humans!"


    And before Prince Abu could finish his words, Prince Dubhai and his cohorts stepped out of the building and quickly started approaching the reporters, causing all of them to back away while still managing to professionally take photos of them.


    "Look at them! All well dressed in all sizes and shapes! That one has ck skin and doesn''t have hair!"


    "Do you think we can keep some of them!? Can they also talk to us!?"


    "Everyone, meet Prince Abu''s younger brother, Prince Dubhai," Rhys then let out a small but very deep sigh as he introduced Prince Abu, "He is a researcher and scientist in his culture ¡ª and the two of them have expressed strong feelings of business with us...


    ...and with the Former Mayor of Old York''s support, perhaps a chance to make both our worlds smaller."


    Just like that, Rhys sealed Joseph Hayden''s road to being the next president of the country.


    And just like that, Rhys ced himself right in the very center of everything ¡ª the only bridge of contact between two thriving species. No.


    He was the only bridge between the entire people of the Surface and the Underworld.

 Chapter 242 Pieces Falling Into Place

    "Ha¡­ Hahaha!"


    The loud roars ofughtering from presidential candidate and former mayor Joseph Hayden were loud, loud enough that each of his hearty breaths seeped from his office and reverberated throughout his entire campaign building.


    How could he not, when he was just given the updated poll for the presidential election, and he was now the No. 1 pick by miles? The only way he wasn''t going to win now is if he dies or forfeits ¡ª the former was almost impossible, and thetter wasn''t going to happen.


    He was initially the second tost candidate in the previous polls. On the outside, a lot of people were agreeing with his campaign to give Lowborns and everyone equal opportunity, but the data taken in private actually shows the opposite. But now, he was going to win by andslide.


    All thanks to Rhys Wilder.


    "It would seem your bet was the right one, Mister President," Assistant Dan adjusted his sses while congratting Joseph. Dan was no longer busy now, as he did not need to handle the promotions anymore because there was no longer any need to ¡ª Rhys Wilder did all the work for him,


    "Sponsoring and making Rhys Wilder indebted to you is the best course of action you have ever taken in your life."


    "Please, Dan. Give me more credit," Joseph once again let out a hearty fit ofughter, causing Dan to hold his sses in fear of it being blown away by Joseph''s breaths, "I am a genius mastermind."


    "I think that is too much credit," Assistant Dan sighed, "So, what are you nning now that your seat at the presidency is guaranteed and assured?"


    "What else?" Joseph scoffed as he looked out the window, "Rhys did all of this in the difort of prison, it is best we reciprocate in kind."


    "I do believe you no longer owe the boy anything," Assistant Dan shook his head, "Any further assistance and help would probably anger¡­ some people."


    "At this point it''s no longer about lending a hand with each other, Dan," Joseph then let out a big sigh as he approached Dan,pletely towering over him in both height and overall size; his hand that he ced on Dan''s shoulder, almost covering all of it, "It''s about mutual benefit, a partnership."


    "For a mutual benefit to work, the two of you must be equal."


    "Give the boy some more credit."


    "You are actually the one below in this scenario," Assistant Dan shook his head, "Rhys Wilder is the face of the Lowborn. Although unofficially, he is already one of the top 15 Strongest Explorers in the world. He has not only one but three members of the royal family of Ennd infatuated with him.


    He is in a rtionship with the former Grand Commander of the Underworld Corps, and now also the pseudo-ambassador between the Surface and Underworld¡­


    ¡­You''re just the president of Amerka."


    "You didn''t have to do me like that, you know," Joseph scoffed before smiling and walking back to his desk, "You underestimate the authority of what the seat will give me."


    "You already have a seat," Assistant Dan sighed, "You should¡ª"


    "Enough."


    And all of a sudden, the yful tone in Joseph Hayden''s voice disappeared; reced by a cold, almost piercing groan as he red at Assistant Dan. Assistant Dan looked at him for a few seconds, before just bowing his head and taking a step back.


    "I overstepped," Assistant Dan apologized.


    "No." And as soon as he did so, Joseph waved his hand; his voice quickly returning to normal, "The very reason you are here is to overstep. My daughter, is she here yet?"


    "Which one?"


    "Who else!? I only called for one!"


    "You have to be specific, 3 of your daughters are in the building," Assistant Dan adjusted his sses.


    "Hannah! The one that''s already acquainted with Rhys! And the one I called for," Joseph waved his hand, "I really should start reviewing about ducking your pay."


    "I was only kidding, Sir," Assistant Dan smiled before walking to the door, "I do believe Hannah is already in the waiting room."


    "Waiting¡­? That woman?" Joseph gave out arge breath, "Since when did that woman learn how to wait?"


    "Since you ordered her to wait earlier, Sir."


    "Wh¡ªI did that!?" Joseph started to panic, "Quick! Call her, call her now!"


    "At once," Assistant Dan smiled as he very slowly left the room. And not even a few seconds after that, Joseph could hear a loud rumbling and some screams from several different peopleing from outside his office.


    "Sir, Ms. Hannah," Assistant Dan then came back with Hannah behind him; Dan''s sses, shattered and his hair was aplete mess.


    "Hannah," Joseph then cleared his throat as he looked at his daughter, whose hair was floating on its own as she red at him, "It would seem Assistant Dan misunderstood my orders and let you wait outside."


    "Sir¡­?" Dan''s eyes widened as he started looking back and forth between Joseph and Hannah. But as soon as his eyes met with Hannah, he felt a grip on his cheeks as Hannah suddenly grabbed it with a telekic hold.


    "I''ll deal with youter, you bitch," Hannah smiled, "Do you know how long I''ve waited outside?"


    "...5 minutes?"


    "Yes," Hannah looked Dan in the eyes, "An eternity. Now scram before I let my dogs eat you!"


    "But¡­ you don''t have a dog here?"


    "Exactly," Hannah bared her teeth at Dan.


    "Enough, enough." And before Hannah could actually start feeding Dan to something, Joseph ced his hand on Hannah''s shoulder. And as soon as Hannah let Dan go, Joseph quickly gestured to him to leave the room as fast as possible.


    Of course, Dan was not grateful at all since Joseph created the scenario in the first ce.


    "So¡­" Hannah clicked her tongue before swatting her father''s hand away, "...What did you call me for? I swear, this better not be one of your useless meetings."


    "I have never once called for a useless meeting."


    "Ourst meeting was about what ice cream I liked."


    "That''s important."


    "Maybe when I was 6," Hannah scoffed before just sitting on one of the sofas and gesturing to her father to just get on with it, "The sooner this is done, the better."


    "Very well," Joseph cleared his throat as he walked somewhat dramatically back to his desk; sitting on his chair before leaning forward and looking his daughter in the eyes, "I need you to fuck Rhys Wilder."


    "Excuse me?" Hannah raised an eyebrow, "The guy''s in prison, just how fucked do you want him to be?"


    "That is not what I meant," Joseph''s voice once again turned cold and serious, "I need you to fuck Rhys Wilder."


    "...No," Hannah returned her father''s re, "Fuck no. That is not going to happen. I am your daughter, you don''t tell your daughters to fuck some random guy."


    "I am not telling you ¡ª I am ordering you," Joseph''s tone did not change at all, "I am going to give you a very substantial reward."


    "Fuck you," Hannah forced out a chuckle while shaking her head, "Fuck you, Dad. Let the others do it."


    "Who? You are already acquainted with Rhys," Joseph leaned on his chair while also shaking his head, "This is not up for debate."


    "If you want me to get close to him, then I''ll do that without even asking for a reward and¡ª"


    "Okay," Joseph shrugged as the tone of his voice once again became friendly.


    "What¡­?"


    "Okay. I order you to get close to him," Joseph smiled, "I am truly d that you are doing this without even any reward, Hannah. This is why you are my favorite child out of the 30 of you. I am nning to set Rhys free sometime this week, you''re going to be the one fetching him."


    "..." Hannah could really only stare at her father for a few seconds before just shaking her head and leaving, "I hope you rot in hell, Dad."


    "I already am," Joseph once again let out a hearty fit ofughter, making Hannah just cover her ears as she quickly escaped the room. And as soon as she was gone, Joseph immediately stoppedughing and looked outside the window,


    "And what a beautiful hell this is."


    ***


    "Bro¡­ you had sex with a lion!?"


    "A cenleon."


    "That''s practically the same thing, shit! That is wild, yo. That is really, really wild."


    "Please, lower your voice."


    Back in the prison, Rhys could really only quickly cover Dominique''s mouth before anyone could hear her. He needed to tell someone what happened to him so that it would leave his mind; sadly, Dominique was the only person he could really think of to tell it¡­


    ¡­and that was probably a mistake.


    "I mean¡­ Fuck, Rhys," Dominique wiped the imaginary sweat on her forehead, "I''d rather fuck a man than fuck a female human lion. How did that even work?"


    "She''s¡­ extremely flexible."


    "Wait¡­" Dominique''s eyes started to widen, "...Actually, you know what¡­ I think that''s kinda hot. I''m actually eyeing one of the female cenleons you brought with you and¡ª"


    "What sort of corruption are you whispering to the Fuhrer now, Dominyke?" And before Dominique could continue her words, Talia suddenly approached the two of them.


    "That''s not my name."


    "I could not choose between your name and dyke, so I justbined it," Talia scoffed before just ignoring Dominique and approaching Rhys, "Can we talk?"


    "I told you not to call me Fuhrer," Rhys sighed, "What is it?"


    "The outside world¡­" Talia''s voice, surprisingly, became meek for the very first time,


    "...I do not think I am ready for it."

 Chapter 243 Missile

    "I know nothing there."


    Talia has been known by everyone who had ever met her to bepletely highheaded; perhaps the most bigoted person in the entire world. She''s also filled with arrogance and thinks that everyone weaker than her doesn''t deserve her time.


    But right now, as the two of them were alone in therge hall, it made it obvious that the confidence that surrounded her entire persona was just crumbling in front of Rhys, and the only thing he could see was an old woman who was lost in a world which had already moved on without her.


    "...And why does that matter?"


    Rhys, however, was almostpletely indifferent and he wasn''t afraid at all to show it to Talia, "The world wasn''t ready when you and your people started massacring the Lowborns and causing a great war to ravage the world."


    "...You''re right," Talia took in a deep breath as she nodded several times, "I¡­ don''t have the right to worry."


    "Ironically enough, spending most of your life in prison kept you safe from the harshness of the world you helped build," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he held Talia''s chin and faced her eyes on him, "People haven''t forgotten you, Talia. About what you did. Your face has been on every relevant history book. I think you''re even in a museum. And it''s so easier now to try and reach you."


    "I do not regret what I did," Talia looked Rhys in the eyes, "I am proud of it. I was wrong, but in the end, I believe what I did created you, resulted in you ¡ª the perfect being¡­


    ¡­My Fuhrer."


    "...Pft," Rhys could not help but let out a small chuckle as he shook his head, "Are you sure the world isn''t the one that''s not ready for you?"


    "I won''t be alive for long anyway," Talia scoffed, "A hundred years old, I''ve already overstayed my wee."


    "Well, that''s not something I''ll permit," Rhys then pulled Talia closer to him, "Death can have you only on my terms."


    "..." Talia looked at both of Rhys''s eyes for a few seconds before a small smile crawled on her face, "As you wish, my Fuhrer."


    "You''ve changed the world before," Rhys whispered, "Now we just have to do it again."


    "And the world you''ll create would trump anything they have ever zeen," Talia closed her eyes, "And as your sword, I make a solemn vow to you that I will make it possible¡­ even if I have to drown the world in blood again."


    "...My god, you guys are insufferable."


    "What are you doing here¡­?"


    And as Talia was having her moment, Dominique, who had actually entered the prison hall minutes ago, could no longer help herself as she almost shivered while approaching the two,


    "Must be nice to finally go out there after almost a century, huh?" Dominique sighed, "I''ll probably just rot here along with the gang. I still have like 3 life sentences left."


    "What are you talking about, Dominique?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at Dominique; a small confused breath, escaping his smirking lips, "You''re also being pardoned."


    "W¡­ what!?"


    "Well, not really."


    "..." The excitement on Dominique''s face quickly faded away as she looked nkly at Rhys''s face, "You little¡ª"


    "You''re dead," Rhys sighed, "You and your family are dead, killed during Mike and Art''s rampage."


    "...Fuck," Dominique covered her face, "So¡­ they''re really letting us go?"


    "Except for¡ª"


    "I know," Dominique did not let Rhys finish her words, "Their crimes are¡­ too much. You don''t have to say anything, I''ll tell them."


    "...You and the others are not nning on staying here because you''re notplete, are you?"


    "Fuck no," Dominique let out a loud breath before bursting into a fit ofughter as she walked away, "Those two can rot here for their crimes, the gang can just visit them whenever. Ha¡­ Hahaha! Free, free atst!"


    "Dominique," Rhys called her back before she could leave the hall, "Where are you nning to go once you''re outside?"


    "...What the fuck are you talking about?" Dominique raised an eyebrow, "We''re staying with you, of course ¡ª aren''t you like super rich with all your sugar mommies? We''re gonna leech on you for a while. And what I mean by that is we''ll leech on you forever. And in return¡­


    ¡­I will also be your sword."


    "..."


    "...Pft," Dominique covered her mouth, pretending that she was stopping herself fromughing as she looked at Talia, "Sword¡­ pft. So old school."


    Talia did not really say anything; her eyes only twitching as she watched Dominique leaving the hall. Talia then started looking around the hall; her sighs, escaping her lips without her knowing.


    "I''ve been locked up for more than 80 years," Talia shook her head, "Although we''ve discussed it and all, I would still need to adapt to everything. If I don''t, I really won''t be of use to you."


    "I think you''ll find learning new things today is easier than before," Rhys smiled, "There''s the inte, you can just search everything almost instantly if you don''t know them."


    "The inte¡­" Talia also smiled, "...I still do not know what that is exactly."


    "Okay¡­


    ¡­maybe you do need a lot of time to adjust."


    Days passed inside the prison, and Rhys took that time to orient the two Princes and their people to what to expect once they were exposed to the outside world. Of course, most of them still had trouble believing everything thates out of Rhys''s mouth.


    However, the only thing they could do was shut up as soon as Maria showed all of them her smart tablet. The concept waspletely alien to them, and Prince Abu was trying his best not to scream ''sorcery'' again.


    As for Prince Dubhai, he truly wanted to buy Maria''s tablet from her, and he told Rhys he was willing to pay a ton of money. But of course, Maria was unwilling to do that ¡ª after all, the secrets and information she has on her tablet is probably worth an entire country in and by itself.


    And so, Rhys just told Dubhai that he would buy him one once they were outside. And fortunately for Prince Dubhai, the day of their release came sooner than expected.


    "Mr. Wilder."


    "...Why are you here?"


    "Why can''t I? My dad''s the president, I can do whatever the fuck I want."


    And to Rhys''s surprise, Hannah from the Explorer Association stepped out of the military helicopter that was supposed to fetch him and the others.


    "I came to get you, you should be honored that I am wasting so much time just by being here," Hannah crossed her arms as she looked at the entourage behind Rhys, "And I have to say, you''ve surrounded yourself with some weird people again. And she''s the weirdest one."


    Hannah did not really point at someone¡ªno. She was pointing at Rhys''s shadow, and without even a second after doing so, Maria emerged from the ground.


    "H," Maria breathed out; her face, even more stoic than it usually is, "I see your father has you running errands again. I suppose you are our chauffeur?"


    "Don''t fucking push it, bitch," Hannah snarled before approaching closer and looking Rhys in the eyes, "Are these all of you? Let''s not waste any more time and go. This ce gives me the fucking creeps ¡ª you really stayed here for more than a month?"


    "It''s not that bad."


    "Maybe for you," Hannah scoffed, "My friends at the association were actually taking bets of when you''re going to escape ¡ª turns out you didn''t need to."


    "You do not have any friends, H," Maria smirked.


    "Shut the fuck up, you fucking pervert," Hannah raised her middle finger at Maria, "Let''s go ¡ª your pets better not shit on the heli."


    "They''re not animals, Hannah."


    "We''re all animals," Hannah once again scoffed as she just gestured to Rhys to get on the helicopter, "Some are just more in tune with their nature than others¡­ like you. A wild beast wearing an innocent sheep''s clothing."


    "...I don''t think that''s how that saying goes," Rhys could really only sigh as Hannah rolled her eyes and just got on the helicopter without even waiting for any of them.


    "Everyone, please."


    And without even waiting for Rhys to fully turn and call them, Dominique quickly got on the helicopter along with her gang.


    "Let''s fucking go! We gonna getid outside!"


    "Excuse me¡­?"


    "I¡­ I mean, they are gonna getid," Dominique could really only swallow her words as her girlfriend red at her, "Rhys,e on!"


    And while the humans had no problem boarding the helicopter, the cenleons werepletely worried. Even Edissa could really only stare at the helicopter.


    "Rhys¡­ are you sure that it''s not going to eat us?"


    "...It''s a machine," Rhys sighed, "Look, it''s being controlled by someone."


    "I''ve seen it several times¡­ It''s still just so¡ª"


    "Wait," Rhys squinted his eyes as he suddenly heard something from the distance, "Something''s¡­ moving toward us."


    "I hear it too," Edissa''s ears perked up. And it wasn''t only the rest of the cenleons all looked toward the same direction, "It''s¡­ some sort of whistle?"


    "!!!" Rhys''s eyes widened as he quickly turned to look at the helicopter where everyone was, "Talia¡­


    ¡­Missile!"

 Chapter 244 Fly

    "Talia¡­ Missile!"


    Talia, who was already inside the helicopter, did not even hesitate to quickly step out of the aircraft ¡ª as soon as she heard her name being called, she already left.


    And as she heard the word ''missile'', her first response was to look at the sky. And as soon as she saw something that didn''t belong there; just a small dot, really, but she quickly waved her hands and released a barrage of invisible des.


    "!!!"


    The cenleons who saw the clouds split up could not help but just widen their eyes. Although they werepletely unaware of how far the clouds were, they knew what Talia just did was extremely impressive¡­ and powerful.


    Soon, however, they all lowered their heads and bodies as arge explosion erupted in the air as one of Talia''s attacks made contact with the missile; the shockwave, enough to reach them in just a couple of seconds.


    No, it did not just reach them; the shockwave was enough to also cause Typhon''s Ind to tremble. Whoever threw that missile at them¡­ was nning to erase the entire ind along with them.


    "What was that!?" Dominique practically leaped out of the helicopter, "It almost felt like my brain bounced inside my head a million times!"


    "That makes zense since it is so small," Talia scoffed as Dominique and the others all stepped out of the helicopter, all except for Hannah.


    "Ah, fuck¡­ this is why I should''ve stayed at home. Rhys!" Hannah just stood on the hatch as she screamed for Rhys, "Since we''re all safe and shit now, let''s go! Tell your goons to return to the helo!"


    "...I don''t think so," Rhys, however, just shook his head. Hannah was going to scream at him again, but as soon as she noticed Rhys looking at the sky again, she just let out a loud groan and finally joined the others.


    "Don''t you fucking tell me there''s another one¡­?" Hannah looked up. And unfortunately for her, she was right ¡ª there were 3 dots getting closer and closer toward them, "Ah, for fuck''s sake. Why can''t anything with you be easy? What the fuck?"


    "Why¡­ are you hitting me?" Rhys could really only look at Hannah like she was crazy as she started punching Rhys''s arm in frustration, "How is it even my fault that a missile ising to us?"


    "Why do you think!?" Hannah clicked her tongue before ring at Rhys, "My dad''s about to be the president because of you ¡ª I''m pretty sure some interested parties want you and these cenleons gone and out."


    "...Right," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "Talia, can you do something about it?"


    "Of course," Talia just nodded before focusing on the three missiles. But before she could do anything, however, Hannah suddenly stood in front of her, waving her hand at her face before gesturing to her to go away, "...Who do you think you are?"


    "Ack," Hannah just rolled her eyes, not even bothering to look at Talia as she once again waved her off, "So ungraceful. I''ll have you know that I just had my hair done, I''m not gonna have it ruined with all the gunpowder and the fucking st ¡ª and my god, do you people even smell yourselves?"


    "Can I kill this woman¡­?" Talia''s eye started to twitch as she nced at Rhys, who only let out a sigh in response.


    "We have no choice, Hannah," Rhys breathed out, "It''s getting closer and closer to us and¡ª"


    "h, h, h," Hannah once again groaned in frustration before raising her hand in the air and pointing it at the missiles, "I''m gonna deal with it already so just stop yapping. Just because you''re so fucking handsome, you think everyone''s gonna listen to you yap?"


    And with those words, the veins in Hannah''s neck and arm started to throb and show themselves through her skin.


    Everyone could feel it ¡ª a pulse. A pulse rippled from Hannah''s hand and through the entire prison; it made everyone feel as though there was a weight surrounding them.


    And soon, everyone watched as the missiles, which were clearly heading right toward them, just suddenly switched directions, flying up straight into the sky.


    "What the freak¡­" Dominique then started looking at Hannah from head to toe before licking her lips at her, "...Now, who is this sexy woman you''ve been hiding from us, Rhys Wi¡ª"


    "Sexy woman¡­?" And before Dominique could finish her words, her girlfriend suddenly stomped on her foot.


    But while everyone was in awe of Hannah''s talents, Rhys was extremely calm and even approached Hannah from behind, whispering something into her ear. Hannah squinted her eyes as she nced at Rhys like he was some sort of madman. But after a few seconds, Hannah let out a small sigh before stretching her other hand toward the missiles which were already about to leave the stratosphere.


    Nothing really changed, except for the fact that one of the missiles once again seemed to point toward Typhon''s Ind.


    "That''s¡­ not good?" Dominique''s eyes widened as she looked back and forth between Hannah and the iing missile. Hannah, however, waspletely focused on the missiles. And as soon as the two other missilespletely left Earth''s gravity, she pointed her other hand toward Rhys.


    "What are you doing!?" Talia raised her arm at Hannah.


    "I will ask the same question." While Maria appeared right behind Hannah, cing a knife on her neck, "You better answer or this knife will slice through your neck like it''s made of gtin."


    "Talia, Maria. Rx," Rhys quickly calmed the two down as his feet started to leave the ground.


    "What the¡ªYou can fly!?"


    "Nikki, please," Rhys could really only sigh as Dominique pointed at him and screamed, "I asked Hannah to lift me up."


    "...I see," Talia quickly retracted her hand, while Maria also retreated back, "Are you at least going to tell us the reason why?"


    "Once I''m back," Rhys shook his head, "Maria, let me borrow your tablet."


    "Okay," Maria did not even question Rhys as she immediately gave her tablet to him.


    And before anyone else could wonder what was going on, Rhys nodded at Hannah and was instantly thrown away into the air¡­ toward the iing missile.


    "Hm¡­pft," and as he felt the air blowing across his face and saw Typhon''s Ind growing smaller and smaller, a small chuckle escaped Rhys''s lips. It wasn''t because he felt free, not at all ¡ª it was because perhaps for the very first time, he was actually flying up instead of falling down from high ces.


    Now, if only he wasn''t actually heading straight toward a missile, this would have probably been even more fun. Well¡­ it was still somewhat fun. And as the missile becamerger andrger, the smile on Rhys''s face also grew.


    And soon, as it was probably only meters away from hitting him, he summoned a st of wind to push himself out of the missile''s path; not before, however, creating a using his threads andtching himself onto the missile.


    "F¡­" Rhys almost cursed as he felt himself being pulled, but he did not lose his calm as he pulled himself closer to it. Now that he was actuallytching beside it, he finally realized howrge it actually was


    "What the fuck is he doing¡­?" Dominique and the others, who were watching him from the airstrip, could not help but just have their mouths opened as the missile flew above the prison, "That''s¡­ that''s so fucking cool! Go, Rhys! I have no idea what''s happening, but go!"


    "Crazy¡­" Talia also smirked while shaking her head, "...As expected of the Fuhrer."


    As for the cenleons, the only thing they could really do was look at each other ¡ª the Forbidden Land¡­ was far more interesting than they could have ever thought.


    And before the missile couldpletely leave Typhon''s Ind''s airspace, Rhys let go of the missile and just let himself down, controlling his fall with his wind control and justnding straight back where he left off in the first ce.


    "Are you done?" Hannah asked.


    "Yes."


    "You owe me a couple of beers for this, tch," Hannah rolled her eyes before shifting her hand, making the remaining missile to finally fly up and out into the open sky.


    And now, with the threat of the missilespletely gone, everyone could let out a breath of relief. Almost all of them except for Maria, impressed with how powerful Hannah actually is.


    "What? Why are you looking at me like that?" Hannah then clicked her tongue as she noticed Rhys staring at her face.


    "Thank you for indulging my weird request, Ma''am," Rhys smiled at her in response, causing Hannah to just stick out her tongue before waving Rhys off and returning back to the helicopter. As for Rhys, he remained staring at her, or more specifically, at the 5 Hearts finally floating above her head.


    She did not initially have them, but now she has. Did¡­ something change?


    "Rhys Wilder," Maria then reached out her hand at Rhys, "Can I have my tablet back? I assume you took a photo of the missile? Did you¡­


    ¡­discover who they were from?"

 Chapter 245 Target

    "...No visible marks, not even a serial number ¡ª not even any seams. This wasn''t manufactured in a factory¡­


    ¡­this is a direct attack from someone who has the blood of Hephaestus, Rhys Wilder.


    "How much does that narrow down our list?"


    Rhys held his headset, pinning it even closer to his ear so as to not miss Maria''s words from the drowning noise of the helicopter¡­ as well as the screams and hisses of the cenleons who were panicking from the height, and yet they were still peeking out from the windows and creating more noise.


    "Fuck me, I hate cats," Hannah let out a small groan as she seriously felt that a fur got in her mouth.


    "Does that mean you hate pussy too? Or are you willing to try?"


    "Nikki!" And as Dominique brazenly flirted with Hannah again, her girlfriend pinched her thigh and red at her.


    "What the¡ªI thought this was a secured line," Dominique quickly adjusted the channel on her headset, but it was toote as everyone heard what she said. Fortunately for her, the others were too busy either observing the cenleons, or trying to figure out what Maria and Rhys discovered.


    "There are not many who are capable of creating missiles of that strength," Maria showed a list to Rhys, and true enough, their suspects were cut to less than 12, "And one you already killed back in Typhon''s Ind."


    "Mike¡­" Rhys remembered how Mike created a rifle that shot a beam capable of erasing half of the prison in less than a second. If Mike was any more capable, then Rhys might not even be alive today. If¡­ only she could find a woman with the ability to create weapons too, then maybe he could¡ª


    "Are you trying to find a woman on the list you could seduce, Master Rhys?" Maria licked her tongue as she looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "I don''t seduce people¡­ and I told you not to call me Master in public," Rhys sighed.


    "But you are allowing that old witch to call you Fuhrer?" Maria smirked, "You should know by now that you can''t control how we act toward you¡­ that is, if you want to control me and treat me like a puppet, freely using me whenever you want even in front of all these people."


    "Can we just focus?" Rhys strayed his eyes away from Maria and back to her tablet, "Which one do you think it is?"


    "We will just be pointing fingers at this point." Maria shook her head, "3 in Amerka, 5 in Russea, 1 in Goryeo, 1 in Nippon, and 1 in Luzviminda."


    "Luzviminda?" Rhys squinted his eyes, "Where''s that?"


    "A small country in South East Asia with arge poption," Maria then opened the map to show Rhys a country that was oddly almost shaped like a dog sideways, "It was previously named Philippines, from the current king Philip II, back when they were colonized, but a Noble who was born from a ve liberated them in thete 1800s."


    "You seem to know a lot about this country."


    "My mother''s from there. Maria isn''t even my true name, it''s just some sort of suffix. Maria Regina Bautista Mercado," Maria leaned closer to Rhys and whispered to him, "I spent half of my childhood there before being brought here by my father."


    "...I thought you and Katarina were from the same ce," Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he heard Maria''s full name, "Your name is even longer than her."


    "You do not have to worry ¡ª Half Amerkan and Half Luzviminda practically make me Hispanic. That was a joke, by the way."


    "Right¡­" It truly made it hard for Rhys to discern whenever Maria was joking because of her stoic and monotonous voice, "...So, who do you think amongst these fine gentleman have something against me?"


    "All of them at different levels. I believe we should just wait until I talk to the people in the Air Force," Maria answered bluntly,


    "But if we really must deliberate, then there is a possibility that one of the three in our country was hired to get rid of you. They get rid of you and the cenleons, and they get rid of Former Mayor Joseph Hayden''s advantage. For Russea, I do not think I need to say anything more."


    "Hm."


    "As for Goryeo and Nippon, I do not really think they would do it since they are our allies," Maria shook her head, "To jeopardize that means they would risk being exposed to the Empire of Qing."


    "...And Luzviminda?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "The country is rtively peaceful, too peaceful to the point that they are extremelyx," Maria exined, "But I do believe that out of all the Weapon Makers, the one from this country is the only one that could possibly have a personal vendetta against you."


    "...Why would someone from the other side of the world have something against me?" Rhys seemed visibly confused.


    "T¡ª"


    "Because you just removed him from the list of 15 Strongest Explorers in the world, ckie." And before Maria could even answer, Hannah moved to the seat right in front of them and answered Rhys''s question, "The guy''s probably fucking infuriated."


    "...I''m in the top 15?" Rhys blinked a couple of times, "Wait, I''m not saying I deserve to be there ¡ª but wasn''t my license revoked as soon as I was thrown in prison? Wilder''s Harem was even forced to disband."


    "Wilder''s Harem, see how good that rolls in the tongue?" Hannah smirked and scoffed at the same time, "Have you thanked me yet for choosing that name? And also, who the fuck are you kidding, ckie? You have so many great connections within the country, and by great connections, I meant me."


    Hannah then approached Rhys and leaned closer to him before cing something on hisp. Both Maria and Talia lowered their eyebrows at this unnecessary action, but Hannah did not even heed them any mind as she just gestured to Rhys to get it.


    "This¡­ is my license?" Rhys checked the card that Hannah gave him, "Why does it say Level 0? I was already at Level 3, 4 something before I was arrested."


    "Stupid," Hannah groaned in frustration, "Level 0 is the ess given to the strongest Explorers, which means you haveplete ess to any Holes you want to enter. Well¡­"


    Hannah stared back and forth between Talia and Edissa several times; the smirk on her face, growing by the second, "...It''s not like you have a problem with that department. Even in prison, you manage to enter holes. Must be quite small if it can fit everywhere."


    "On the contrary," Talia scoffed as she suddenly joined in on the conversation, "It''srge enough to the point I could actually see my belly going up."


    "You have no idea," Maria also did not mind that people seemed to be intruding on their channel as she just also smirked at Hannah; the tone of her voice, however, was still quite monotonous, "It is honestly too much, H."


    "...Tch," Hannah just rolled her eyes and finally looked away. As for Rhys, he just stared at the 5 Gray Hearts now floating above her head ¡ª was there some sort of prerequisite he needed to do to actually unlock the Hearts in some select individuals?


    The number 1 strongest Explorer in the world also did not have Hearts floating above her head, does that mean Rhys could also do something to unlock them?


    If so, then what exactly did Rhys do to unlock the Hearts for Hannah?


    "What are you looking at, bitch?" Hannah snarled as she noticed Rhys looking at her, "Just so we''re clear, I''m not gonna have sex with you. I have standards ¡ª I want someone tall, extremely handsome and with the body of Adonis."


    "You just described Rhys Wilder," Maria looked nkly at Hannah.


    "That¡ªIt''s not him!" Hannah crossed her arms as she once again looked away, "Stop annoying me and wasting my time!"


    "How would I waste your time, H? We are stuck in the air."


    "Shut up!"


    "Hm¡­" And while Maria and Hannah were bickering with each other, Rhys took the tablet from Maria and started reviewing the person from Luzviminda.


    Lance Aquino. He is in his early 30s, and Luzviminda''s only Noble explorer ¡ª and Hannah wasn''t lying. His profile says that he was previously the ranked No. 15 Strongest explorer in the world.


    Is it really possible he was holding a grudge against Rhys for taking his spot¡­? Or is this some sort of wee from the strongest people in the world?


    Rhys doesn''t really feel like it ¡ª even now, whenever he thinks of how it would be like to fight Esme when she wasn''t actually holding back, Rhys could not think of a way to actually defeat her.


    How can he even defeat someone who can turn into a mist, and then proceed to use that mist to just instantly freeze him to death?


    Well, whatever the case was¡­


    "Maria, I''ll wait for the information about the missiles."


    "...What do you intend to do after you find out who shot it, Rhys Wilder?" Maria tilted her head to the side as she immediately stopped bickering with Hannah, "You have to be very careful, your actions now will reflect the country. It is best not to be seen as aggressive and reckless."


    "...I won''t do anything," Rhys sighed as Maria quickly warned him, "When have I ever done something that would be perceived as aggressive and reckless?"


    "Do you truly want me to answer that?"


    "...No," Rhys lowered his head, "Anyway, I''m not going to do anything. I''ll just pay them a visit and talk. After all¡­"


    The tone of Rhys''s voice turned cold as his expression almost became sinister ¡ª and everyone felt it, especially the cenleons who relied more on their instincts; their fur, now standing up on their ends,


    "...It would have been alright if it was just me," Rhys whispered as he looked Maria in the eyes, "But you and the others were also here, if that missile would have killed even one of you¡­


    ¡­killing only one of them wouldn''t be enough."

 Chapter 246 ...Huh?

    "My boy! Wee back from the dead! I knew prison was not going to hold you down!"


    "...Thanks."


    Rhys had not even taken 3 steps out of the helicopter before he was met with Joseph''s loud and very obnoxious voice. Joseph quickly pulled him away and took to all the reporters who had been waiting for him tond.


    And almost immediately, Rhys was once again bombarded with questions ¡ª he did not really need to say anything, however, as Joseph answered for him.


    "Now, now ¡ª the boy just got out of prison. He is very tired, so let''s keep the questions to a minimum and let''s keep it incredibly civil," Josephughed ¡ª and the reporters could really only slightly back away from his loud voice and presence¡ªno.


    The presence of the two men in front of them right now was huge, perhaps even literally. They all knew how tall Rhys was, perhaps at 6''8" now, but Joseph still physically towered over him. Are they sure these two aren''t secretly father and son?


    "Then, is it true that¡ª"


    "Let the boy rest!"


    Unfortunately for the reporters, Joseph did really have any ns for them to actually interview Rhys; he only wanted their pictures of shaking each other''s hand taken as a way to cement to the people that he and Rhys are truly partners and friends.


    "We will set up an official press conference soon, but for now, I''m letting Rhys rest," Joseph once again started pulling Rhys away.


    "Thank you, Sir," Rhys let out a small sigh, as he also truly was not in the mood to answer any questions after being attacked by 4 missiles, "Come, I''ll introduce you to the cenleons."


    "That''s what I''ve been looking forward to!" Joseph burst out in a fit ofughter for some reason as he followed Rhys back to the helicopter, where the cenleons were stepping out of the aircraft one by one, extremely careful as their eyes scanned everything.


    "What¡­ what are those weird towers in the distance!? How are there so many of them!?"


    "Why are there no trees or nts!?"


    "Did any of you see thatrge box that was moving as fast as us earlier!?"


    The cenleons could not help but just talk to each other without pause as they were overwhelmed by all the new things they were seeing. Even Edissa, who had spent the most time on the Surface, waspletely shocked to see that she had absolutely no idea just how massive and different Rhys''s world was.


    They were already oriented about how things work in the Surface, and they were also taught about the technologies they needed to know ¡ª but seeing it right now first hand, Edissa was lost¡­ and to think they haven''t even seen anything yet.


    She quickly calmed down, however, as soon as she saw Rhys approaching them. She did not hesitate to run toward him and wrap her arms around his arm; almost as if she was afraid that the entire city would swallow her.


    Rhys seemed to be saying something, but Edissa couldn''t understand him since he was talking to therge man beside him. Soon, however, the other cenleons also approached Rhys ¡ª after all, he was their only connection to this weirdly foreign world they found themselves in.


    "Prince Abu, Prince Dubhai ¡ª Meet Joseph Hayden," Rhys immediately introduced Joseph to the two princes, "He¡­ is the leader of this country."


    "He¡­ isrge. Is he human!?" Prince Dubhai could not help but just look at Joseph from head to toe, "I thought you were alreadyrge for a human, but to think I''ll see another one evenrger than you."


    "Stop being so disgraceful," Prince Abu stopped Dubhai from approaching Joseph, "You are in front of another monarch, at least behave yourself."


    Prince Abu then remembered the things Rhys taught him and reached out his hand to Joseph. And upon seeing this, a wide smile crawled on Joseph''s face as he shook Abu''s hand.


    "Sir, that''s Prince Abu. And the other one is Prince Dubhai, they''re brothers," Rhys pointed at the two princes.


    "It is a pleasure to meet our people from the other side," Joseph let out a small chuckle as he also reached for Dubhai''s hand and shook it, "To think the day woulde that I would see another race in the Surface, truly ¡ª a wonderful and momentous event."


    Prince Dubhai just nodded his head and smiled ¡ª he could not really understand what Joseph said, but judging by the friendly smile on his face, it was probably a good thing.


    "Now, I know you and your people are tired, so ¡ª Rhys?"


    "I was thinking of just letting them stay near Wilder''s Harem HQ. My guild has disbanded, but all the people are still there," Rhys nodded.


    "Good, it''s best they stay close to you," Joseph then looked at one of his people, gesturing them to escort the cenleons, "Let them rest in a nearby hotel first, we can''t have them traveling in the air again so soon."


    "Hm," Rhys ryed Joseph''s words to the two princes, and the two just nodded their heads in response, "You know how to use this already, right?"


    "Of course! Of course!" Rhys handed a smartphone to Prince Abu, but Prince Dubhai quickly snatched it away from his hand and just started fidgeting with it.


    "If you need anything, just call ¡ª my number is already there. Always keep it open," Rhys could really only sigh as he looked at Abu, who also just sighed in response before pulling his brother away and following Joseph''s men along with the rest of his people, except for Edissa who remained by Rhys''s side.


    "Now¡­" Joseph then ced his arm over Rhys''s shoulder as his voice finally became quiet, "...I heard you had a missile problem. Now, care to tell me about that so that we can take care of it?"


    "I don''t think I will," Rhys smiled in response, "I''ll handle it myself."


    "...That''s exactly why I want to take care of it, so that you won''t handle it yourself, Boy," Joseph dragged Rhys away, slightly lifting him up from the ground as he did so, "If you handle it yourself, it will be another big mess."


    "I do things quietly, Sir."


    "Who tells you to keep believing that shit?" Joseph''s breath became loud as he heard Rhys''s words, "You''re a bomb, Wilder. Everything you do resounds throughout the entire world. But, if that''s what you want, then I''m not going to push the matter further ¡ª but if you need help, just ask."


    "I will," Rhys nodded.


    "Now, are you not going to introduce me to this finedy here?" Joseph let go of Rhys before looking at Edissa, quickly shaking her hand without any warning and almost causing Edissa to lose bnce, "My name is Joseph Hayden, I''m the one who took care of this boy."


    "R¡­ Rhys!?" Edissa panicked.


    "Edissa, Joseph¡­" Rhys could really only sigh as he introduced Joseph to Edissa, "...He''s a bit entric, but he''s a good man, I think. He took care of my financial problems until just recently."


    "Haha! That''s right, that''s right!" Josephughed as his handshake became even more aggressive, "I see you are making your way to other races now, Boy. And by making your way, I mean fucking them. I have to say, I don''t know whether to be proud of you or not."


    "Let''s¡­ not talk about that," Rhys shook his head.


    "And Talia Talcott?" Joseph then started looking around, "Where is she?"


    "She figured it best not to show herself yet. Your daughter snuck her and the rest of the prisoners from Typhon''s away while the reporters were busy with us," Rhys sighed.


    "Ho¡­I think that is for the best too," Joseph nodded several times, "We still need to gauge what sort of reaction the public has on her joining you. But I do believe it is going to go well ¡ª I want to talk to her if given the chance."


    "You''re going to be the president soon, you can just request it."


    "Ha! Do not jinx it, Boy," Joseph once again burst out into a fit ofughter before turning around and walking away, "Rest, rest! We have more to discuss soon about the future between the Surface and the Underworld. You and I, Boy¡­


    ¡­we are going to do some good things, maybe some bad ¡ª but mostly good!"


    And with those words, Joseph returned to the reporters and started entertaining them with some vague political answers.


    "You''ll get used to him," Rhys could really only shake his head as he held Edissa''s hand, "We should go ¡ª I don''t want to leave their majesties unattended for too long."


    "Uh, Rhys¡­"


    Edissa, however, did not move from her spot as she stared at Joseph''s back,


    "...I don''t know if I misheard it. But didn''t thatrge man, just for a few words¡­" Edissa moved closer to Rhys, almost as if afraid that someone else would hear her words, "Did he¡­


    ¡­just speak ournguage?"


    "...Huh?"

 Chapter 247 Frau

    "So¡­ did he speak yournguage even once during the meeting?"


    "...No."


    A day after, the cenleon princes gathered for a meeting with Joseph Hayden ¡ª it was initially going to be a public meeting with everyone and anyone free to watch it. Joseph, however, disapproved of this, seeing as the cenleons were not yet even starting to limate themselves to the culture of the Surface, and the people might misunderstand their intentions.


    And so, they just had a meeting at the hotel where Rhys and the others were staying at, where they rented an entire 3 floors.


    Joseph''s worries were unfounded, however, as the meeting just went on smoothly with Rhys rying what each side wanted to say expertly and swiftly.


    And as soon as the meeting was done and Joseph left for his office, Rhys immediately went to Edissa to try and check if Joseph spoke theirnguage even once.


    Edissa, however, just shook her head and sighed, "Maybe I just misheard since I was too nervous? It was my first time actually seeing the world you live in, after all."


    "...Maybe," Rhys ced his hand on his chin before ncing back at Edissa, "But in the chance that you are right, I am going to treat the Mayor like he knows yournguage ¡ª and that also means he knows a lot more other things. But¡­ that doesn''t really change anything, he''s always been a weird entric man."


    Rhys could really only sigh as he now had more things to think about.


    "Yo, Big Man. How''d the meeting go!?"


    "Nikki," Fortunately for Rhys, Dominique''s loud voice woke him up from his stupor before he could even lose himself, "I thought you and the others were going to explore the city? We''re going back to our ce in a few hours."


    "Yeah, no¡­" Dominique rolled her lips and scoffed while shaking her head, "...The others arepletely knocked out. It''s the first time in a very long time they''re experiencing arge bed all on their own, not to mention a private bath. I also spent like hours inside, and god¡­ It''s like I''m back from the dead."


    "You are," Rhys smiled, "You''ll be given new identities soon."


    "...What about the grandma?" Dominique squinted her eyes as she tried to look for Talia anywhere.


    "That''s not an option for her," Rhys let out arge breath, "She is too well-known. And she also doesn''t want to. She said that the only way she''s going to be useful to me is that people know who she is and what she did."


    "She''s really the most hardcore grandma I have ever seen. The hottest one too. Do you think she has a granddaughter? Or maybe a great-granddaughter? Yo, imagine if you met her great-granddaughter and fuck her too."


    "Nikki, stop," Rhys shook his head and sighed, "You should just get ready. The trucks will be here in a few hours, it''s going to be a long ride."


    "What? I thought we were going to ride the helo again?"


    "The cenleons requested that we travel bynd," Rhys shrugged, "I think they want to enjoy the trip, instead of feeling sick in the air the entire time."


    "Huh¡­ does that mean¡­" Dominique looked Rhys in the eyes, "...We can actually order some drive-thru?"


    "Yes."


    "Fuck yeah!" Dominique pointed at Rhys before just running away, "Burgers man, burgers and disgusting calories!"


    "She¡­ seems to be quite a personality, that one," Edissa watched as Dominique just hopped and screamed across the hallway, knocking on all the doors to wake her gang up, "But I am quite confused ¡ª she seems to be in a sexual rtionship with a woman, even though she is also a woman? She is a woman, right?"


    "Yes," Rhys shrugged, "And I don''t know how that works."


    "I suppose you are simr to the gods in that regard," Edissa nodded, "I never truly noticed it before, how intelligent your people actually are."


    "Trust me, we''re not," Rhys smiled while shaking his head, "And I will remind you that you and I also had se¡ªalso mated. That is sort of¡­ well, on a different level."


    "That¡­" Edissa slightly stuttered, "...Well, I don''t regret it. I am your Bond, and I did my duties, whether I was unwilling or not doesn''t matter."


    "I¡­ truly apologize for that."


    "Wait, no! Please, don''t apologize," Edissa shook her head, "I liked it¡ªI mean, it wasn''t bad. I mean, well¡­ uh¡­ I don''t mind doing it again properly next time?"


    "Next time?"


    "Stop making me say it!"


    "W¡ª"


    And before Rhys could say anything, Edissa suddenly swung her hand at him. But of course, with his reflexes, he easily leaned away and avoided it.


    "Stop avoiding! I''m just going to tell the others to get ready!" Edissa raised her voice, slightly hissing before leaving Rhys.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys really only stared at Edissa''s back as she disappeared into the hallway. For some reason, ironically enough, personality-wise, Edissa seemed to be the most normal one out of all the women in his life.


    After finally being left alone, Rhys tried to find Talia, and since she wasn''t in her room, he had to ask the hotel staff if they''d seen her ¡ª and they did. And from their faces, it was easy to tell that all of them were troubled, and Rhys quickly found out why.


    She was in the bar.


    "How many have you had?"


    "Give that back to me."


    Talia was in an evening gown thatpletelyplimented her glowing violet hair, as to where she got the evening gown from, Rhys could really only guess. A lot of men were looking and staring at her; after all, although Talia was slightly skinny, her body still had a very nice shape ¡ª her age, almost inconsequential.


    She also had makeup on,pletely taking away all of her wrinkles, making her look like she was in herte 30s.


    And she is beautiful, and there is a fierceness on her which was almost simr to Princess Agatha, but Talia''s is more arrogant, brazen even. Older women truly are different from Lina and the others.


    "Give that back to me, Rhys," Talia seemed intoxicated, however¡ªno. Not seemed, she is; it was obvious from the look of the bartender as well as the empty bottles beside them on the bar.


    "We''re leaving in a few hours, Talia ¡ª you''re going to end up puking in the car," Rhys sighed as he refused to give the ss back to her, "Rest."


    "Is that your order, Fuhrer? My Fuhrer?" Talia ced her finger on Rhys''s chest, letting it crawl up his neck and onto his lips, "My handsome little Fuhrer."


    "I''m not ordering you, I''m just telling you that you had too much to drink."


    "Ack,ss miche einfach in ruhe!" Talia rolled her eyes and groaned as she let her head fall on top of the bar counter, "I''ve missed the taste of this, of all of this. All I had in prison was hooch, that tastes like gasoline mixed with azz."


    And once again, Rhys could not see the arrogant, and extremely confident Talia. She already told Rhys that she was alright, but it would seem that after spending most of her life in prison, Talia truly was¡­


    "...Are you scared, Talia?"


    "What?" Talia scoffed as she looked at Rhys, "Why would I be scared, me?"


    "You don''t have to be, you know," Rhys then gestured to the bartender to get the ss. Talia was going to grab it, but Rhys just sat beside her and gently grabbed her arm, "What you did in the past matters, but what matters most is what you will do now."


    "Look at you," Talia chuckled, "So young, and so idealistic. As expected of my Fuhrer."


    Talia then sat up again before wrapping her arms around Rhys neck, pulling him away from the bar as she started swaying her body.


    "Come, Rhys ¡ª dance with me," Talia then pointed at the band that was ying mellow music, and as soon as she did so, they started ying a tune of smooth blues.


    "I¡­ don''t really dance," Rhys shook his head. But still, he also moved along with Talia as he looked him in the eyes and started moving his feet along with her.


    "Muzt be so nice being so handsome and strong," Talia moved her lips closer to Rhys, "Your life must have been easy."


    "Maybe," Rhys breathed out, "I was only beaten half to death almost everyday. They burned my skin, broke my bones, humiliated me all because I''m a Lowborn."


    "But it made you the man you are today. It made me the woman I am today," Talia closed her eyes.


    "No, it killed me," Rhys shook his head as he ced his hand on Talia''s back and pulled her even closer, "Who you see now is apletely different person. If it was me before, I would have wished you dead."


    "Oh¡­?" Talia smiled, "Well, whoever you are ¡ª you triumphed."


    "Did I?"


    "And you will again, my Fuhrer," Talia held Rhys''s cheek, "Now¡­ how about you really help me relieve some stress, and let''s get out of here?"

 Chapter 248 Yes and No (R-18)

    "Have you ever wondered why I look less than half my age, my Fuhrer?"


    "I''ve never really thought about it."


    Rhys and Talia were now back in his room; the air around them, filled with a sweet scent that was hard to hide. It was a sight that Rhys had already seen several times, and yet each time, it was as if he was seeing something new ¡ª and perhaps that is true, considering that the sight in front of him right now left him entirely mesmerized.


    Was this because of the blood of god flowing through his veins? Or is this truly just how it is?


    "Well, the boring answer would be because the blood flowing through my veins is making me age slower than mozt," Talia''s face was extremely flushed; her ent, bing stronger by the second as she looked at Rhys.


    Talia was lying on the bed, not allowing Rhys to join her as she just set up a chair for him right in front of the mattress. She was holding a wine bottle, very slowly pouring its contents down her neck and just letting it slide down her thin evening gown.


    And as her gown was slowly soaked with it, the lines of her body soon revealed themselves; the way the gown creased upon hitting her nipples, and the way her nipples also very slowly perked up.


    "The more exciting answer would be because like this wine¡­" Talia trailed her fingers between her breasts, getting them wet with the wine before just wiping it on her lips before putting them in her mouth, "...I just have the exact elements that makes me even tastier the more I age."


    "...That''s the same thing."


    "Shut up."


    Talia then very slowly removed the straps of her gown, just very slightly lowering it until her cleavage waspletely exposed and the dress was hanging by its thread, held by her perked-up nipples.


    She truly did not let it fall, however, as she just slowly raised and moved her legs apart; her fingers which were already damp with wine and her spit, now crawling inside her already wet panties.


    "Ha¡­" Talia then began ying with herself as she looked Rhys in the eyes. She finally pulled down her dress; her pale breasts and pink teats, slightly bouncing as she did so. She then once again grabbed the bottle of wine and started pouring the wine on her chest, "...Li¡ª"


    And without even waiting to finish her words, Rhys finally approached her and kneeled on the bed; licking the wine off of her teats while his hand joined her hand between her legs. And while Talia yed with her clit, Rhys very gently inserted two of his fingers into her.


    "Ah¡­ ahn¡­" Talia''s entire body almost trembled; her body arching as she prevented a loud moan from escaping her lips. Well, Rhys helped her in that as he ced his lips upon hers, letting the wine from his tongue drip into her mouth; Rhys leaned away, but Talia seemed to want more as she stuck out her tongue and suddenly embraced Rhys closer to her.


    And with an almost fervent excitement, she started removing Rhys''s pants before pushing her panties to the side and opening herself up with her fingers.


    "Do it¡­ my Fuhrer, vite me like I¡ª"


    "Uhn¡­"


    And before Talia could finish her words, both she and Rhys suddenly looked toward the chair Rhys was previously sitting on, only to see Maria sitting there; alreadypletely naked with both of her legs raised up, the juices flowing between her thighs, justpletely dripping of the chair and onto the floor.


    "N¡­No," Maria then covered her face with her hand, while her other hand started to crawl between her thighs, "Don''t¡­ don''t look at me."


    "What the fuck¡­?" Talia could not help but just curse; her eyes widening as she saw Maria pleasuring herself, getting even wetter as she and Rhys watched her, "Wh¡ª!!!"


    And once again, before Talia could say another word, Rhys lightly pulled her up; making her go on all fours while facing the masturbating Maria.


    "Uhnn!!!" Talia almost bit her lip as Rhys just entered inside her, and the only thing she could do was grip the sheets with both hands. Her eyes, however, soon strayed back toward Maria, who seemed to be getting more and more excited while watching the two of them,


    "Does¡­ does¡­ she like this?" Talia could no longer help herself as she nced at Rhys; her words barely even audible as she stuttered. Maria had always beenpletely emotionless whenever she saw her, but to think she actually had this side of herpletely caught Talia off guard¡­


    ¡­and she liked it.


    Talia then pushed her butt back, letting Rhys lie on the bed while she sat on his hips. She then slightly leaned back and spread her legs apart so that their audience could see Rhys just ravage her insides.


    "Lick it," Talia then smiled as she pulled the lips of her vagina further apart with her fingers while looking Maria straight in the eyes as she did so.


    Maria stopped ying with herself for a bit, before just very slowly crawling toward the bed; licking and caressing Rhys''s thigh before she reached between their legs. Maria started licking Rhys''s cock first as it went in and out of Talia; but soon, she started licking Talia''s clit.


    "Kh¡­hnn¡­." Talia could really only grit her teeth as she stared at Maria; the smile on her flushed face, bing quite sinister as she grabbed Maria by the hair, "You¡­ you like that?"


    "N¡­No," Maria really only answered with a muffled moan; her lips and mouth, already filled with Talia and Rhys''s juices.


    "I think¡­ uh¡­" Talia''s entire body began to tremble again as she felt herself bing more and more sensitive by the second, "I think I''m¡­ my Fuhrer¡­ please¡­ at¡­ at the same time!"


    Of course, Rhys would oblige.


    "I''m¡­ I''m¡ª!!!" Talia almost screamed as she came, and almost at the same time, Rhyspletely filled her inside. His cum, dripping out from inside her and she just fell on top of Rhys,


    "F¡­ fuck¡­ what in the¡­ wh¡ª!!!"


    Talia then quickly tried closing her legs as Maria just continued licking her; but s, the only thing her body could do was surrender as Maria''s tongue just licked Rhys''s cum out of her.


    "Stop¡­" Talia gritted her teeth. And Maria did stop, she then started to crawl on top of Talia, who was lying on top of Rhys ¡ª and without even warning her, Maria kissed Talia; letting her taste her own juice as well as Rhys''s.


    Talia did not really like it, she hated it. But the smile on Maria''s face made her not give in at all ¡ª she just quickly pushed her away, getting her panties and cing them in Maria''s mouth.


    "You like to y rough¡­?" Talia then turned Maria around; grabbing both of her wrists and locking it with her arms before spreading her legs apart. Talia then quickly got the sheets and used them as a rope to expertly tie up Maria in a very shameful way where all of her privates were exposed.


    Talia then inserted her fingers inside Maria as she nced at Rhys, "Do her."


    Maria started shaking her head; tears trailing down her cheeks as she did so. A smile, however, was obvious on her face even with her mouth filled with cloth.


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything ¡ª the only thing he could think was howpatible these two actually were. One likes to dominate, and the other one wants to be dominated. And so¡­


    "Arise¡­" Rhys just whispered to himself, and as his cock once again stood up; both Talia and Maria could really only widen their eyes. Rhys then approached the two, but before he could enter Maria, Talia suddenly covered her vagina.


    "Not there," Talia shook her head as she smirked, and without even any warning or hesitation, she slid her drenched fingers into Maria''s ass.


    "!!!" Maria could really only bite through the panties in her mouth, but Talia did not seem to care as she continued to lube the insides of her ass.


    "I''ve never zeen people do it in the azz," Talia''s voice trembled; almost hissing as she looked Rhys in the eyes while continuing to rub Maria''s insides, "Do it."


    "I don''t think it''s¡ª" Rhys hesitated for a little, but Maria suddenly pulled him closer using her legs before spewing out the panties in her mouth.


    "You¡­ you did it with Lina," Maria then whispered, "Do it¡­ do it to me."


    "How do you even¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times before just letting out a sigh; he then started rubbing his cock on Maria''s vagina to get it wet before finally inserting it inside her ass; slowly, of course.


    "Khgh¡­!!!" Maria''s toes curled as she felt Rhys forcing himself inside her. She started shaking her head which caused Rhys to almost pull out, but Maria just pulled him back again; this time more violently, "Aah!"


    Maria screamed as the pain scattered throughout her entire body, but it did notst long, however, as what came after was a relief that made her body extremely light and jittery.


    "Does¡­ it feel good?" Talia whispered, and although Maria shook her head in response, the smile on her face could not hide the euphoria she was feeling, "Does it feel good?"


    "!!!"


    Talia repeated her question while suddenly pinching Maria''s nipple, and then ying with her clit at the same time, causing her to almost convulse in pleasure there and then.


    "Oh¡­


    ¡­we''re going to have zo much fun."

 Chapter 249 Panzer (R-16)

    The sound of water trickling down the already wet tiles filled Rhys''s ears with nothing but noise. His hair, which has now slightly grown longer from being buzz cut, caused the droplets of water from the shower to bounce everywhere; yet, perhaps, the greatest noise that he could hear was the sound of his own breaths.


    Talia, Maria, and his activitysted for more than 2 hours ¡ª and Rhys had felt this several times before, but making love with his women seemed to be a lot more mentally tiring than fighting. Of course, there was also the fact that his fights don''tst hours. Even with his [Arise] ability, he could still feel his breaths crawling out from his lungs even though they were done.


    Talia was already getting ready and dressed ¡ª and for some reason, she also wanted to prepare Rhys something to wear; something about her previous army being the most well-dressed during the war, and how important public image was.


    As for Maria, well¡­ There was another noise that was entering Rhys''s ears.


    "Gahk¡­ ha¡­" Maria was currently looking up at him, with her mouth filled with Rhys; kneeling on the hard floor while pleasuring herself. Her hair which was scattered everywhere on her flushed face; her tears mixing with the water as she gagged, causing Rhys''s body to just react¡­ as hard as possible.


    "Ha¡­" Maria leaned her head away; licking the tip of Rhys''s cock as she released it from her mouth. She then let her tongue trail up across Rhys''s stomach and onto his chiseled chest, his neck, and finally his lips, "...This¡­ this is thest time I''ll have you for myself."


    Maria whispered into Rhys''s ear before turning around and hugging the wall; slightly raising her hips before ncing back at Rhys, "Vite me, Master Rhys¡­


    ¡­Destroy me."


    ***


    "You said we would leave in an hour, my Fuhrer. It would seem someone wanted to enjoy the water more."


    Talia had been waiting for them outside the bathroom; the smirk on her face when she looked at Maria when she was stepping out, tantly an obvious tease at her.


    Maria, however, was back to her normal self;pletely stoic and without any emotions ¡ª but most importantly, unlike Rhys who was still in a towel, she was already fully dressed; wearing her pants and zer, with her hair even dried; how she was able to do that, well¡­


    Maria is a professional.


    Well, she was not the only one who looked professional ¡ª Talia had on a long red skirt, a white frilly blouse, and boots that had heels probably 5 inches tall. Her glowing purple hair, neatly tied into a bun. The way she dressed was quite old-fashioned, but it did not matter at all as itpletely suited her.


    "Well¡­" Talia then approached Rhys, just casually uncurling the towel wrapped around his waist and letting it slide and fall to the floor. She then returned to the bed, grabbing a set of clothes that were resting there and presenting them to Rhys, "...Your old waffenrock was already nice, but not up to standards, so I had it refitted and changed some things."


    And without even saying another word, Talia started dressing Rhys; Maria also helped, the two of them sticking oddly close to Rhys while they did so. Their breaths were getting warmer and heavier by the second, causing Rhys to almost sigh as something was about to happen again.


    Contrary to Rhys''s expectations, however, the two did nothing at all but just dress him properly.


    "Beautiful," Talia smiled as she backed away while looking at Rhys from head to toe.


    "It suits you, Rhys Wilder," Maria also nodded several times in approval, showing absolutely no emotions whatsoever ¡ª truly a far cry from how she is when naked, "I will tell the others and signal the cenleons that we are ready."


    Maria then just casually disappeared into the shadow, not saying another word as she left Talia and Rhys alone. And as soon as she was gone, Talia slightly lifted up her long skirt and started spinning around in ce.


    "And how do I look, my Fuhrer?" Talia smiled, almost a childish yfulness in the tone of her voice despite her age, "I have barely seen what the new generation has been wearing, so I feel like I''m wearing something old."


    "I¡­ didn''t realize how much you care about¡­ fashion," Rhys could not help but just look at Talia from head to toe.


    "Viins usually have to look good, my Fuhrer," Talia stopped spinning as she ced her finger on Rhys''s chest, "The way we present ourselves matters. Strength is important, but charisma? That is what separates soldiers from leaders. And so¡­


    ¡­Do I look like a belong in this era?" Talia then once again backed away.


    "No, you look like you''re from the 1800s," Rhys smiled, causing Talia to just stop moving as she stared nkly at Rhys, "You do. You do belong¡­


    ¡­to me."


    "...Ack," Talia immediately snarled as she looked at Rhys''s face, "Does that really work for the young ones? Please, my Fuhrer ¡ª you do not need to woo me."


    "Oh, but I think I do," Rhys slightly nced at the 5 Hearts floating above Talia''s head; just one more to fill up, and he would receive a part of Talia''s abilities, "Take it as a part of training my charisma."


    "Hm¡­" Talia then bowed her head before cing her palm on her chest, "This is how you do it, correct? Those who have sworn allegiance to you?"


    "Yes," Rhys smiled as he also ced his palm on his chest, "Let''s go¡­


    ¡­it''s time to go home."


    ***


    "Rhys Wilder! Please, look here! How did the meeting between presidential candidate Joseph and the cenleon royalties go!?"


    "Shoo, back away. The Big Boss does not have the privilege of divulging that information, scram!"


    Dominique and her gang were now also wearing the uniform of Wilder''s Harem, even though it was already disbanded ¡ª and suffice it to say, they looked like Rhys''s personal guards. But of course, they did not really have to guard anyone, because as soon as the cenleons stepped out of the hotel, all of the reporters instinctively backed away.


    But still, the ferocity of those who work in media is unmatched, as they once again rushed to ask Rhys questions, and even tried to talk to the cenleons even fully knowing they would not be able to understand.


    "Rhys Wilder, what are you going to do now that you are a free man again!?"


    "I heard the Cerberus guild wishes to talk to you about what you did with Ss West, are you nning on responding to them!?"


    "Rhys Wild¡ª"


    "Everyone."


    And finally, Rhys stopped walking; gesturing to Maria to just go ahead and escort the cenleons to the truck. And as soon as he opened his mouth, the shes of light started bombarding Rhys''s face ¡ª and with his hair as short as it was, everyone was just mesmerized by how perfect his face truly was.


    The other female reporters were not even listening, they just stared at him with their mouths open.


    "Right now, I just want to go home and be with the people I love," Rhys answered, "As for what I n to do after that, the only thing I could tell you right now is that I don''t know. Recently, as some of you may not yet know, I have been given a Level 0 License by the Explorer Association."


    "0 License¡­? Wait, does that mean you truly are officially part of the 15 Strongest Explorers in the world!?"


    "That''s not up to me to decide," Rhys shook his head.


    "We''ve heard rumors that you are going to run as Mayor of Old York, is there any truth in that?"


    "No," Rhys squinted his eyes, "Where did you even hear that?"


    "Presidential Candidate Joseph told us during thest interview!"


    "No," Rhys quickly shook his head and sighed, "For thest time, I am not going into politics. If that is all, we have a long road ahead."


    "We heard your sister has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, do you think it has something to do with all of her trauma!?"


    "..." Rhys''s steps quickly halted as soon as he heard that question. He pondered for a few seconds, before just quickly walking away; only catching a sense of silence as soon as he got on the truck with the cenleons.


    "Tch, journalizts. They have only be even more brazen with the years," Talia crossed her legs as soon as she sat down, "But you need to make friends with them, my Fuhrer."


    "Please, don''t call me that in public," Rhys sighed, "And I do have a friend with them ¡ª the one who asked me about running for mayor."


    "Oho¡­?" Talia could not help but smirk, "It would zeem I still underestimate the depth of your shrewdness. Control the media, and you control the world."


    "Rhys Wilder is a very maniptive person," Maria suddenly emerged from the empty space on the chair, causing the cenleons to almost leap from the truck since they were already anxious about the vehicle.


    "I''m not," Rhys shook his head, "You need brains to be maniptive, I''m not the smartest."


    "Not always, my Fuhrer," Talia let out a small chuckle before cing her finger on Rhys''s chin and slightly lifting it, "Many a kingdom have fallen just because of a pretty face, and you have a surplus of that and more to spare."


    "...Thanks," Rhys could really only sigh as he heard Talia''s words. The ride back to Wilder''s HQ was rtively quiet and uneventful. Well, that is, until¡­ they reached the empty freeway close to it.


    "Something''s blocking the road."


    "What is it¡­?"


    "...A tank."

 Chapter 250 Challenged

    "A¡­ tank?"


    Rhys did not hesitate to lean his head out of the truck as he heard that, and true enough, there was arge tank right in front of their convoy.


    A tank, right in the middle of the empty road. Rhys had already encountered so many random things, but this was probably the most random one so far.


    "You guys stay here."


    "Wait, bro. Do you think it''s safe!?"


    "No, that is why you should stay here for now,"


    Dominique and the others could really only try to stop Rhys as he went out of the truck; Rhys, however, just raised his hand and ordered every one of them to stay put,


    "If the situation goes bad, abandon the cenleons and just get out."


    "What¡­?" Dominique could not help but just look at the cenleons. They did all of this just to get them here, but Rhys was willing to just leave them? Of course, Dominique could not really get an answer from Rhys as he just left them. Dominique looked at Maria, but she just quickly disappeared back into the shadows, leaving everyone confused.


    Rhys walked across the convoy, signaling to the others to also just stay put as he passed by them.


    "I told you to stay in the truck," Rhys then let out a small sigh as he noticed Maria emerging from the shadows and following him from behind.


    "That is not going to happen, Rhys Wilder," Maria shook her head as she walked beside Rhys, "Perhaps this is the best time to tell you that we have discovered the one who attacked us with the missiles."


    "Let me guess, the one from Luzviminda?" Rhys nced at Maria.


    "Yes," Maria nodded, "Lance Aquino, and there is a high chance that he is the one who is blocking us with that truck right now."


    "Hm," Rhys could really only let out a short but deep breath as they continued to approach the tank. And as soon as they got close to it, the main gun slowly started to point toward them. Of course, Rhys and Maria just raised both of their palms in the air, "I am guessing this tank was made by his abilities too?"


    "That is most likely, a tank just doesn''t appear out of nowhere," Maria said calmly even with a tank pointing its main gun at them, "I will have you know that we truly are in danger at this point, Rhys Wilder ¡ª you should have asked Talia to destroy it."


    "We were in danger minutes ago," Rhys shook his head and sighed, "He could have blown up the convoy if he wanted to, but he didn''t. I do have to say, though, I really wish I knew someone who could create weapons ¡ª there was one back when I was in Old York High, but I snapped her neck. She had the same name as my sister, have I ever told you that story?"


    "You mean when you killed all the students inside the cafeteria?" Maria blinked a couple of times as she nced at Rhys.


    "...You knew?"


    "I did," Maria shrugged, "K knows too."


    "...Oh," Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he heard that, "Then¡­ why are you staying with me?"


    "Rhys Wilder¡­" Maria sighed, "...Have you not realized yet that we are not good people?"


    "Hm¡­"


    "And you do have a Weaponer Maker by your side," Maria shook her head, "Dominique."


    "What¡­? She''s a Weapon Maker?" Rhys quickly looked at Maria, "I thought she controlled the elements?"


    "She does," Maria nodded, "You seem to be underestimating your new friend too much, Rhys Wilder ¡ª there is a reason why she was one of the gang leaders of Typhon''s ¡ª she is able to use all the abilities of the gods flowing through her veins, no matter how minuscule it is."


    "What¡­?"


    "Yes," Maria nodded, "A majority could only use the most dominant genes they have. Dominique could use everything ¡ª you might benefit greatly if you woo her."


    "...I won''t woo her, she''s a lesbian," Rhys shook his head and sighed, "And I have never once tried to woo anyone ¡ª if it happens, it happens."


    "You actively sought out Ayesha and Talia with the intention to woo them," Maria also shook her head.


    "I only actively sought them out. Whether or not I woo them is out of my control."


    "I do not see the difference in that, Rhys Wilder."


    "Can we just¡ª"


    [Acting so calmly even in front of a tank, I expected no less from the man who took my position.]


    And as Rhys and Maria were starting to getfortable just talking to each other, a voice resounded from the tank ¡ª and just with the ent alone, it confirmed that Maria was right.


    "I didn''t take your position, they gave it to me," Rhys just let out a sigh; his left palm still raised in surrender, "I am not interested in it, you can take it back if you want to."


    [Well¡­ what do you think I am doing now¡­?] The hatch then suddenly opened, causing Maria to slightly flinch as she got ready to attack, but Rhys quickly nced at her and quietly told her not to do anything,


    "I''m here to reim my position."


    And there, emerging from the tank of the top, was a tanned-skinned man with white glowing hair that reached his shoulders, Lance. He was wearing an oversized winter jacket, perhaps the reason why he was currently struggling to get off the tank.


    "Ack!" Lance then let out a groan of frustration as he pped the tank. And as he did so, it just disappeared, causing him to fall face first on the ground, "Argh! Why does this always happen to me!?"


    Lance then screamed in frustration as he punched the hard ground several times¡­ cracking it. And as Maria and Rhys watched this, the only thing they could really do was slowly lower their hands and look at each other.


    "Hays¡­" Lance then finally got up from the ground, patting his winter jacket several times while approaching the two, "...Why is it always so cold in this ce? They should start putting up pires everywhere."


    "...Pyres?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "You know, mes," Lance then snapped his fingers, causing a me to spark on his hand, "mes. Anyway, it doesn''t matter ¡ª I came here to challenge you for the position."


    "I already said you can have it," Rhys shook his head, "I''m not interested in rankings."


    "...Why not?" Lance seemed visibly confused, "Are you saying that you''re better than me because I care about the rankings?"


    "No," Rhys quickly answered, "I didn''t say anything like that at all."


    "Well¡­" Lance then stood right in front of Rhys, "...It feels like you are looking down on me."


    "He is," Maria was the one to answer Lance''s words, "You are 5''4", he is 6''8". Rhys Wilder is more than a foot taller than you."


    "What¡­?" Lance then looked up at Rhys as he raised his eyebrows, "And that makes you better than me?"


    "No one is saying I am better than you, Sir," Rhys could really only sigh as Lance seemed eager to instigate something.


    "Maybe, but you are thinking about it."


    "I''m not."


    "I am," Maria answered without any hesitation.


    "See!?" Lance then pointed at Maria before once again looking at Rhys, "Your girlpren is thinking about it!"


    "Can we please just talk about this somewhere else? My friends need to rest, we''ve been on the road for half a day," Rhys nced at the convoy, "We can talk at my ce if that''s what you want."


    "No, no talking," Lance shook his head while wagging his finger, "I am challenging you to reim the position as the 15th Strongest Explorer in the world, Rhys Wilder."


    "And I don''t ept the challenge, Sir," Rhys sighed, "Please, sir. Just move out of the way so we can continue our¡ª"


    "No," the slight friendliness in Lance''s voice disappeared as he looked Rhys in the eyes, "I don''t think you understand, Rhys Wilder ¡ª you don''t have the luxury to refuse my challenge. I ced several bombs, with the strength to level this road under your trucks and cars."


    "Hm¡­" And of course, any sort of friendliness in Rhys''s tone also disappeared as he returned Lance''s re


    "ept my challenge, and you have my word that I will remove them," Lance took several steps back as he started clicking his tongue, "Tick tock, Rhys Wilder."


    "How can I trust that you''ll remove them?"


    "Because there weren''t any bombs in the first ce," Lance then smiled as he stretched his arms to the side andughed, "I just wanted to make you realize that I could do that if I want to, at any time. It''s a nice open field, Rhys ¡ª and I''ve blocked the roads. No one is going toe here."


    Lance then pointed at the open field next to the freeway. He then snapped both of his fingers, and as he did so, arge metal stage emerged from the field.


    "...They can do that?" Rhys turned to Maria.


    "They can, apparently," and Maria only shrugged, "Be careful, Rhys Wilder ¡ª Lance Aquino is strong, he is the 2nd strongest Weapon Maker in the world."


    "Duly noted¡­" Rhys sighed,


    "...Let''s just get this over with."

 Chapter 251 The Battle of the 15ths

    "So, any rules I should know about?"


    Rhys started stretching and rotating his only remaining arm; stretching his real leg and checking if his fake leg was working properly ¡ª after all, all he had done the past few weeks was sit and talk to people.


    And right now, he was getting ready to fight in what could actually be his first official battle ¡ª official, because Maria was actually serving as their referee and Lance also had cameras prepared that are currently broadcasting live.


    They even have the cenleons and the others as their audience, surrounding the fighting ring that Lance summoned. The cenleons, of course, were now wondering if this happens with the humans often; just randomly fighting in the middle of nowhere. Sadly, the only one who could answer them was on the ring.


    To those who were watching, it would seem like an absolute mismatch since Rhys towered over Lance by more than an entire foot; but to those who knew what Lance was capable of, the only thing on their faces was attentiveness.


    "No rules," Lance finally removed his winter jacket, causing most of the people watching except for the cenleons to cover their eyes as he waspletely naked. Well, that was what they initially thought.


    Lance was not naked at all, but had on a flesh-colored armor whichpletely melded with his own skin¡ªno. Rhys and Maria, who was the closest to Lance, were able to see clearly that it was not an armor at all, but actually Lance''s body.


    "...You''re an android?" Rhys looked at Lance from head to toe.


    "A cyborg," Lance shook his head as he started stretching his mechanical limbs, "And I could feel you have some parts of yours that are not entirely organic too."


    "Oh?" Rhys slightly raised his mechanical leg as Lance looked at it, "Lost it in battle."


    "That is very expensive. I could tell, made with materials not from here," Lance then smirked, "I will tell you what. I will let you keep your life if you lose, but in return, you will give me your leg."


    "Then there really are no rules?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at Maria.


    "None," Lance smiled as he finished stretching, "Since you don''t really seem to care about the ranking of Explorers, then I''ll tell you ¡ª people lose their lives trying to climb it. Of course, the Explorer Association doesn''t really sanction the deaths, but it happens; especially with Explorers of higher levels, even more so with top rankers like us."


    "Then can''t I just give the rank back to you?" Rhys sighed, "I meant what I said, I don''t care about the rankings."


    "Why? Scared of being exposed?" Lance cracked his knuckles together, causing a nging noise to knock in the air.


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "I just got out of prison, I don''t want to identally kill someone in front of millions of people ¡ª assuming millions of people are actually watching us right now. You do have millions of followers, right?"


    "Ha¡­" Lance forced out a smile as he slightly licked his teeth, "...Are you seriously trying to taunt me right now? What happened to your other arm, they lose the budget for it or something?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head as he nced at his empty right sleeve, "They said someplications came up and the arm they were going to put was notpatible."


    "Huh¡­" Lance nodded and shrugged, "...Well, enough talk then ¡ª Pst, Miss."


    Maria squinted her eyes as Lance looked at her.


    "Let''s start," Lance winked at Maria, causing her to just quickly look away and scoff.


    "Are the two of you ready?" Maria then said as she looked back and forth between Rhys and Lance.


    "Not really," Rhys sighed.


    "Yes," while Lance smiled.


    "Okay, then just go," Maria just nonchntly waved her hand to signal the start of the battle, and not even a millisecond after doing so, Lanceunched himself.


    Literallyunched himself; his legs, gaining rocket boosters which caused skirts of wind to form across his body as he flew straight toward Rhys.


    "...Closebat?" Rhys lowered his eyebrows as he watched Lance move close to him almost instantly. Rhys did not do anything, however, just following this human rocket with his eyes. Even with his sudden burst of speed, however, Lance was able to quickly change his trajectory when he was only a meter away from Rhys; disappearing from his sight like some sort of mosquito that was very hard to track.


    Rhys had seen his fair share of fast creatures, but Lance would probably be the 2nd fastest one he had ever seen; even faster than Ayesha¡­


    ¡­but not even close to Arachnea.


    Rhys then also disappeared from his spot, rushing toward where Lance would be; his fingers, ready to grip his neck.


    Lance, however, could stop as quickly as he could move as he halted in his tracks just inches away from Rhys grabbing his neck. Lance then slid away; using his boosters to just gracefully glide across the metal stage with a smile on his face.


    "You''re fast," Lance tilted his head to the side as he looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "Are you not going to attack me from afar?" Rhys asked as he calmly stood straight up, "That is your specialty, right?"


    "It is," Lance shrugged, "But I figure it wouldn''t be fair to you ¡ª I want to reim my spot, and how I win matters. If I just defeat you so easily from a distance, then my fans would say that you weren''t as strong at all ¡ª and that would mean that I am also not that strong for defeating a weakling like you. After all, no matter how strong you are, most people still think of you as a Lowborn."


    "And you don''t?"


    "I have a very special sense," Lance pointed at his nose and eyes, "I can see people for what they truly are."


    "And what do you see when you look at me?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "That you''re about to lose." And as soon as Lance said that, he once again rushed toward Rhys; this time, he grabbed a pair of swords that emerged from the metal stage, dragging them across the tform, making small crevices which caused a loud crackle to hiss in the air.


    The cenleons could really only cover their ears from the sound.


    "Lance. That''s your name, right?" Rhys, however, once again just stood in ce as he waited for Lance to go to him, "You should probably switch to long-rangedbat."


    And as Rhys said those words, he quickly swung his leg and entire body back, sweeping one of the swords that was ready to take his head; hitting the side of the de to knock it away. He then grabbed the other sword that was aiming for his chest; locking it by pinning it between his thumb and index finger.


    Rhys was not done, however, as he continued to spin in ce; mming his entire body on Lance; letting go of the sword at the same time and grabbing his wrist, using the momentum gained to swing him in the air and then just m him again on the metal ground.


    And as soon as Lance''s mechanical body bounced, Rhys kicked it away, causing a loud boom to explode as skirts of wind formed around Lance as he was blown away.


    However, almost as if he wasn''t just literally manhandled, the boosters on Lance''s body once again loudly snapped; allowing him to instantly recover whilst still in midair.


    Lance then red at Rhys for a few seconds before a small smirk crawled on his face, "You''re right."


    And with those words, Lance stretched his arms to the side; summoning several small missiles to just materialize around him.


    "Boom," Lance whispered out as all the missiles flew toward Rhys, causing a loud whistle to sing in the air¡­ followed by a series of deafening thunders thatpletely drowned everything; both sound and vision as it created a cloud of smoke.


    Lance then pointed his arms at the cloud of smoke, creating some sort ofrge fan behind him which instantly blew away all the cover. And there, he saw the metal wall that Rhys created by literally pulling apart the metal tform he created.


    He then saw the metal wall suddenly getting close to him in the air.


    "Tch," Lance clicked his tongue as he summoned another sword topletely split the metal wall that Rhys threw at him, fully expecting him to be hiding behind it ¡ª Rhys, however, was not behind the flying wall at all¡­ he wasn''t anywhere.


    "..." Lance squinted his eyes for a few seconds before he felt a breeze above him. He quickly looked up, only to see Rhys''s arm already around his head. And without even any hesitation, Rhys grabbed his head andpletely twisted his neck back.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then just let himself fall along with Lance, with himnding on his feet and Lance just dropping like a hard noodle on the metal stage. Rhys then looked at Maria, who was about to announce his win ¡ª Rhys, however, shook his head before she could do so.


    Rhys then slowly turned around to look at Lance, only to see him already standing up; his head, rotating several times before being fixed in ce; almost like a doll or a marite.


    "Well, well¡­" Lance then stretched and cracked his neck; seemingly adjusting it to see if it was stable, "...Finally, the people would know that you''re not just some weakling, Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­I canpletely crush you now without embarrassing myself."

 Chapter 252 Round... 2?

    "Hahaha!"


    It was unknown which was louder; the heavy booms that thundered in the air, or the almost maniacal burst ofughter that reverberated through the skies. Rhys did say that Lance should start fighting with long-rangebat, so the only one he could me was himself. But still¡­


    ¡­Lance was now high up in the air, just summoning hundreds and hundreds of missiles and shooting them toward Rhys. They were not even fighting on the metal tform anymore, as Rhys was just running around the wide empty field to dodge all of the projectiles.


    The missiles were the size of a loafed bread. One would think they were easy to dodge because of that, but no ¡ª some of them were tracking Rhys, while some didn''t, making even Rhys''s abnormal senses and reflexes overclock.


    Most importantly, however, the once verdant empty field was nowpletely craters and smoke.


    "Die! Die! Die!" Lance continued to literally rain fire on Rhys; the amounts of missiles he could summon, seemingly endless. The cenleons, who thought they already knew what the humans were capable of, could really only cover their ears from the noise.


    Prince Dubhai was extremely excited, however, as he was learning more and more about the humans, and even more so, they would be learning about each other. As for Prince Abu, he was mortified.


    At first, he was just nning to y politics along with the humans to try and learn how they would be useful to his kingdom ¡ª but now, actually seeing that they truly were the more inferior race, the only thing that Abu could do wasment and watch. Either way, they would benefit from this¡­ especially him. This was his ticket to the throne.


    He just¡­ needed to be very careful not to get on Rhys''s bad side.


    "Are you getting tired now, Rhys Wilder!?" Lance''s voice echoed through the air even through all the loud explosions. They were already so far from the tform that Dominique and the others could almost no longer see their shapes ¡ª what they could see, however, were all the missiles that Lance was still throwing at Rhys,


    "If you are getting tired, then just surrender and I will spare you!"


    "..." Rhys just continued to run around; not even bothering to look at Lance anymore as he just sighed with every word that wasing out of Lance''s mouth. At this point, Lance was probably just waiting for Rhys to get tired of dodging.


    Unfortunately, in the battle of endurance¡­


    ¡­there was probably no one in this world that could defeat Rhys.


    But of course, he was not actually going to make this a battle of endurance ¡ª he wanted to go home.


    Rhys then finally stopped running and looked at Lance; grabbing a piece of rock while doing so. And while still managing to dodge Lance''s missiles, he threw the rock straight at Lance.


    "Oh¡­?" Lance, however, just quickly summoned arge floating shield to protect himself from Rhys''s attack. Slightly shocked that Rhys could actually dent the shield, "This is amazing, Rhys Wilder. Do you¡ª"


    Lance stopped talking as he could no longer see Rhys on the ruined field.


    "Well, well¡­" Lance smirked as some sort of goggles materialized in front of his face, "...Where could this fucking rat be hiding now? Rhys! It''s not fair for you to just hide and¡ª"


    "Who is hiding?"


    "!!!" Lance''s eyes then widened as he felt something light and extremely thin touch and wrap around his neck. He quickly turned around in the air, only to see Rhys emerging from the back of the shield he created.


    "Let''s go," Rhys whispered before tugging on the threads now wrapping around Lance''s neck. His sharp threads were not enough to actually cut through Lance''s armored skin; but he didn''t have any intention to cut him in the first ce, he just pulled and dragged him inside the shadow.


    "What the¡ª" Lance could really only widen his eyes as he watched his vision turn dark ¡ª almost as if he was drowned in oil, but not really. The feeling of slight suffocation did notst, however, as he suddenly found himself on the ruined field he created; Lance did not panic at all, he even smiled as he looked at Rhys,


    "Now, isn''t this quite fun for¡ª!!!"


    Before he could finish his words, however, Rhys suddenly covered his mouth ¡ª and without even giving him any chance to react, a violent gush of water burst forth from his palm.


    "!!!" Rhys gripped Lance''s face tight before ramming and pinning him to the ground, while stillpletely filling him up with water ¡ª the very same thing Ss West did to his mother. But of course, there was still quite a difference between the two.


    Lance''s body was no longerpletely biological. Since Lance was already a cyborg, although it was a longshot and Rhys was sure that he already had countermeasures to it, he still wanted to see what would happen if his insides were exposed to vast amounts of water ¡ª courtesy of Princess Vicky.


    "Grkh¡­!!!" Lance quickly materialized a pair of des, but before he could swing it toward Rhys; Rhys quickly summoned a ball of wind¡­ and then proceeded to also make it explode inside Lance''s mouth before he kicked Lance''s stomach and leaped away.


    "Ha¡­" Lance quickly stood up from the ground; all the water that Rhys put inside him, being released from the gaps and holes that were across Lance''s mechanical body, "...What the fuck? That would have seriously killed me."


    "That''s why I did it," Rhys shrugged, "Do you still want to continue fighting?"


    "Are you kidding me¡­?" An almost maniacal smirk crawled on Lance''s face, "We haven''t even started yet. Why? Are you tired?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "Because you''ve already lost, Sir. You just don''t know it yet."


    "Lost¡­?" Lance chuckled, "I could level this entire field if I wanted to ¡ª I was going easy on you, soldier boy."


    "Maybe if you started with that, you would have killed me," Rhys let out a small sigh as he shook his head, "But now, you''ve already lost."


    "Let the people be the judge of that," Lance turned to look at the cameras and drones around them, "Meh, I think this has also gone long enough ¡ª if that''s what you want, then I will use my full power against you, Rhys Wilder."


    "I already told you it''s toote, Sir," Rhys shook his head, "Just please, surrender."


    "Enough talk," Lance once again scoffed as the boosters on his hand and feet once again fired as he slowly ascended in the air; his eyes,pletely locked onto Rhys, "It''s time to show the people just how different we¡ªHm¡­?"


    Lance then blinked a couple of times as he realized that he was actually no longer going up and had been staying at the same height for a few seconds now.


    "What the¡­" Lance tried to increase the power of his boosters, but as soon as he did so, he felt himself suddenly moving in a different direction; specifically toward Rhys. And without even having the time to react or clear his confusion, his face was suddenly met with Rhys''s fist, causing him to practically just dig through the ground head first.


    Once again, however, Lance seemedpletely unaffected as he just quickly sat up and flew away¡­ only to just once again find himself being dragged back straight toward Rhys and his fist.


    "What the fuck is going on!? You¡ª" And before he could finish his words, he found himself being pulled back to Rhys and punched in the face. And soon, it was almost as if he just became a yo-yo, being punched by Rhys only to be pulled back to him again and again.


    "You don''t feel pain, right?" Rhys breathed out before just punching him in the face again, this time with even more strength as he dropped him to the ground. Lance was going to get up, but he did not need to as he found himself being lifted up in the air ¡ª and finally, as he was able to properly look at Rhys''s hand, he noticed the threads he was holding.


    Lance then quickly looked to where the threads were leading, only to see¡­ that it was all over his body¡ªno, it was also looping from inside the gaps of his skin. Hundreds, probably more.


    "I knew you had to expel the water somewhere," Rhys then tugged on the threads, "I put them at the same time as the water to help it scatter inside your body, and then they also got out when you removed the water ¡ª I told you, you already lost, Sir."


    "...You really think I can''t cut some threads?" Lance only raised an eyebrow before summoning a pair of scissors, "Wh¡ª!!!"


    "No," Rhys was about to cut some of the threads, but Rhys suddenly pulled him closer before he could even move his fingers; whispering quietly into his ear, "I don''t think you can ¡ª It''s a very special thread. But I''m not going to let you try either. So, if I were you, I would surrender¡­


    ¡­or I humiliate you in front of everyone that is watching us right now."

 Chapter 253 Romanticization of the Wild

    "Surrender¡­


    ¡­or I humiliate you in front of everyone that is watching us right now."


    There was a silence after that, with only Rhys''s breaths whispering in the air, as Lance did not really seem to have any need to actually breathe. He just stood there, almost as if thinking about his next step.


    "You don''t feel pain," Rhys continued to whisper into his ear, "That means I wouldn''t feel that bad once I rip off your limbs and crush your head. It''s your choice ¡ª you can continue to fight, but I assure you that is the next thing that will happen."


    "Woah¡­" Lance then finally breathed out as he wiped the imaginary sweat trailing down his forehead, "...You are really intense. Has anyone told you that? Fine, fine¡­


    ¡­I surrender."


    The boosters attached to Lance''s body all closed down at the same time as he backed away from Rhys; shaking his head several times as he let out a long and very deep sigh of disappointment.


    "I got what I wanted, anyway," Lance shrugged before pointing at the nearest drone hovering above them, "All of you saw that, right!? How fucking strong Rhys Wilder is!? So, don''t you ever trash talk me again on social media, you little fucking bitches!"


    "Wait¡­" Rhys''s eyebrows started to lower as he heard Lance''s words, "...You did all of this because someone bad-mouthed you on social media?"


    "Well, yeah. I can''t let that pass. This is my career, bro. I can''t have people doubting me. I might lose my sponsors," Lance shrugged; snapping his fingers and controlling the drones to return to him. The drones seemed to have been materialized by his abilities, as they disappeared as soon as he touched them.


    The cameras, however, Lance stored inside a bag that he also materialized. More and more, Rhys was thinking of how convenient their abilities were,


    "Of course, I don''t really need money. My country practically pays for everything I do, since 99% of their military power is, well¡­ Me. All their weapons, vehicles, helicopters ¡ª I made them, and I can just take it away with the snap of my fingers."


    "Huh¡­" Rhys then looked at Lance''s bag before looking at the skies to make sure there weren''t any drones left. And then, without even any warning¡­ he once again pulled on the threads attached to Lance and punched him in the face.


    "What¡­ are you doing!?" Lance screamed as he found himself on the ground. Rhys, however, did not say anything as he just started stomping on his head instead ¡ª his head was already starting to dent, and if it wasn''t for the soft ground, it would have definitely already been crushed,


    "I already surrendered!"


    "You did," Rhys said, "But you fired a missile at us back on Typhon''s Ind ¡ª you targeted my people, and I can''t risk you doing that again."


    "Wait, wait!" Lance raised his hand, but Rhys just grabbed his wrist and continued stomping on his head, "That¡­ that wasn''t me!"


    As soon as he said that, however, Rhys quickly stopped stomping on his head.


    "Speak," Rhys whispered.


    "Well, it was me, but¡ªWait, wait. Just listen!" Lance raised his voice as Rhys was about to step on his head again, "It was me, but I was ordered to do it by my country. It''s just that I have a small grudge against you, so I just saw that as a win-win."


    "...Why would your country want me dead?" Rhys let go of Lance; dragging him up with the threads.


    "N¡­ no, not them," Lance shook his head and just let out a slightly nervousugh, "I did some little digging of my own, and it would seem they had a meeting with some foreigners just a day before they ordered me to do it."


    "Foreigners¡­?"


    "Amerkans," Lance winced as he looked away, "They might have made a deal or something, I''m not sure. That''s the only thing I know. So¡­ please, don''t kill me? Well, it''s not like you can, actually ¡ª my entire body is a bomb."


    "What¡­?"


    "Yup," Lance once again chuckled, "Once I know I am going to die, I''m just gonna explode and take everyone with me ¡ª the strength of 50 megatons. That''s a lot. It will kill you, as well as everyone else within 4 kilometers, I think. Wait, how about this¡­


    ¡­I''lle and aid you when the timees that you need me? You''re a politician and a soldier, you should know how important it is to have allies backing you up."


    "I''m not a politician ¡ª and you are not my ally."


    "I could be," Lance smiled, "And you don''t really have a choice¡­? Because I will explode if you n to kill me. You get an ally, I don''t explode ¡ª win-win?"


    "He is telling the truth, Rhys Wilder."


    And as Rhys was staring Lance in the eyes, Maria emerged from his shadows and approached the two of them, "I am sure you know it too, you have been trained to read emotions in the Underworld Corps."


    "Not as much as you," Rhys just nced at Maria before finally letting Lance go.


    "And you could always just assassinate him once he is back in his country," Maria followed up, causing Lance to just let out another awkward chuckle, "Lance Aquino is known for his impulsiveness, perhaps even more so than you, Rhys Wilder ¡ª but he is also known to keep his words."


    "I¡­ don''t know why you seem to know so much about me, but that''s true," Lance pointed at Maria.


    "I know everything about you, Lance Aquino," Maria looked Lance in the eyes, "I also know you have three girlfriends, all from different countries, who absolutely have no idea about each other, and one of them is Larissa Jokic ¡ª Ranked 12th Strongest Explorer in the world¡­ and known to be extremely violent."


    "Woah¡­ ha¡­haha," Lance once again pointed at Maria, "Let''s¡­ let''s not get hasty here."


    "I do have to say," Maria slightly tilted her head to the side, "You are almost as promiscuous as Rhys Wilder ¡ª the only difference is that his women all live in harmony and are willing to share, most of the time."


    "God damn it!" Lance sped his head, "I lost in battle and in rizz!? Fuck, fuck!"


    "We should go, Rhys Wilder," Maria then pulled Rhys''s sleeve, "He will not be a threat to you ¡ª and if he does not fulfill his end of the deal, then all it takes is a simple push of a button to reveal all of the conversations he had with his girlfriends to each other."


    "Wait¡­ you also have ess to my messenger!?"


    And once again, Maria moved to the top spot of the scariest woman in Rhys''s life. She probably knows something that Rhys doesn''t even know about himself.


    "Ack. I guess I don''t need to tell you how you can contact me," Lance then just let out a loud sigh as the boosters once again emerged all over his body, "I''d visit your territory, but I have somewhere else I need to be. Wait, you don''t happen to know where the 17th Strongest Explorer is right now?"


    "I do," Maria answered as Lance pointed at her again, "You can have it for a price."


    "Send it to me," Lance smirked, "I need to show my followers that I''m still stronger than most of the people in the rankings."


    And with those words, Lance finally flew away ¡ª leaving so casually almost as if he did not just level several miles of field.


    "...I forgot how colorful life is outside of prison," Rhys could really only shake his head before he and Maria disappeared into the shadows. Fortunately for them and the rest of the convoy, no one else challenged Rhys and they were finally able to return back home.


    "What¡­ is that?"


    "Ho¡­? I did not know you have zuch tastes, my Fuhrer."


    "I didn''t take you for a narcissist, dude."


    And the first thing that weed them was a statue of Rhys, perhaps more than 10 floors high¡­ and the statue was still a few hundred miles before the city.


    "What the¡ªYou told me it was a small settlement!" Dominique could not help but just widen her eyes as she looked at what seemed to be a developing city resting beside Rhys''s statue, with a lot of buildings still in the process of being built.


    "...I wasn''t gone for that long," Rhys was also in disbelief as he looked at the city, "And are those people¡­ actually praying in front of my statue? And Maria, why is there a statue here in the first ce?"


    "The people built it," Maria just shrugged, "And the others approved of it as well, Ayesha thought it would be funny."


    "...What else aren''t you telling me?" Rhys could really only look Maria in the eyes. Maria, however, just returned his stares before a small, and very subtle but obviously mischievous smile crawled on her face.


    Rhys did not need to wonder for long, however, because as soon as he stepped out of the truck¡­


    ¡­all the people started crowding over them, all of them, trying to touch him like he was some sort of deity.

 Chapter 254 The Changes

    "What¡­ was that all about?"


    An hour. It took Rhys an entire hour to get from the edge of the city to Wilder''s Harem''s HQ ¡ª no, at this point, it was no longer Wilder''s Harem''s HQ, it was just Rhys''s residence as Wilder''s Harem had already been disbanded. But of course, that is beside the point.


    The point was that it took him an hour to get there because of all the people blocking his path, wanting to touch him, and some even kneeling and praying in front of him. Of course, Rhys quickly and very gently gestured to them to stop and stand up, but as soon as Rhys saw the disappointment and hurt in their eyes as he did that, the only thing he could really do was smile and hasten his pace.


    Even now that he was inside the HQ, Rhys could hear the people shouting for his name. Of course, Rhys was not that dense to not realize that people look up to him; after all, that was his goal in the first ce ¡ª but it was never his role to be some type of religious figure, and with the way he was being treated by these people, it sort of feel like he is.


    "That was fucking insane. And¡­ is this your ce?"


    Dominique, the cenleons, and all the others had no choice but to follow Rhys first ¡ª they were initially going to set up their own ce, but since the people were still making amotion, the only thing they could really do was follow Rhys inside the HQ building.


    And suffice it to say, all of them were as overwhelmed as Rhys, all perhaps Talia, who had just been nodding her head in satisfaction since earlier.


    "I truly expected no less from you, my Fuhrer ¡ª I have underestimated just how much influence you have outside the prison," Talia let out a small chuckle as she looked at all the people outside, waving their hands to get Rhys''s attention, "To think you are being looked upon like a god by everyone."


    "Not by everyone, and I didn''t even know these people were going to be here," Rhys sighed.


    "Their numbers don''t matter," Talia shook her head, "All it takes is one single spark, and the rest will follow. Although, it is such a shame that most of them are dreg¡ªare lowborns. Of course, I do not mean anything bad with that."


    "...How can you not mean anything bad from that?" Dominique raised an eyebrow as she looked at Talia, "I forgot that you''re like stuck in the past or something, you''re ancient. By the way, just so you know, Lowborn very has already been abolished."


    "I was born after that," Talia rolled her eyes.


    "Rhys Wilder, you told me that you were just some sort of soldier ¡ª exin yourself." And as Dominique, Talia, and the other humans were talking and expressing their awes with what was happening, Prince Abu approached Rhys with his arms crossed,


    "If I knew you were a fellow monarch, I would not have treated you with such disdain ¡ª of course, I might still have because you are human, but that might have lessened my aggression."


    "Rhys Wilder always had the aura of a monarch." Edissa, who was now practically Rhys''s shadow and followed behind him everywhere, stood beside Rhys with a wide smile on her face, "I always knew this the very first time he rescued us from the Ice Warden."


    "...You hated me," Rhys looked at Edissa in disbelief.


    "That is not true at all," Edissa then stood back, refusing to borate any further. She was, however, reced by the woman in Rhys''s life who could actually control shadow.


    "Maria¡­ where are all the people?" Rhys quickly asked Maria when she emerged from his shadow.


    "What do you mean, Rhys Wilder? They are right there outside," Maria pointed at the masses still lingering outside the HQ.


    "I meant the members¡ªthe previous members of the guild," Rhys sighed, "I know it was disbanded, but they are always free to stay inside the HQ until they can get their bearings."


    "They all left," Maria shook her head.


    "I¡­ see."


    "Not in the way you think," Maria shook her head, "They now all have a ce in Wilder City, some bought houses and others live in the apartments we built ¡ª truth be told, the entire area within 30 miles is now in your name; as well as several buildings, some we leased to interested parties."


    "What¡­? How did we even afford that?"


    "The Ennd Royal family," Maria just shrugged, "Princess Agatha and Princess Victoria bought thend in your name ¡ª objectively speaking, you should rece Lina with one of them as members of your main harem. All Lina contributes is that she is the prettiest among us, but that could fade with time."


    "...There''s no harem," Rhys just shook his head as he finally had the energy to walk around the empty HQ and look around, "Who is going to live in this ce, then? Should we just make it some sort of gathering area?"


    "Consider this your castle, Rhys Wilder," Maria shook her head, "As you can see, we redecorated it a little bit to make it into a residence fitting for you."


    "...This ce is too big."


    "I would argue it is too small," Maria once again shook her head, "Me, Katarina, Lina, Ayesha, Victoria, Agatha, and now I suppose Talia is going to live here as well, and of course the cenleon ¡ª all of us would take turns¡­ taking care of you, or of course, at we could do it at the same time like before."


    "W¡ª"


    "Like before¡­!?" And before Rhys could even say anything, Dominique moved between the two and looked Rhys in the eyes. And after a few seconds of staring at him, a wide and cheeky smile crawled on her face, "No way¡­ you did the menage e trois with this robot and the grandma!? What the¡­


    ...Let''s give it up for the Big Boss, yo! So fucking lucky this guy!" Dominique then ran away before Rhys could even respond and started giving the members of her gang the high-five.


    "I suppose I should also prepare a room for Dominique," Maria then smiled at Rhys, "I believe she would be a great addition to the house of Wilder and to the harem."


    "She''s not like that."


    "Oh, fuck yes, I am!" Dominique hit Rhys''s arm, "Hena and I are going to stay here."


    "Hena¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times, "What happened to the other one?"


    "Oh, we broke up," Dominique shrugged, "So, where are we going to stay then?"


    "Please, follow me," Maria gestured to Dominique to follow her, "You too, Talia."


    "Wait, Maria ¡ª where are the others?" Rhys asked.


    "Ayesha is away on important matters of the state. I do believe Lina and the princesses are out shopping for Holes, and K is working at the hospital," Maria said.


    "Buying¡­ Holes? Why are you saying that like they''re just buying clothes?" Rhys let out a short but very deep sigh. The pockets of the Ennd royal family are¡­ unlimited, "And hospital¡­?"


    "Yes," Maria nodded, "She can''t leave since she''s on duty. You do not have to worry about the cenleons, just tell them to follow me and I will get them situated in their lodgings¡­


    ¡­you should visit her."


    ***


    "Oh my god!"


    And Rhys did visit the hospital ¡ª he was only expecting some sort ofrge clinic, but it truly was an entire hospital; staffed with nurses and all sorts of people. He had really only been gone for a short time, and everything had already changed.


    Unlike earlier, he got to the hospital without any problems. He only needed to ask the people for some space, and to treat him like a normal person and just greet him, and they all just quickly gave it to him without any more questions asked.


    But of course, once again, amotion happened as soon as he entered the hospital as all the staff were shocked to see him there. Fortunately, all of them were professionals and none approached Rhys¡­ or it might also be because Edissa was behind him.


    "Good afternoon, Ma''am."


    "Y¡­ yes? Very good¡­?"


    And as Rhys walked to the information desk, thedy she approached could not help but just stutter; her eyes, not really knowing where to look as Rhys talked to her.


    "Can I ask where Dr. Lopez is?"


    "Dr. Lopez¡­? Ah, Director Lopez?" Thedy once again stuttered, "She just went into surgery, she¡­ should be back in a few hours. You¡­ you can wait in the lobby and I''ll call for her once she''s done. Or¡­ if you want I have a break in 10 minutes? Maybe¡­"


    "I''ll wait for her in the lobby," Rhys smiled, causing thedy to just stop breathing there and then, "Thank you, Ma''am."


    "Oh my god¡­ oh my god, that was Rhys Wilder."


    "He''s even more handsome than the photos."


    "The female humans, I can smell them ovting as soon as you get close to them," Edissa, who was quietly following Rhys from behind, walked beside him and whispered, "You could have a thousand offspring if you wanted, Rhys. Why do you not mate with them?"


    "That''s¡­ not how it works here," Rhys sighed, "You¡­ only mate with people you care about, at least that''s what it is like for me."


    "...Then you care about me, Rhys?" Edissa also sat beside Rhys''s chair as he waited.


    "Of course," Rhys looked Edissa in the eyes as he ced his hand on her chin, "You are one of my people now."


    "Then¡­


    ¡­can you give me an offspring?"

 Chapter 255 Visit

    "Then¡­


    ¡­can you give me an offspring?"


    Rhys was Completely at a loss as you have to answer that. They were different species; If Edissa was at least a bipedal humanoid, then it might have worked ¡ªBut she has 2 hands and 4 legs, just what sort of abomination is going toe out if they do actually go through with it?


    "I¡ª"


    "Rhys!" And before Rhys could finish his words, Katarina suddenly arrived in the lobby. And as she approached them, Rhys could not help but notice that all the people, whether they were patients or hospital staff, were greeting and looking at her. Katarina ignored all of them, however, as she just quickly ran toward Rhys as soon as she saw him.


    Suffice it to say, Edissa''s eyes widened as she saw the two pairs of mountains bouncing violently while approaching them. She first thought they were apletely different creature altogether, and not a part of Katarina''s body at all.


    "That woman," Edissa could not help but just stand up from the floor as she continued to stare at Katarina''s breasts, "The offspring she would bear would want nothing. Is she also one of your mates? I think she could provide milk for all of youry if ites to that."


    "She''s Katarina," Rhys could really only chuckle at Edissa''s words, "She is like family to me."


    "Rhys!" Katarina then quickly embraced Rhys as soon as he was within reach. And without even any care for the other people present there, she kissed him on the lips ¡ª not passionately, of course, as she was still the director of the hospital. She just couldn''t help herself; how could she, when this was the second time that Rhys had gone away for a long time?


    "Families act sexually in your world?" Edissa squinted her eyes, "You truly are simr to the gods in that regard."


    "...She''s not family, she''s like family," Rhys sighed, "She took care of me when I was a teenager, and¡­ well, she''s now my lover."


    "Rhys¡­?" Katarina then leaned away as she heard Rhys talking in apletely differentnguage, "Is this one of the cenleons? She''s¡­ very pretty."


    "Yes," Rhys nodded as he introduced Edissa to Katarina. And as Edissa noticed Rhys gesturing to her, she quickly bowed her head knowing that he was introducing her to the woman with gigantic breasts, "She''s Edissa. A lot of things happened and, well¡­ she became my Bond."


    "Hello," Katarina reached out her hand even though she couldn''t understand Edissa''s greeting, "I hope you''re not feeling ufortable here."


    "She¡­ seems very gentle, Rhys," Edissa breathed out as she shook Katarina''s hand, "She truly would be the best mother toy your children. You should put your seed in her already."


    "Please stop talking about offspring for now," Rhys sighed.


    "Wait¡ªA Bond¡­?" Katarina''s eyebrows started to lower as her brain worked overtime, "...Wait, that''s something sexual, isn''t it!?"


    Katarina then quickly pped Rhys''s shoulder, "You''re also putting your dick inside other species!? Who do you think you are, Zeus!? I know she''s hot, but biologically, her lower half is literally that of a cat, Rhys. What is wrong with you¡­?"


    "It just happened," Rhys lowered his head while raising his hand in surrender.


    "And they cut your hair," Katarina then grabbed the top of Rhys''s hair andmented, "Now everyone could see your handsome face."


    "I thought you were in surgery?" Rhys leaned away and sighed before Katarina could go off topic.


    "I was," Katarina nodded several times, "I finished it as soon as I smelled your scent in the hospital."


    "..." There were a couple of anomalies in Katarina''s sentence, but Rhys just chose to ignore them and just ced his hand on her cheek, "I''ve missed you."


    "I missed you too," Katarina''s tears fell without barriers as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "Let''s talk in my office. Where do you think she can wait?"


    "Oh, she doesn''t leave my side," Rhys nced at Edissa.


    "...What?" Katarina squinted her eyes, "What do you mean she doesn''t leave your side?"


    "I mean she can''t leave my side," Rhys shrugged, "She''s my Bond ¡ª I think it''s very dishonorable to not be by my side, and they would die. I still don''t actually know if that''s literally or figuratively."


    "...So, she''s just going to be with you all the time?"


    "Hm."


    "...How about sleeping?"


    "She usually waits outside the room, but¡­ I let her in since it doesn''t feel right to be waiting for hours outside," Rhys let out a small sigh.


    "You¡­" Katarina stared Rhys in the eyes,


    "...Are you serious right now?"


    ***


    "You''re serious."


    Katarina was nning all sorts of things with Rhys as it had been a long time since she had seen him, let alone be with him ¡ª but now, all of those ns were gone as Edissa was in her office with them. Edissa actually volunteered to wait outside, but Katarina imagined all of the different problems that woulde out of that.


    They were in a hospital, someone here was one heart attack away from death. If they saw a cenleon just casually sitting outside the hallway, they would surely die.


    "Sorry."


    "W¡­wait, someone else is here."


    Rhys wrapped his arm around Katarina''s waist and pulled her closer to him, kissing her on the lips without even any warning, "Let''s¡­ let''s wait until we''re home."


    "Hm," Rhys smiled as he let go of Katarina and started roaming around her office, "This is bigger than your office back in Old York."


    "Wow," Katarina widened her eyes as she raised her voice, "That¡­ feels like a lifetime ago."


    "It was," Rhys nodded.


    "Can you ask her if she likes something?" Katarina then went to her pantry and asked.


    "If you have any extra limbs or organs, she''ll take it."


    "What¡­?" Katarina almost dropped what she was holding as she looked at Rhys, "Wait¡­ you''re joking?"


    "Yes."


    "Can you please not joke with a straight face," Katarina breathed out in frustration as she prepared a coffee for her and bottled water for Rhys and Edissa. Katarina ced Rhys''s water on the coffee table in front of him, while she handed Edissa''s to her personally.


    Edissa bowed her head before drinking the water, only for her to cough it all up as all of her fur stood up on their ends.


    "Shit!" Katarina quickly raised her palms, "That was soda water, I''m so sorry! Can you tell her that, Rhys!?"


    "S¡­ Soda water?" Edissa''s eyes widened as Rhys exined to her about it, "I¡­ I thought you were poisoning me! What¡­ what is that weird thing crawling inside my mouth?"


    "It''s¡­ just¡­ an interactive drink," Rhys could not really think of a better way to describe it, "I''ll get you a new one if¡ª"


    "No, I was just surprised," Edissa blocked Rhys from grabbing the soda water from her as she shook her head, "I''ll¡­ try it again."


    "You don''t really have to."


    "No," Edissa did not listen to Rhys as she once again drank some soda water. Her eyes twitched initially, but soon, her entire head trembled from the feeling of soda dancing in her mouth, "This¡­ this is sort offorting. Your kind truly has the weirdest things, Rhys."


    "...Oh?" Rhys squinted his eyes before he nced at Katarina, "You don''t happen to have a c?"


    "As a doctor, I''m not going to advise that amount of sugar to someone who hasn''t consumed it before," Katarina shook her head; a smile, however, was slightly crawling on her face, "But¡­ maybe just this once."


    And so, Rhys and Katarina let Edissa taste a c.


    "What¡­ what is this!?" Edissa slightly raised the bottle, "It¡­ it''s the nectar of the gods!"


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "It''s c. Almost everyone drinks it."


    "You drink this every day¡­?" Edissa was almost like a child as she continued to drink her soda. Katarina could not help but just rest her head on Rhys''s arm as she watched this, it almost actually seemed like¡­


    ¡­they had a child.


    "Is¡­ this what it feels like to have a child?" Katarina blurted out, but she quickly covered her mouth and tried her best not to make contact with Rhys''s eyes as she realized what she said, "I''m¡­ I''m just kidding. You''re¡­ you''re still too young to worry about children."


    "I can get you pregnant if you want."


    "Rhys!" Katarina pped Rhys''s arm, "S¡­ stop it."


    "I''m serious," Rhys whispered.


    "That¡ª"


    "But not now, not when the world is going through an extreme change," Rhys''s tone suddenly turned serious as he nced at Katarina, "We can''t have them living in the world while we are reshaping it."


    "That''s¡­ true," Katarina also looked at Rhys, "But¡­ we can always just do the process. I already told the hospital I''m not going to be in tomorrow, so¡­


    ¡­let''s do it in your room tonight for as long as you want to."


    "I was already nning that," Rhys softly chuckled, "But I actually visited the hospital for another thing, Kat."


    "I know¡­" Katarina nodded and stood up,


    "...Your sister already knows you''re here."

 Chapter 256 Brewing

    "How¡­ long has she been like that?"


    "Since the incident, since you left."


    Emilia was put in a private room, which was actually just right beside Katarina''s office so she could quickly check on her whenever she needed and wanted to. Rhys and Katarina were already inside the room for an entire minute, and yet Emilia did not really acknowledge them.


    She was, however, talking to someone in the room ¡ª a small doll, sitting on the chair right beside her bed.


    "No, Rhys. Stop it," Emilia let out a small giggle as she lightly pped the doll, "I told you not to do that, you''re so annoying. Mom''s not here anymore, you''re the one that''s supposed to take care of me ¡ª so why is it you''re like the younger one? S¡­ stop it, I said stop it. Someone might see us!"


    "She''s even worse than I thought, Rhys," Katarina''s voice was weak as she watched Emilia interact with the doll, "Even worse than you. From what I''ve gathered, her mind has already been like that for years ¡ª right after your mom was killed."


    "But she seemed¡­ so normal," Rhys closed his eyes.


    "On the surface," Katarina let out a short but very deep sigh as she shook her head, "That''s because she created a world of her own to cope with it. She created you, her brother. Inside the secluded part of her mind, you''ve always been living there, beside her ¡ª and youe out whenever she''s having an episode¡­


    ¡­which right now, she can''t get out of ever since the incident."


    "How do we get her out, then?"


    "We can''t," Katarina shook her head, "It''s just a battle she has to fight herself ¡ª and I don''t think she really wants to win. In her mind, there''s a brother that has always taken care of her and loves her."


    "...This is my fault," Rhys took in a deep breath as he looked at his sister, "I really should have been there for her."


    "You were a child who went through a traumatic experience, just like her."


    "Not like her," Rhys quickly shook his head, "I should have been there."


    "I don''t think that would have turned out better," Katarina argued, "If anything, it might have been even more catastrophic to have the two of you together ¡ª you look okay, Rhys. But you should remember how you were after the incident, you would have been bad for each other."


    "Can¡­ I try talking to her?" Rhys took a step forward.


    "Of course," while Katarina took a step back, "Just y along with her and don''t mention anything you know she''s not going to know. Remember, you live apletely different life in her mind. Shatter that, and you shatter her mind even further."


    "Hm," Rhys nodded as a smile quickly formed on his face, "Hey, Chloe."


    "Chloe¡­?" Emilia''s eyes quickly strayed away from the doll as she immediately looked at Rhys, "I told you not to call me by that name, Rhys. Agh, seriously. Why do you never listen to me?"


    "Well¡­" Rhys sat on the bed beside Emilia, "...I''ll listen to you now. How are you?"


    "...Why are you being so weird?" Emilia raised an eyebrow, "Stop changing the topic."


    "Oh, I forgot what we were talking about," Rhys softly chuckled.


    "Ack! And this is you listening!? I swear¡­"


    Rhys then spent more than an hour talking to Emilia, and when he left, she just went straight to talking to the doll almost seamlessly. Rhys initially thought that maybe his presence would change something, but it did absolutely nothing at all.


    The only thing Rhys could really do was kiss Emilia on the forehead, which she wholeheartedly epted with her feet wiggling.


    "When you said earlier that she already knows I''m in the hospital¡ª"


    "I meant for her, you''ve always been here."


    And as soon as they stepped out of the room, the smile on Rhys''s face instantly faded away.


    "Look, Rhys ¡ª it''s not your fault," Katarina gently held Rhys''s cheeks, "It''s not your fault. She''ll wake up from this, she just needs time."


    "...Do I really want to wake her up?" Rhys breathed out as he looked Katarina in the eyes, "She''s living in a better world, a world where I took care of her. I''m never going to be able to do anything close to that¡­


    ¡­she''ll just be disappointed."


    "Not if you step up," Katarina smiled, "There is good in you, Rhys. Maybe this time, the two of you could really lift each other up."


    "Is¡­ there any other way to wake her up from this?" Rhys asked.


    "..." Katarina returned Rhys''s gaze for a few seconds before letting out a long and very deep sigh.


    "There is¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he saw the look on Katarina''s face.


    "I could try to heal her mind," Katarina closed her eyes, "But I can do more harm than good since my abilities are not strong enough, and I''m not specialized enough to treat her mind."


    "You are."


    "No, Rhys," Katarina forced out a chuckle as she leaned away from Rhys, "It''s not about will or determination, trust me ¡ª I have more than enough for that for your sister. Ick the skills¡­


    ¡­but I know someone who could do it ¡ª Dr. Dhani Raj."


    "...Can we reach him?"


    "Considering your status, you might," Katarina sighed.


    "But¡­?"


    "No one has seen him in public ever since his wife was assassinated 10 years ago. He''s a recluse."


    "Dr. Dhani Raj," Rhys ced his hand on his chin, "Where have I heard that name before?"


    "He''s the 8th Strongest Explorer in the world, and he was the master of the No. 1 guild 40 years ago," Katarina nodded several times, "The only recorded guild with no deaths or injury from its inception and end. He''s also called the Messiah since he is rumored to even resurrect the dead, of course, it was proven it wasn''t true ¡ª but still."


    "You¡­ seem to know a lot about him."


    "Are you kidding? Every doctor knows him," Katarina let out arge breath while shaking her head, "I have all of his books and read them four times over. He''s a legend."


    "Maybe Maria knows where he is," Rhys nodded, "I''m going to find him. I think it would be best if you were there once we meet him."


    "Yeah, no," Katarina quickly shook her head with an awkward chuckle, "I think it would be best for me to be as far away as possible."


    "...I thought you''d want to meet him? And you can exin what happened to Emi too."


    "...No," Katarina shook her head again, "Rhys¡­


    ¡­I''m the one who killed his wife."


    "...Oh."


    "Hm¡­" Katarina closed her eyes, "...It was a mission. His wife was¡­ well¡­ evil and the government wanted to¡ª"


    "It''s fine," Rhys ced his hand on Katarina''s shoulder, "You don''t really need to tell me about it."


    "Okay," Katarina let out a sigh of relief.


    "But, it''s not like he knows, right?" Rhys then gently caressed Katarina''s cheek, "And he doesn''t need to know."


    "...I still don''t think it''s a good idea," Katarina shook her head, "It¡ª"


    [Paging Dr. Lopez, we need you in Station 5.]


    "And that''s my cue to leave," Rhys then let out a small chuckle as he leaned away from Katarina, "I''ll see you back at home, okay?"


    "Wait¡ªLet''s talk more about this at home!"


    "Oh, we''re not going to do much talking, Kat."


    "You¡ªdon''t say that in public!" Katarina quickly looked at the people in the hallway, only to see some of the nurses covering their mouths, "He¡­


    ¡­he doesn''t mean anything sexual by that!"


    ***


    Back in the Underworld Corps'' Surface base, General Banner and former Commander Ayesha were currently in a meeting¡ªwell, former former Commander Ayesha, since she was reinstated by the government just moments ago.


    "So, what? Just because you need me again you just suddenly give me my old position back?"


    "I gave it to you, I took it, and I can give it away."


    General Banner''s scoff could be heard even from outside their tent. And of course, Rhys''s former colleagues, James and Erik, were once again eavesdropping outside.


    "And I thought you retired?" Ayesha''s feet were over the desk,pletely showing her disregard for her father, "Why are you suddenly everywhere again?"


    "Things have changed," General Banner, however, did not seem to have his usual energy, and did not bicker at all with Ayesha, "We needed you back."


    "And what''s so important that you literally had to fly me straight here?" Ayesha scoffed and shook her head as she finally removed her feet from the desk.


    As for General Banner, he stood up and just ced his hands behind his back.


    "Ayesha, I would like to introduce you to Captain Olga Ivanovna."


    "What¡­?" Ayesha raised an eyebrow as she looked at the entrance of the tent, only to see a Noble soldier, wearing apletely different uniform, enter with her hand in a salute.


    "She leads the Underworld Corps in Russea."


    "Huh¡­


    ¡­So, how serious is the problem?"


    "Catastrophic. Also¡­


    ¡­we will need your boy."

 Chapter 257 Let Me Clean It For You (R18)

    "The people here worship you like a god."


    "They shouldn''t."


    To say that the ce where the Wilder''s Harem HQ was situated had changed would be an understatement. He was told that Princess Agatha bought most of thend within the area, and he could believe that since she did not even blink an eye to pay for Rhys''s limbs, which probably cost more than thend in this area since it was near the Danger Zone.


    What Rhys couldn''t believe even though it was right in front of his eyes, however, was the change itself.


    Rhys couldn''t even recognize anything even if he forced himself to. There were roads, actual roads, and traffic systems within the city ¡ª and it is a city, he would be lying if he denied that.


    In less than two years, his life becamepletely unrecognizable. And although he has been out of prison for less than 3 days, he also did not fail to notice the sudden change of treatment of Lowborns. How can he not notice the change, when Lowborns were now being given front-end jobs?


    And it wasn''t just within his city, even back when he was in the hotel, he noticed it outside and everywhere.


    It was good that his intentions, whether or not they were actually for the Lowborns, ended up ultimately helping them. Because Rhys knew that deep down¡­


    ¡­He wasn''t a Lowborn at all ¡ª and the First King Aethelc proves that.


    The first ever Noble, born directly from the God of Dreams himself, is ck of hair, very much like him. There was a chance that Rhys might be too, a very high chance.


    He would be deluded to actually think he was a Lowborn.


    "The women, they all want to mate with you."


    And of course, Rhys''s thoughts werepletely interrupted as Edissa suddenly became guarded,


    "I have already seen some of your mates, Rhys ¡ª most of these random women would dilute the pride you are making."


    "Please¡­ don''t discriminate," Rhys sighed, "And I never really asked you, but how do you feel now in crowds? Don''t you have any urge to eat any of them anymore?"


    "I still consider humans the tastiest," Edissa shook her head, "But I am disgusted with the thought of eating them now ever since I learned about them. I prefer the thing I ate at the hotel."


    "Rare steak."


    "Yes. And now I just thought of partnering it with that ck drink, C?" Edissa then touched her stomach as she suddenly felt it rumbling, "Rhys, can we please go back to your house now?"


    "Alright," Rhys once again sighed, but this time letting out a small chuckle as he turned around, "I''ll teach you how to cook steak."


    ***


    "...So, it would seem there are things you can''t do, Rhys."


    "...Let''s just go back to my room before they find out about this."


    Well, the oue that Rhys was expecting did not reallye to life¡ªno. Something dide to life, but even Edissa did not know what that creature actually was.


    "Does cooking usually involve a lot of summoning weird dark creatures? Edissa asked as she and Rhys started running from the kitchen; both of their bodies, wrapped with some sort of ck goo.


    "...That was soy sauce," Rhys sighed; the two of them, rushing straight back to his room to bathe and shower¡­ each other. Suspiciously enough, the two spent two hours inside the bathroom before going out.


    And with them alone in the room, Edissa did not really see the need to put on some clothes.


    "Your room is excessivelyrge, and you keep telling me that you are not the leader of your vige¡ªno, you are practically their deity," Edissa had a towel on her head, covering her gray hair¡ªher eyes, however, suddenly widened as soon as she caught the hair blower resting beside the vanity mirror on the wall,


    "The magic wind!"


    Edissa quickly rushed to the blower, removing the towel on her head and just started drying her hair and fur with a smile on her face.


    "You''re bing more and more human by the day," Rhys could not help but smile; also drying his short hair with a towel.


    "...Please cover yourself, Rhys," Edissa squinted her eyes as she caught Rhys''s reflection in the mirror, and like her, he was alsopletely naked.


    "Why¡­?" Rhys looked at Edissa, "Your tribe does not wear clothes, you werepletely naked the first time we saw you."


    "Yes," Edissa squinted her eyes, "But you are dangerous. The way your body is shaped is causing my entire body to be warm. And I am already quite sore."


    "...Hm." And so, Rhys just went back to the bathroom and wore a robe¡­ only toe out and find Lina standing by the door, her eyes as wide as they could be as she stared at Edissa. Edissa, on the other hand, only bowed her head before casually continuing to dry her hair without a care.


    She already knew that Rhys would surely have several women visiting his room. Lina, on the other hand, waspletely and utterly bbergasted. If she did not already know about the existence of the cenleons, then she would have definitely done more than freeze.


    Her shock, however, waspletely reced by a sudden jolt of joy as she saw Rhys. And then, with an almost shrieking yelp, she rushed toward Rhys and leaped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist like she was some sort of tarsier.


    It was almost as if she had instantly forgotten about Edissa''s existence. She climbed Rhys until her head was higher than his before grabbing him by the cheeks and giving him a kiss deep enough that Rhys thought his soul was being sucked out.


    "Ghm¡­hm," Lina lightly bit Rhys''s lip, slightly pulling it as her excited breaths trembled with a violent passion. She did not even notice it, but her hips were already moving up and down, causing Rhys''s robes to untangle ¡ª well, or perhaps it was a conscious action, and she truly wanted to disrobe him¡­


    ¡­and her next actions just proved that.


    She quickly lowered her other hand, stretching it down to try and reach for Rhys, cock; she did not have to struggle, however, as she was able to grab it without even a second.


    She then raised her skirt, using Rhys''s cock to push her panties to the side before she started rubbing its soft tip between the already wet lips between her thighs.


    And as soon as she was sure it was properly lubricated with her own juice, she lowered her hips without any hesitation, swallowing Rhys whole without a care in the world.


    "Ugh¡­hn!" Lina''s breath shuddered as she gritted her teeth and once again grabbed Rhys''s face; staring directly at his eyes while she practically danced while hanging on him.


    As for Edissa, she just quickly stopped drying her hair and just proceeded to watch them; this was the first time she was actually seeing humans mate, but she was already sure it wasn''t usually this¡­aggressive.


    Lina only nced at her for a few seconds before just focusing on Rhys again, still not uttering a single word as she just continued to move her hips, with Rhys lifting her by her ass. Lina, however, did not seem content with this as she just immediately adjusted Rhys''s hand; specifically his index and middle finger and put them inside her ass as she spread it even wider.


    Her juices, dripping profusely between her thighs and just drenching the clean floor. Rhys then slowly moved to the bed, gently cing Lina down on her back. Lina, however, quickly turned around so that Rhys could do her from behind; once again spreading her eyes and gesturing to Rhys to insert his thumb into her ass.


    "Ah¡­hnn¡­my¡­my god. I¡­ I already came," Lina bit and gripped the sheets; an ungodly moan escaping her throat as Rhys ravaged her from the back. She then lifted herself up, removing her shirt and quickly unbuckling her bra and removing it, revealing her almost wless skin while her breasts bounced violently.


    "You¡ª"


    And as Lina thoroughly enjoyed herself she did not even notice that Katarina already stepped inside the room, wearing a very light dress. As soon as she saw her, however, she did not even let Katarina react more or say another word as she used a st of wind to push her toward Rhys.


    "What are you¡ª" Katarina could really only stare at Rhys as she grabbed him for support from the sudden st of wind. But after a few seconds, she just let out a loud breath before kissing Rhys while he continued to ram Lina from behind.


    "Hn!!!" Lina then just dropped down as she once again came, causing Rhys''s cock to just bounce as she pulled away. And without even a second, Lina quickly turned around; crouching as she grabbed Rhys''s cock and started licking it.


    "Let¡­" Lina then looked up at Katarina with her face extremely flushed,


    "...Let me clean it for you."

 Chapter 258 The Original Wilders Harem (Strictly R18)

    Katarina was expecting something else. She was expecting something else when she got back home from the hospital. She was excited, exhrated to the point of being animated ¡ª she even headed to the shower as soon as possible and got herself thoroughly cleaned.


    She was ready for this reunion. She had evenmissioned a tailor-made nightgown since her shape was not really thatmon and most nightgowns would just make her look like an adult movie star.


    She was ready to treat Rhys like a king. She did, however, not expect this at all.


    "Let me clean this for you."


    It was a weird feeling, seeing someone look up at you while their mouth waspletely filled with someone''s cock. It was even weirder that the cock belongs to the man you love¡­


    ¡­and perhaps even weirder is that Lina was doing that for her.


    "I¡­" Katarina just stared at Lina for a few seconds; until finally, she justpletely gave up on her body''s desires and also just kneeled down on the bed, "...I''ll clean it myself."


    Katarina then grabbed Rhys''s cock from Lina''s mouth and justpletely swallowed it whole. Lina, however, did not mind this at all and a smirk even crawled from her drooling lips filled with Rhys''s juices.


    Lina even leaned in closer, sticking out her tongue and licking the part of Rhys''s cock that wasn''t inside Katarina''s mouth. Of course, this caused Katarina to slightly lean away as her lips were starting to touch Lina''s tongue.


    True, she had already done it with Rhys with Lina on the side, but she was stillpletely ufortable with Lina touching any part of her. Lina, on the other hand, seemedpletely into this and even smirked as she saw Katarina lean away. She took this chance to grab Rhys''s cock away and just once again put it inside her mouth.


    "You¡­" Katarina leaned closer to try and get it back, but Lina also just leaned away and shoved Rhys''s cock into Katarina''s mouth while still beingpletely filled with her saliva. Katarina''s eyes widened, but before she could continue to react, Lina just brushed her tongue between Rhy''s cock and Katarina''s lips.


    Katarina''s eyes slightly twitched at this, but after a few more moments of thought, she just let it pass and started sucking Rhys''s cock and twirling her tongue around it¡­ not even minding anymore that Lina''s tongue was touching hers, and Lina was not shy at all and even weed it as she started twirling her tongue around Katarina''s whenever they touch.


    Soon, however, Lina left Katarina alone as she moved back further onto the bed. Katarina only nced at her once before she focused on just pleasuring Rhys.


    "Hmn!?" What she did not expect, however, was Lina just suddenly pushing her panties to the side and kissing her lower lips. She quickly gasped as she released Rhys''s cock; holding it slightly tight as she felt her entire body tingle as she nced back at Lina. She was going to say something, make her stop¡­


    ¡­but her body was just currently lost at the moment. And so, she just looked up at Rhys and stared at his bright silver eyes for a few seconds before once again swallowing him whole.


    She doesn''t really know what to feel ¡ª someone was pleasuring her while she was pleasuring Rhys. She wasn''t only sharing Rhys anymore, they were just¡­ all connecting with each other. If she puts it like that, then it is somewhat¡­ romantic.


    Rhys then finally held Katarina''s chin up, gently moving her away. Katarina, of course, just moved on her own andid her back on the bed; herrge breasts, bouncing several times; her already perked nipples, showing from her thin gown.


    Katarina''s face was alreadypletely flushed; not even bothering to wipe the mixture of juices dripping from her lips as she smiled at Rhys, reaching out her hand toward her as if to call him. And of course, Rhys moved closer; kissing her leg and her thigh, just very slightly touching her clitoris before he put his cock inside her.


    "Haa¡­hnn¡­!!!" Katarina gritted her teeth as Rhys very slowly filled her up; her hands instinctively gripping the sheets as she let out a loud moan, "Hnh!?"


    Her moan, however, almost turned into a yelp as Lina lightly sucked and pulled on her nipples through her nightgown. It caused her to slightly tighten, making her feel Rhys even more to the point that she actually came there and then.


    Her entire body was tingling, almost as if it was jolted by electricity and even the slight brush of air was causing her hair to stand up on their ends. Katarina, however, only just moaned again as she slowly pushed the straps of her gown and revealed her breasts, which now bounced with even more vigor.


    They only stopped bouncing once Lina grabbed them; she lightly tugged on her nipple, while sucking the other one as she crouched beside Katarina while also pleasuring herself.


    "...Can someone tell me what the heck is going on here?"


    "Oh¡­ Ayesha?"


    "No¡­"


    And as Ayesha suddenly entered the room with just a tank top and panties on, Lina quickly turned her head toward her while still sucking Katarina''s nipple. As for Katarina, she just quickly covered her face in shame¡­ but she did not push anyone away at all.


    "...Want to join us?" Lina raised an eyebrow as she looked Ayesha in the eyes. Ayesha, however, only nced at Rhys for a few seconds before shaking her head.


    "...No," Ayesha shook her head and quickly turned around, "I¡­ prefer doing it alone with the Recruit."


    And with those words, Ayesha left the room¡­ only for her to juste back a secondter.


    Like Lina and Katarina, Ayesha was actuallypletely fresh; her long and very thick hair still slightly wet and dripping, causing her breasts and nipples to be visible through her tank top.


    "Even the doctor''s doing it, so¡­" Ayesha looked to the side as she approached Rhys; hugging him from behind as she almost seemed shy as she took short nces at Katarina and Lina¡ªno, she did not seem shy, she was shy. With all of her bravado, Ayesha waspletely a bottom in bed. And so, she just started out softly¡­ as in softly touching between her thighs as she watched Rhys ram through Katarina.


    Katarina also removed her hands from her face, once again just gripping the sheets; her other hand on Lina''s head while she continued to suck and y with her breasts.


    Lina nced at Ayesha for a few seconds, before she moved away from Katarina and pulled Ayesha to the bed, letting her rest beside Katarina.


    "What are you¡ª!!!" And without even letting Ayesha finish her words, Lina removed her panties and sat on her face. Ayesha waspletely at a loss as to what to do and could really only just turn her head to the side, only to see Katarina''spletely flushed face ncing at her. And then, she also let out a moan as Lina rested on top of her and started licking her clit.


    "!!!" And before Ayesha could say anything again, Rhys also started caressing her lower lips with his free and only hand, gently inserting his finger while Lina continued to lick her clit. Ayesha moaned; slightly sticking out her tongue from the sudden pleasure, and identally also licking Lina''s clit.


    And as soon as she noticed Lina flinched at that, Ayesha just thought for a few seconds before she grabbed Lina''s ass and also started licking her.


    "Oh¡­I''m¡­" Katarina''s voice turned loud as the entire atmosphere caused her entire body to just shut down; her hips, rising as the warmth rushed through her entire body again, "I''m¡­!!!"


    Her hips then dropped down, causing Rhys''s cock to just jump out from inside her and hit her clit, which once again caused her to almost convulse and faint. She justy down there, her breasts trembling from her shuddering breaths.


    Rhys, however, was far from done as he stepped to Ayesha and Lina''s side. And as soon as Lina saw Rhys''s cock right in front of her face, she quickly put it inside her mouth; practically letting all of her saliva flow around it to get itpletely wet before leaning away and then cing it right in front of Ayesha''s pussy herself.


    "Oh f¡­" Ayesha''s eyes turned up as she felt Rhys just go inside her, pushing out her walls, causing her toes to curl as she felt herself alsopletely lost ¡ª and it did not help at all that Lina continued to lick her clit,


    "Hm¡­.hn¡­"


    Katarina sat up and crawled toward Rhys before wrapping her arms around his neck and started kissing him, twirling her tongue around Rhys''s. And soon, she also started ying with herself.


    And while all of this was going on, Edissa was just there watching everything ¡ª somewhat starting to get envious that humans are capable of such acts.


    "S¡­shit¡­" Ayesha gasped, "I''m¡­


    ¡­I''m cumming!"


    And they did it for another hour or so, Katarina, Lina, and Ayesha, almost creating an orchestra of gasps as they justy on Rhys with their breasts bouncing from their heavy breaths; their hips, waists, thighs, breasts, and cheeks, filled with Rhys''s cum.


    Even Edissa, who just wanted to watch at first, could not help but y with herself as she watched the entire thing unfold from the side.


    As for Rhys, well, he was also justying there with the three on top of him; also breathing heavily even though he was not tired at all.


    "Rhys¡­" Ayesha was the first to talk as she weakly sat up,


    "...We need to talk."

 Chapter 259 The Nymphs

    "...What does this have to do with me?"


    A few minutester after their joyous activity filled with exhaustion, Rhys was still in bed; this time, however, he was reviewing something on the tablet that Ayesha gave him. Lina and Katarina were still there, and none of them really had to get up since Rhyspletely cleaned them all while still in bed using his water control.


    Vicky''s abilities are useful in and out ofbat, it would seem.


    "Nothing at all," Ayesha sucked in a deep breath as she wore her tank top back and sat back on the bed; she didn''t wear her panties yet, however, as Rhys''s juices were stilling out from inside her, "Just the fact that you are the only person known to be able to speak to the intelligent lifeforms of the Underworld, and those people are from the Underworld."


    "...These aren''t humans?" Rhys turned his focus back to the tablet, and no matter how he looked at them, they just looked like human women. Granted, they looked more mystical, but that was only because they looked more beautiful than average; not to mention almost naked from their translucent dresses¡ªbut with him being surrounded by even more beautiful women, Rhys could really only just shrug.


    "...What part of them looks human to you?" Ayesha raised an eyebrow.


    "Everything?" Rhys quickly answered.


    "What? Give me that," Ayesha quickly grabbed the tablet from Rhys, before looking at him with her eyes nk in disbelief, "Are you serious? There are more photos, switch them."


    "Oh¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as Ayesha handed the tablet back to him, "...Sorry, your tablet''s too big for one hand."


    "You¡ªtch," Ayesha just rolled her eyes as she leaned closer to Rhys, slightly hitting Lina who was sleeping beside him. Lina, however, did not seem annoyed at all and just instinctively embraced Lina. Lina did not mind at the moment as she just panned the screen for Rhys herself, "See?"


    "Oh," Rhys then once again blinked as he finally realized the difference ¡ª the photo he was looking at earlier was zoomed in, very much so. And right now, the photo was them standing on a tree¡­ branch, "They''re small."


    "That is an understatement," Ayesha smirked, "They are the size of an arm, almost the same size as your dick."


    "What¡­?" Katarina woke up from her exhaustion as she quickly slid beside Rhys and also looked at the photo on the tablet, "Couldn''t¡­ you havepared them to a different thing? And also¡­ these are Nymphs."


    "Nymphs¡­ Nature spirits?" Rhys nced at Katarina before looking at Ayesha, "The creatures the Underworld Corps specifically and strictly taught us to avoid? And why are there 7 of them gathered in a single ce, they don''t live in groups."


    "One and the same. And there aren''t 7 of them¡­" Ayesha nodded as she once again panned to the next photo, "...There are almost a hundred."


    "Wh¡­" Rhys could really only blink several times again as he just stared at the image in front of him. And true enough, there were almost a hundred of them gathered in a single tree. And before Rhys could even say anything else, Ayesha went to the next image¡­ where all of them were now looking directly at the camera.


    Ayesha did not really speak at all and once again just panned to the next image ¡ª which now had one of the nymphs suddenly right in front of the image; the expression on her face, nothing but rage.


    "That''s thest image from the memory that was recovered," Ayesha then stood up from the bed, causing Lina, who was embracing her, to just roll several times on the floor as she did so, "The scout was found dead right in front of one of the camps from the Russea Underworld Corps, the nymphs brought him back;pletely pale and drained of blood.


    And the weirdest thing about that is that the scout was supposed to be more than a hundred miles away from that camp."


    "The nymphs knew where the camp was?" Rhys asked, "And wait, Russea? Why do you have intel from the Russea Underworld Corps?"


    "They came to us," Ayesha finally wore her panties, "Believe it or not, asking for our help ¡ª the old man also gave me back my old position just for this, maybe he thought you would help in return."


    "That¡ª"


    "And I told him to go shove his balls up his ass," Ayesha scoffed, "I don''t care about the position ¡ª I only answered the call since I wanted to see what the team and the other shits are up to since we were gone."


    "Wait, this is serious¡­" Katarina grabbed the tablet from Rhys as she started scanning the photos, "...Nymphs aren''t violent creatures, far from it ¡ª they are known to resolve conflicts and the monsters within their territories arepletely in harmony with each other."


    "Well, they are also supposed to be solitary creatures who live alone," Ayesha shrugged, "I guess we were wrong about them."


    "Kat''s right, this is very serious," Lina then sat up from the floor, pointing at Katarina as she looked at Ayesha, "Nymphs are very peaceful creatures, but they are very powerful. They can change entire terrains within seconds. The only reason they were not given a threat level is because they''ve never been known to attack anyone or anything for that matter."


    "...I know that," Ayesha looked nkly at Lina, "Why do you think Russea is asking Amerka, their rival country, for help? They want to keep this as silent as possible ¡ª because if the other countries knew of it, panic would start to ensue¡­


    ¡­it''s an apocalyptic level threat."


    "...So, why aren''t we trying to help them, exactly?" Lina raised an eyebrow.


    "You''re not ¡ª I am," Ayesha smirked.


    "What do you mean? You just said you refused your old position."


    "Yeah, they could all go to shit," Ayesha shrugged, "But it doesn''t mean I won''t help unpin their balls ¡ª I''m just not doing it as themander of the Underworld Corps. I''m doing it as the Commander of Wilder''s Harem."


    "The guild has been disbanded, Ayesha," Rhys shook his head as he and Katarina also got up from the bed.


    "That doesn''t change the fact that I''m part of your harem," Ayesha shrugged again, "So, are youing, Recruit?"


    "...When are we leaving?" Katarina and Lina both stood up. Ayesha, however, just quickly shook her head and gestured to them to just stay.


    "Nope," Ayesha pointed at the two, "The two of you will stay here ¡ª these are nature spirits. You control the wind, Lina ¡ª they rule the wind. They''ll have you by the balls. As for you, Doc, you already swore an oath not to kill ¡ª nature spirits aren''t monsters. You said it yourself, they are peaceful creatures that represent life."


    "That''s bullshit," Katarina raised an eyebrow, "I go where life is in danger. I''ming with you whether you like it or not."


    "Fuck yeah," Lina pointed at Katarina, "You just want Rhys to yourself."


    "That''s not true at all because we''re taking the old woman with us," Ayesha shook her head.


    "Old¡­ woman?"


    "Yeah, the 100-year-old ex-genocidal racist who obviously also gobbled up Rhys''s balls back in Typhon''s," Ayesha said as she started walking toward the door before just quickly opening it. And as she did so, Vicky and Agatha both fell toward the room, "Obviously these two are also noting for the very reason why you''re noting, Doll ¡ª you will be liabilities."


    "Well¡­" Agatha just gracefully got up while patting her dress, "...I can help in more ways than one."


    "How¡­ long have you guys been outside!?" Lina pointed at her rtives. As for Katarina, she just quickly covered herself with a nket.


    "They''ve been there for more than an hour, listening to us moan," Ayesha rolled her eyes before looking at Agatha, "Well, this one did more than listen."


    "Wait, what?" Vicky looked at her aunt with a disgusted look in her eyes, "I thought you were just breathing heavily! You were touching yourself beside me!? You''re a fucking proper pervert, ain''t you!?"


    "Oh my god," Lina could really only cover her face in shame, "Why am I rted to you lot?"


    "Everything else doesn''t matter," Agatha raised a finger, "I am not going to coop myself up in this ce without the ckie, so¡ªI aming with you. They control nature and life, I can just burn them all."


    "Great. So, it''s a pic now?" Ayesha could really only pinch the bridge of her nose. But after a few seconds, she just waved her hand and walked away, "We leave in 9 hours, I suggest all of you pack."


    "Well¡­" Agatha cleared her throat as she gestured to Katarina and everyone else to leave the room as she just quickly removed her dress without a care in the world and approached Rhys and embraced him, "...I suppose that is plenty of time for Rhys to ram through me. Now, off you go, young ones."


    "Yeah, no," Lina blocked, "That''s not going to happen."


    "Why not?" Agatha raised an eyebrow as she nced at Rhys, "This man isn''t even tired."


    "He is! Right, Rhys!?" Lina raised her voice.


    "Well¡­" Rhys, however, really only scratched his chin.


    "What the¡ª"


    "Of course, all of you are free to join us," Agatha then smiled at everyone there. Katarina, however, just quickly grabbed the nket and walked away ¡ª she was alreadyfortable doing it along with Lina and Ayesha, but Agatha was a different thing altogether.


    "9 hours, Recruit," Ayesha also just waved her hand and walked out of the room.


    "Well¡­" And with the two gone, Agatha just looked at both of her nieces, "...The two of you are free to join me."


    "Well¡­" Lina raised an eyebrow, "...You think I won''t?"


    "And you?" Agatha smirked at Vicky.


    "What the fuck is wrong with you two¡­? We''re literally rted."


    "So¡­?" Agatha raised an eyebrow, "We''re also from the royal family ¡ª your father''s husband is literally our cousin. So¡­


    ¡­are you gonna join or not?"


    "T¡­ that''s¡­"


    "So¡­?"

 Chapter 260 Awake

    "Ho¡­"


    After several more hours of staying in his room, Rhys finally stepped out fully clothed to get some fresh air. His face waspletely fresh; his silver eyes filled with life. He was going to gather some sleep for a little bit before they left for the expedition, but at this point, he just used his [Arise] skill and decided to take a walk outside after everything he did.


    "I knewing here just for you was not a mistake." And before Rhys could even take a deep breath, he heard a giggleing from behind her as Princess Agatha also stepped out of the room, seemingly not tired at all as well,


    "It is really such a shame that others have already gotten their hands on you ¡ª I would have liked you all to myself. But then again, I suppose this is more fun too."


    "That¡­" Rhys did not really finish his words as he just immediately closed the door of his room, where both Lina and Vicky werepletely naked and passed out.


    "Do you want my advice, ckie?" Agatha then wrapped her arms around Rhys''s neck and whispered into her ear, "This is the best time for you to leave for that expedition ¡ª Lte and Victoria would surely want to go, you can''t let them. I have studied nymphs, and if they truly have be violent and aggressive, they would not take kindly to those who¡­ desecrate their element.


    They will die if they go with you."


    "I was already nning on leaving them behind," Rhys just whispered back, "And you too."


    "There is no such thing as a fire nymph," Agatha giggled as she leaned away from Rhys, "Nymphs are elements of life and nature, fire is of death and result ¡ª and I have actually already been asked by Ayesha since I specialize in nymph behavior."


    "...You do?"


    "I''m part of the royal family of Ennd," Agatha rolled her eyes, "I may be promiscuous and could admittedly sometimes be a handful, ye? But I am educated, it is mandatory in the family to at least be an expert in something ¡ª I chose to study nymphs."


    "That''s oddly convenient," Rhys squinted his eyes in suspicion, "But you''re right, we should leave. Edissa, I have a task for you."


    "Hm¡­?" Agatha was confused at first as she suddenly heard Rhys speaking in a manner she could not understand. But as the cenleon, who she did not even realize also stepped out of the room suddenly approached them, the only thing Agatha could really do was¡­ just brush and caress her fur, causing Edissa to just slightly flinch there and then.


    "What¡­ is it, Rhys?" Edissa slightly took a step to the side to get away from Agatha''s reach. For some reason she could not really exin, out of all the women surrounding Rhys, Agatha made her the most ufortable.


    "Can I task you to stay here?"


    "...But I am your bond," Edissa''s fur quickly stood up on their ends as she stared Rhys in the eyes, "The only time I can leave your side is if either one of us is dead, or if one of us would be in an extreme disadvantage that would lead to death if we do not separate temporarily."


    "I need to go on a mission, and you are the only one I can trust to keep the other cenleons in check, especially the two princes," Rhys sighed, "I need to go on a mission."


    "You have only been home for less than a day, Rhys," Edissa shook her head, "Even the toughest warriors I know rest for at least 3 days after embarking on a long journey ¡ª and you barely even rested since you had to do your mating duties, a lot of times."


    "It''s important," Rhys could really once again sigh.


    "Does this have something to do with what your strongest mate showed you in her magic tablet?"


    "...Yes. They said the nymphs are starting to act viol¡ª"


    "Nymphs¡­?" And before Rhys could even finish his words, Edissa suddenly flinched and backed away,


    "I wish you return safely in your hunt, Rhys."


    "...How much do you know about nymphs?" Rhys could not help but just squint his eyes again while looking at Edissa from head to paw.


    "Just enough ¡ª my vige has been taught to avoid them at all costs, they are beings that are closer to gods than us," Edissa rubbed her arms together, "We can not be in the same area as them, or even look them in the eye. I apologize for leaving your side, Rhys."


    "It''s¡­ for the best that you stay here, then."


    "I will do my best to rein in the other cenleons," Edissa nodded as she released her ws, "They will not be able to disobey me as I am your bond, and you are the highest authority in this territory. My only concern ismunication."


    "Maria."


    "Yes, Master Rhys?" And as Rhys called for Maria''s name, she just suddenly emerged from her shadows; her clothespletely disheveled. Sometime when Katarina, Ayesha, and Lina were doing it with Rhys, Maria actually appeared and joined in, but justpletely left without a word.


    "I''ll leave you with¡ª"


    "I take it the female cenleon stays here? You do not have to worry, then." Maria shook her head as she ced her finger on Rhys''s lips, "I will coordinate with the female cenleon and call you to talk to her if needed."


    "Thank you, Maria."


    "I will also make sure Lina and the princess stay here and do not follow you."


    "...I actually have one more mission for you," Rhys looked Maria in the eyes, "Dr. Dani Rhaj, are you able to find him?"


    "I will have his location when you return," Maria bowed her head as she started to disappear down back into the shadows,


    "Well then¡­" Agatha, who had turned quiet since Edissa approached them, finally spoke up as she wrapped her arms around Rhys''s arm, "...I have no idea what happened just now, but I take it that it''s a sign to leave?"


    "Hm."


    "Let me follow you until you depart to your hunt, Rhys."


    ***


    "Wow, now it''s a party. This is what happens when your balls are bottomless, Recruit."


    An hourter, Rhys was now outside his house, and Ayesha and several obviously bulletproof SUVs were waiting for them. Talia was also there, and she just shrugged as she saw the handful of women behind Rhys.


    "Are you sure you want them toe, Recruit?" Ayesha looked at Katarina and Agatha, who were now wearing their personalized Wilder''s Harem uniform, "Well, I guess you don''t really have a choice. And the more women you have, the higher your morale will be, so¡­ let''s just go before more groupiese. And¡­


    ¡­who the hell is that?"


    Everyone turned to look to where Ayesha was looking, only to see Dominique just casually getting in one of the SUVs without even talking to anyone. As soon as she saw Rhys and the others looking at her, however, she slowly got out again and just waved her hand.


    "I thought we were going? Oh, hey. ''Sup Boss?"


    "You¡­" Ayesha squinted her eyes as she looked at Dominique from head to toe, "...Why do you look familiar?"


    "I was in the Suicide Squad, Ma''am!" Dominique quickly stood up straight and saluted to Ayesha.


    "Huh¡­" Ayesha nced at Rhys, "...We should go before moree, at least this one might be useful. Remember, aside from Rhys, all of you will be following my orders ¡ª I hope you realized that before joining this mission."


    "Aye, aye, Captain," Agatha saluted.


    "I''ll support Rhys as much as I can," Katarina also saluted; herrge breasts bouncing as she did so.


    "Great," Ayesha shook her head as she gestured to Katarina and Agatha to just get inside the van. And they quickly did so, carrying theirrge duffle bags and just throwing them on the back. Talia also got inside without a word, just shaking her head as if she was tired of everything.


    "Recruit," Ayesha then lightly tapped Rhys''s stomach, causing him to almost cough up blood, "This will be our first real and actual Exploration ¡ª and considering the Russeans are involved¡­ we need to be on our best behavior."


    "I got it," Rhys nodded.


    "The Commander of the Russean Underworld Corps is also a woman," Ayesha then looked Rhys in the eyes, "And I swear I will bite your balls if you sleep with her, Recruit. That''s treason."


    "...Right."


    "Okay then. Let''s go and¡ªOh, what now¡­?"


    And before Ayesha and Rhys could get inside the car, they saw Prince Dubhai running toward them, screaming,


    "What does the man with cat balls want?" Ayesha shook her head and sighed.


    "If I have to guess¡­" Rhys also let out a sigh as he shook his head, "...He wants toe with us."


    "Yeah, no."


    "Well, he might actually prove useful."


    Prince Dubhai, did in fact, join them. And so, once again, Rhys leaves his home.

 Chapter 261 Clashing Ideals

    "Is¡­ the cenleon going to be alright?"


    "He should be fine."


    Rhys, Ayesha, Katarina, Talia, Agatha, and Dominique were all in one vehicle. Fortunately, the seats of the SUV were set up in a way that they were facing each other, and there was a lot of space in the middle where they could all just stretch their feet.


    But, of course, Ayesha was expecting more space ¡ª the very reason why she requested a lot of SUVs was because she was sure other people would be tagging along with them on the mission, but perhaps she shouldn''t have bothered at all and guessed that everyone would want to be in the same car as Rhys during the trip.


    Well, the convoy turned out not to be useless, as they had to fit Prince Dubhai somewhere. Unfortunately, he did not really fit inside the SUV, so Ayesha had to make some modifications. And by modifications, she just ripped off the roof of one of the other SUV to fit him.


    "You didn''t have to do that, though," Rhys let out a small sigh as he looked at the car in front of them, with Prince Dubhai just stretched his arms to the side and feeling the air brush across his fur, "I thought this mission''s supposed to be somewhat incognito? And he could fit just fine inside since their bodies are extremely flexible."


    "It is a top-secret mission," Ayesha just shrugged before leaning back and just rxing on her seat; subtly resting her head on Rhys''s shoulder as she did so, "But we are also not going as a part of the government, so who cares about their secrets. Just let the old man deal with the¡ªwait, the way you said they were flexible¡­ I felt something there¡­


    ¡­Wait a minute, I knew that cenleon was touching herself when we were doing it! You did it with a cat!?"


    "It¡ª"


    "Oh, he totally did," Dominique was the one to answer for Rhys, quickly blurting out while nodding her head several times, "He told me they can bend in ways you can''t even imagine."


    "Oh¡­?" Agatha, who was sitting beside Dominique, raised an eyebrow as she nced at Rhys and gave out a very coquettish smirk, "I''ll have to tell you, ckie ¡ª I can also bend my body in ways you can''t even begin to imagine."


    "Can¡­ we please not talk about any sex stuff?" Katarina covered her ears while rolling her eyes, "It''s highly unprofessional, and not to mention inappropriate."


    "What is highly unprofessional was how you were moaning, Dr. Katarina," Agatha while licking her lips and staring Katarina in the eyes before ncing at Ayesha, "Oh yeah, I heard them all ¡ª and who would have imagined that power girl here would be the shyest in bed."


    "Oh god¡­" Katarina could really only close her eyes, "...Are you sure you''re not Lina''s mother? She seemed to have inherited everything from you."


    "Darling, you haven''t seen anything yet," Agatha smirked, "You should ask our little ckie here details about what I can do with my tongue and¡ª"


    "Okay, first of all ¡ª please stop calling Rhys ''ckie''," Katarina finally returned Agatha''s gaze, "And second, I don''t want to hear about anything and please stop talking about sex."


    "Fine," Agatha raised both her hands in surrender, before just rxing on her seat and looking at Talia, who had just been quiet the entire ride and looking at the scenery outside, "I think the only one who can really understand me is her, seeing as she''s the only one here older than me."


    "Huh¡­" Talia only nced at Agatha for a few seconds before looking at Rhys, "...Quite a team you''ve gathered here, Rhys. But I suppose I could expect no less, a bunch of mizfits with too much time and too much power. Tell me, why are we suffering a long ride again instead of flying?"


    "Flying leaves too much paper trail," Ayesha sighed.


    "And that big monster does not?" Talia pointed at Prince Dubhai with her thumb.


    "They would just think we''re sightseeing. The Recruits a celebrity now and he got all the people up sucking his balls," Ayesha just waved her hand, "We are also going to meet the Russean Commander of the Underworld Corps in the base, and then all of us are heading to Russeand space together."


    "Honestly? Just tell the people that the nymphs are going mental," Agatha shrugged.


    "You of all people should know that panic is a poption''s worst enemy," Katarina rolled her eyes at Agatha again, "You are a monarch, what do you think will happen if you tell them that monsters that could level cities in seconds are gathered amassed and are angry?"


    "You tell me, Doc."


    "Huh," Talia could not help but just scoff, stopping the debate before it could start, "Honestly, if a people panic and just decide to abandon their sanity just because of this, instead of seeing this as a chance to revolt and evolve, to be better¡­ then I reckon they deserve to just wither away and die."


    "I think being scared about creatures that could level entire cities with their will is incredibly valid, and there are almost hundreds of them," Katarina sighed, "Guys, mental health is a secret killer that¡ª"


    "h, h," Talia waved her hand, "This is the problem I notice with this new generation of yours, you let everything hurt you too much and you turn yourself into victimz with just a little tiny insult."


    "Big words for someone who massacred Lowborns in millions by the orders of a pathetic little weak man."


    "Please, Frau," Taliaughed, "The Lowborns of that time truly deserved to be massacred. They could have fought."


    "They were Lowborns!"


    "Then at least they would have died fighting."


    "What¡­? Rhys, are you hearing this? Why is she even with us!?"


    "I am sure Rhys Wilder knows what I mean ¡ª even these two soldiers know it," Talia shrugged, "Most Lowborns are pathetic. They breed and they breed, even knowing that their children will be living in a world where they are oppressed."


    "Because of people like you!"


    "No, I tried to end them and their suffering," Talia shook her head, "You seem to misunderstand and mix me with bullies, Doctor ¡ª I am not. Bullies oppress for the sake of oppression and show they have the bigger dick because their fathers and mothers don''t love them¡­


    ¡­I oppress to end the weakness, because I believe no people should be beneath me."


    "Oh?" Katarina pulled a scalpel from her arm, "So, are you going to end me too?"


    "Darling, I like you," Talia smirked, "You''ve excelled where others would have just been satisfied with being normal. But if you want to fight, then¡ª"


    "Okay, enoughparing who has the bigger balls," Ayesha leaned forward as she looked at the two back and forth, "We will be arriving in a few hours, rest ¡ª I do not know when will be thest time we will be able to."


    "Whew," Dominique could not help but just wipe the sweat on her forehead, "The mommy dom energy in this car is just too much."


    "It''s entertaining is what it is, innit?" Agatha quietly pped her hands, "Why don''t we just have an orgy to end it?"


    "Rhys¡­" Katarina could really only back away and whisper to Rhys, "...Are you sure about actually bringing Talia in? She hasn''t changed at all."


    "And we need that," Rhys, who did not really want to get in between the argument, finally spoke up, "You said it to me, Ayesha said it to me ¡ª we are not good people, Kat. But if what we do could save lives, then that is all that matters."


    "Then tell me straight, Rhys," Katarina looked Rhys in the eyes, "What we are doing here, is it really to save people? Or is this another one of your political games?"


    "I''m not ying any political¡ª"


    "Don''t fucking bullshit me, Rhys," Katarina shook her head, "I know you better than most of these people, and that might make me a little biased with how I see you. I will support you with anything, and I mean that¡­ even if the entire world is against you, even if you turn evil, you deserve to be with what you''ve been through. And I know you are lying. So, please ¡ª tell me¡­


    ¡­aside from saving people, why are we here?"


    ***


    "Wow, I did not know what to expect, but this ce hasn''t changed at all."


    A few hourster, Rhys and the others finally arrived at the Surface base of the Underworld Corps. None of them really weed them, since no one knew they were actually arriving. All they received were curious gazes ¡ª but as soon as they saw Rhys and Ayesha, some of the soldiers could not help but gather in front of them.


    Of course, they all just quickly scattered away as they remembered Ayesha''s temperament.


    Dominique was about to separate from the group to give herself a little tour, but before she could do so, she quickly stood up straight and saluted as she saw General Banner approaching them and instantly recognized him.


    "I did not expect you to be here so fast, Major Rhys," General Banner then quickly shook Rhys''s hand, bursting out into a fit ofughter as he did so.


    "...Major?" Rhys, of course, greeted him back and saluted after shaking his hand.


    "I promoted you, you are now only below the Commander of the Underworld Corps ¡ª which is supposed to be my daughter."


    "Go fuck yourself," Ayesha quickly raised her middle finger at her adoptive father.


    "And since we do not currently have a Commander, you are the highest authority in the Amerkan Underworld Corps, and will be working directly hand-in-hand with the Russeans," General Bannerpletely ignored Ayesha as he just gestured to the Noble woman who was also approaching them, "Come, let me introduce you to Commander Olga Ivanovna."


    "Major. Let us get along with each other, if only for this mission."


    "Yes¡­?" Rhys could not really concentrate on anything else. He was not even looking at Olga''s face, but rather the 5 Hearts floating above her head¡­


    ¡­Why were 4 of them already filled up?

 Chapter 262 A Very Short... Briefing

    "Right now, the nymphs havest been spotted 500 kilometers from our main base¡­"


    The Russean Commander of the Underworld Corps, Olga Ivanovna, seemed to not waste time at all. After introducing themselves, they all dived down into the Underworld and immediately got on an oversized bus; almost double the usual size, and obviously armored.


    It had always been said that the Russeans put all of their budgets into their military, and now Ayesha and the others were having a taste of that.


    Even though they were still days away from reaching their destination, Commander Olga was already starting to brief everyone on the situation ¡ª and the only ones who were actually listening to her as she stood in front were Ayesha, Katarina, and Talia. Agatha was just enjoying the sights, and Dominique was already fast asleep and using Prince Dubhai''s bby fur as a pillow.


    Fortunately for all of them, the seats were more like sofas with how spacious they are; the entire interior of the bus was just¡­ extremely luxurious as there was even some sort of bar at the back, where Talia was busy indulging with the numerous alcohol.


    As for Rhys, well, he could not really concentrate at all as he just stared at the Hearts above Olga''s head. This was his first time meeting her, and he could not help but just think of reasons why she would actually like him that much.


    Granted, Rhys had actually seen several strangers already have 3 Hearts filled. Especially when he got back from prison, almost all of the women he hade across had 3 of their Heartspletely red and full.


    Rhys was very careful, as he did not really know what sort of abilities they had and it might just mess up his synergy ¡ª he wouldn''t actually mind having hundreds of powers, but quality was more important to him.


    Still, the random strangers, he could understand since he was some sort of famous celebrity now¡­ but even they only had 3 Hearts ¡ª but Olga Ivanovna, Commander of the Underworld Corps of Russea had 4 Hearts filled?


    Why would a battle-hardened soldier, who spends most of her life in the Underworld even like him? There was also the problem that he could not read her thoughts too ¡ª were there just people that are too calm to even think about anything?


    "...movement is scarce, if any. Our behavior analysts have been conducting theories as to why they are acting this way, but that is all they are ¡ª theories. If you have any enlightenment during our travels, please do feel free to share them. That is all. We will repeat the briefing once we are only 1 hour away from the main base. Any questions?"


    "One."


    "Yes?" And without even a second after she was done reporting, Olga looked at the person who raised her hand ¡ª and surprisingly, it was Agatha, who had spent the entire exnation just looking out the window.


    "Have you considered the existence of a Nymph Queen?" Agatha asked. And as soon as she said that, everyone just turned quiet and nced at her before looking back to Olga.


    "We have," Commander Olga nodded her head, "But as far as our history goes, there is no proof that they even exist ¡ª but of course, in the event that it does exist, then it is a battle we have no chance of even winning, Your Majesty."


    "That''s true," Agatha shrugged and sighed, "We can only hope that a god would descend again and fight the battle for us."


    "We can only pray," Commander Olga nodded before going back to her seat, which was in front of Rhys''s. Commander Olga''s entire aura was strict, but there was a certain sense of gentleness in her that was obvious for everyone to see¡ªno. It was more like she was treating everyone like children, but not in a bad way.


    None of them really knew her age, but if it was any indication of how young Noble women lookpared to the years they have lived, she was probably around Agatha''s age in thete 40s.


    Her short, glowing pink hair that waspletely kempt made her look extremely precise and professional ¡ª add that to the fact that her back did not fail to always be as straight as an arrow, it almost seemed like she was a school''s¡­ strict guidance counselor.


    "Rhys, are you okay? You''ve been quiet the entire time?" Katarina, who was sitting beside Rhys, could no longer help herself as she tapped Rhys on the leg.


    "Hm? Yes," Rhys shook his head as he was finally woken up from his stupor.


    "You still can''t get rid of that habit of yours, huh?" Katarina let out a tiny and soft chuckle, "You were spaced out the entire time."


    "Sorry," Rhys also smiled, "...This is the first time I''m hearing about the nymph queen."


    "Well, because she''s a myth," Katarina breathed out and shrugged, "She''s supposed to be the mother of all nymphs, and that makes her existenceparable to that of a god."


    "Like¡­ Arachnea?"


    "...Yes," Katarina''s entire body started to shiver as she remembered how Arachnea just toyed with them when they tried to fight her, "Unlike Arachnea, however, there have never really been instances and sightings of the Nymph Queen."


    "But since Arachnea is real, wouldn''t it make sense for the Nymph Queen to be real?" Rhys ced his hand on his chin.


    "I guess¡­?" Katarina just shrugged her shoulders, "Do you want something from the bar, I''ll go get something to drink."


    "No, let me get it," Rhys shook his head and stood up, "What do you want?"


    "If they have sparkling water¡ª"


    "...Why do you like that so much?" Rhys forced out a chuckle as he walked away.


    "Your favorite drink is literally a c! That''s just sparkling water with toasted sugar in it! You''re such a kid, Rhys!"


    "Yes, yes," Rhys waved his hand as he continued to walk to the bar, and almost immediately, Talia handed him a bottle of beer, "I¡­ don''t drink."


    "Good for you," Talia smirked as she just looked away and started chugging on her beer; letting out a deep breath afterward and shaking her head, "Russean beer tastes like kot, like shit."


    "Huh¡­" Rhys just nodded as he tried searching for sparkling water, "...Are you and Katarina going to be alright?"


    "I have no issue with your main frau, my Fuhrer," Talia shook her head, "I told you, I like her. And out of all of us here, I think she is the most loyal to you."


    "...Then are you saying you''re not loyal to me?" Rhys nced at Talia from the mirror of the bar.


    "I am ¡ª I will die for you and your goals," Talia also returned Rhys''s stare, "But that woman would be willing to give up her life for you."


    "...That''s the same thing."


    "No," Talia pointed at Rhys, "Dying for you is as simple as a sacrifice, but giving up one''s entire life is a covenant ¡ª this one would know the difference."


    "Hm?" Rhys then turned to look as Talia suddenly pointed somewhere else, only to see Commander Olga approaching the bar.


    "Oh, I did not realize you were here, Major Wilder," Olga only nced at Rhys and nodded.


    "Commander," Rhys quickly left the refrigerator and stood up straight.


    "At ease," Olga, however, only shook her head and approached him; or more specifically, the refrigerator behind him. Olga, however, was awfully close to the point they already bumped across each other ¡ª Olga did not seem to care or notice, as she just grabbed a bottle of water, "What did you want?"


    "Oh¡­" Rhys just awkwardly nced at Talia, who just shrugged in response, "...A sparkling water and a c, if you have one."


    "We only have c," Olga let out a small sigh as she handed Rhys a bottle without looking at him, "Is it okay to just have water?"


    "That should be alright, Ma''am," Rhys was about to leave as Olga handed him the bottle of water, but he quickly paused in his tracks as she seemed to want to say something.


    "Your arm, I heard you lost it while trying to save Commander Ayesha?"


    "...Yes." And as Olga sat at the bar, Rhys just decided to join her for a bit; this was a chance to find out something about the 4 filled Hearts, after all. And Commander Olga seemed to know a lot about him from the fact that she said he lost it due to trying to save Ayesha, and not with the battle with Arachnea,


    "But the Commander did not really need saving, she could have survived it even without my help with just scratches."


    "Still, a verymendable act," Olga then cracked open a can of beer, "I heard you also do not drink?"


    "...Yes."


    "We drink a lot ¡ª beer while eating, vodka whenever we feel like it," Olga almost smiled as she said that, "Do you dislike people who drink a lot, Major Wilder?"


    "Not at all," Rhys shook his head. Although he had a feeling¡­ that Olga might already know the answer to that. Talia, who immediately noticed what was happening due to her hundred years of existence, smirked as she quickly got up from her seat.


    As expected of her Fuhrer, she thought.


    "I will bring this to der Arztin," Talia looked Rhys in the eyes as she grabbed the bottle of water from him, leaving him alone with the Russean Commander.


    "You seem to know a lot about me, Commander," Rhys finally spoke to Olga straight as soon as they were alone.


    "Of course," Olga did not seem flustered by this question, "I need to know who I am working with, after all ¡ª will you not do the same."


    "I¡­ apologize," Rhys sighed, "I am afraid I know nothing about you."


    "Oh¡­" There was a slight twitch in Olga''s lips as she heard that, "...But I know everything about you."


    "What¡­ was that?" Rhys definitely heard the whisper that came out of her mouth.


    "There is plenty of time to get to know each other, Major," Olga once again looked at Rhys; her slightly grayish blue eyes, almost reflecting his face,


    "...Plenty of time."

 Chapter 263 Trouble in the Orange Ocean

    "So¡­ this is the orange ocean?"


    After traveling for an entire day, Rhys and the party reached the end of the vastnd they had been traveling on without pause, and what weed them on the horizon was a wide ocean that reflected the Helios.


    None of them needed to get off the bus, however, as arge ship was already waiting for them there. But they did, however, still get off the bus as soon as it was on the ship. And surprisingly enough, Katarina was the most curious out of all of them as she moved to the edge of therge ship to observe the ocean.


    "Have you been here before, Rhys?" Katarina then turned to Rhys, who followed her to the edge.


    "Once," Rhys nodded, "But not on this side. The Underworld Corps received a report that smugglers were on their way to the country, it was our squad''s mission to eliminate them."


    "By eliminate¡­"


    "Kill them," Rhys nced at Katarina, "And I killed them all."


    "...You were following orders, Rhys," Katarina closed her eyes, "I would know."


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "Only at the start. But when I saw what they were smuggling, it turned personal."


    "I¡­ see."


    "Well, since you have been here before ¡ª anything to share?" And before their conversation could turn sour, Agatha suddenly approached them and embraced Rhys from behind, causing Katarina to just squint her eyes and re at her, "I''ve never traveled so far in the Underworld before, so¡­ I need all the information I can get."


    "Why don''t you ask Commander Olga?" Katarina continued to re at Agatha.


    "But she''s so scary," Agatha rubbed her face on Rhys''s back and hugged him even tighter, "She reminds me of a tutor I once had."


    "No," Rhys was the one to answer Agatha, "She seems very friendly despite her looking strict."


    "...And how would you know that?" Agatha leaned away, and even Katarina turned to look at Rhys as he said that.


    "Well, we spoke briefly on the bus," Rhys then turned around and very gently pushed Agatha to the side, "And we should probably get inside before something sees us."


    "...Wait," Katarina''s eyes widened, "Are you saying there''s a chance monsters from the water will attack us?"


    "Well, the chance of that is slim," Rhys shook his head, "I was told by Ayesha that the monsters of the ocean are rtively peaceful and only hunt in their territories. What we need to worry about is there."


    "..." Both Agatha and Katarina looked up at the empty air of the Underworld.


    "One of the main reasons why we prefer traveling bynd ¡ª the flying monsters of the Underworld are¡­ unforgiving. And right now, we''re like sitting ducks."


    "That sounds¡­ ominous," Agatha blinked a couple of times.


    "The ship isrge, so it''s unlikely anything will attack us," Rhys shook his head.


    "...What about something bigger?" Katarina gulped.


    "Let''s¡­ not think about that for now."


    A few hours pass, and Rhys now finds himself just walking around the ship aimlessly. Katarina and the others were resting since the calm ocean swayed them ever-so-gently, Ayesha and Talia were awake, but the two seemed to be arguing about something trivial and Rhys did not really want to get in the way of that.


    The ship was exaggeratinglyrge, perhaps by design for the very reason that Rhys mentioned earlier. Or knowing the Russeans, they were probably nning to explore the rest of the Underworld with their armies.


    "Major!"


    "...At ease."


    "That''s¡­ that''s him, right? Rhys Wilder?"


    "He looks stronger in person. And he''s so tall, what is with that? His hair is ck too, I thought that was propaganda by the Amerkans."


    Rhys passed by several staff and soldiers as he walked around the interiors of the ship, and all of them pretty much were saying the same thing. They salute and greet him, and then proceed to talk about him in Russean ¡ª of course, they had no idea Rhys actually understood all of them.


    Rhys had also passed by several women, and aside from them giggling after, none of them had 4 Hearts filled like Commander Olga ¡ª so it wasn''t that he was more popr and liked in Russea.


    "Major, Sir!"


    "...At ease," and once again, the soldiers saluted Rhys even though he was a soldier from another country.


    "Are you looking for someone?" This time, however, the soldiers did not talk about him and instead actually talked to him.


    "No one really in particr. I am just exploring the ship since I''m bored," Rhys let out a small smile as he shook his head, "Please, just continue what you were doing and don''t mind me."


    "Yes, Sir," the soldiers all saluted again, "If you are looking for the Commander, she should be in her cabin writing her report. Just take the first left and then take another left, Sir."


    "...Okay, thank you," Rhys just nodded in response and continued to explore the ship. He wasn''t really looking for Commander Olga, he was just exploring the ship just in case something bad happens and he needed to know theyout of the ship. After another hour had passed, however, the only ces he had not explored were the cabins, and the mess hall which happens to be on the way.


    "Major!"


    And as soon as he entered the cafeteria, everyone eating there all stood up and saluted, causing Rhys to just let out a small but very deep sigh while shaking his head. He thought he already gotten used to several people saluting him, but now that everyone in front of him was doing so, the only thing he could do was shake his head.


    "Everyone, please ¡ª at ease."


    "Oh¡­!?"


    And so, to disperse the tension and awkwardness, Rhys just finally decided to take advantage of his abilities and speak to them in theirnguage. And almost immediately, everyone smiled and looked at each other; clearly amused.


    "Just continue eating, I''m just getting something to drink."


    Their smiles of amusement, however, turned into shock as Rhys continued to speak. They all initially thought that Rhys only knew a few words, but considering the way he spoke and his ent ¡ª he was even more of a native than some of them who spoke dialects.


    "Major, you speak Russean!?"


    One of the soldiers approached Rhys, with the others trying to stop him.


    "Yes." But as soon as they saw Rhys''s friendly demeanor, however, all of them just started crowding around him.


    "Give some kvass for the Major to try! Quick, quick!"


    "I¡­ don''t drink alcohol," Rhys shook his head.


    "No, barely any alcohol. We made this ourselves! Cook,e on!"


    "Major, I heard you fought the Arachnea all on your own, is that the true!?"


    "Why are you still speaking the english, eh? The Major knows Russean! The man''snguage!"


    "No, I almost died several times with Arachnea."


    "...I heard she is very beautiful, even more beautiful than the Commander."


    "Ack, the Commander''s beautiful, but she''s too strict, like a man."


    "The Commander is strict, but she is kind. Do not let her looks fool you, Major Wilder. Just don''t let her catch you breaking the rules, because she will impose it."


    "I see," Rhys sighed, "I guess she imposes it quite a lot, then?"


    "Ha! That''s true!"


    "I remember this one time, the Commander found a little baby monster nearing the camp. We were about to kill it, but she said not to since it hadn''tmitted anything yet and just marked it. It''s a monster, why would itmit anything!? It just does it!


    Anyway, long story short, that monster once again returned a few weekster, except bigger ¡ª and as soon as the Commander saw it was violent, she killed it without any hesitation."


    "Hm¡­"


    And just like that, Rhys spent another hour with the Russean soldiers. He did not mind, however, as these were the people who also risked their lives fighting the battles he also fought ¡ª if anything, maybe he belonged more with the soldiers of the Underworld than the people from the Surface ¡ª his thoughts were sounding more and more like Ayesha now.


    Fortunately for Rhys, everyone just started fading away as they all drank several bottles of vodka, which made Rhys''s retreat¡­ possible. He learned a lot about Commander Olga from her men, and it would seem she truly was a nice person ¡ª which was weird since the news being shown in Amerka about the Russeans always make them extremely tough.


    Rhys continued his exploration of the ship. There wasn''t really anyone in the cabins since all of them were either in the cafeteria or doing work around the ship. He was about to turn around and just return to the bus¡­


    "Major Wilder."


    ¡­Before he heard someone calling his name.


    "Major Rhys Wilder, please enter."


    Rhys turned to look at the cabin where he heard his name, and since he recognized it as Commander Olga''s voice, Rhys just followed his order and opened the door very gently¡­


    "Rhys Wilder... please enter inside me."


    ¡­only to see Commander Olga lying on the bed¡­ without any pants on; her legs spread as her hand was ying with herself, while her other hand was holding a photo.


    Rhys''s photo, to be exact.

 Chapter 264 Trouble in The Orange Ocean, For Real This Time

    There were a lot of things Rhys was expecting as he explored the ship ¡ª and this was definitely not one of them. It might be one of the things he expected if he was actively trying to look into the cabins, but he wasn''t doing that since he still had a concept of privacy.


    And also, he truly thought that Commander Olga was calling for him and telling him to enter the cabin, because she was¡­ it just wasn''t exactly directly directed to him¡­ but rather a photo of him.


    Commander Olga''s cabin seemed to not be any different than the others; Rhys wouldn''t know, of course, since he hadn''t seen the other cabins yet, but with how simple her cabin was set up and the fact that the bed was a bunk bed, it was safe to assume that she did not allow herself to be given extra treatment.


    Why was Rhys currently observing the room? Well, it is because Olga seemed to have not realized that Rhys opened the door just yet and was seeing what she was doing as she had her head turned back to where the door was.


    Fortunately for her, Rhys can''t see her privates because of this. Unfortunately for her, Rhys could see the photo she was holding.


    Rhys''s mind was overclocking as to what he should do right now; he could just very slowly close the door and hope that Olga remained deaf to whatever was going on around her. But if he does that and Olga hears the door close, she will forever wonder who it was that saw her touching herself ¡ª her self-dignity as the Commander would plummet.


    "Man, I was hoping to go up the Surface and look at some Amerkan women."


    "Do you even know why we came to Amerka territory in the first ce?"


    "Who knows."


    And before Rhys could actually decide what to do, fate decided for him as he heard several peopleing into the hallway ¡ª his only choice now was to enter the room and quickly shut the door.


    "!!!"


    Commander Olga quickly grabbed a nket before immediately turning around and hiding Rhys''s photo behind her. It was obvious on her extremely livid face that she was going to scream, but as soon as she saw Rhys, the reason for the redness in her facepletely changed from shame and anger, to just shame and shock.


    "Ma''am," Rhys looked away, "I know this is my fault for walking around the ship, but you should really lock your doors."


    "We¡­" Commander Olga blinked a couple of times; her words almost slurred and drawn out as she was obviously stillpletely in shock with what was happening, "...We don''t lock our doors, this is a military facility. What¡­ what are you doing here?"


    "I was exploring the ship and¡­" Rhys closed his eyes, "...I heard you calling for me and telling me to enter."


    "You¡­" Olga''s eyes widened as her breaths started to turn heavy by the second, "...What did you see?"


    "I apologize," Rhys breathed out.


    "Did¡­ did you see what I was holding?" Olga gulped.


    "Yes."


    "G¡­get out," Olga''s eyes quickly turned red as tears started to trail from her eyes, "Get out, that is an order."


    "Ma''am," Rhys did not really hesitate to follow Olga''s orders at all. He did not even try to talk to her or try to please or soothe her in any way. After all, he saw the 4th Heart floating above her head starting to flicker and fade away, and since he could not read her desires at all, the best course of action was just to follow and respect her orders.


    And so, he just ced his hand on the door, but as soon as he heard a group of people walking outside, he stopped. After all, it would be bad for Commander Olga''s men to see himing out of her room. Judging from how many and how noisy the group is, however, it would seem it was the group that was in the cafeteria with Rhys earlier.


    "I''ll¡­ go out as soon as they are gone, Ma''am," Rhys quietly said, making sure to keep his head steady and not identally nce back.


    The only answer Rhys received from Olga was her heavy breaths. He could hear a small rustle as she started putting her pants back on. He could also hear a drawer being opened, most probably hiding his photo back inside.


    And after an entire minute of awkward silence, the group was finally gone.


    "Ma''am." And so, Rhys finally opened the door.


    "Wait." But before he could even take a step out, Olga quickly shut the door before just hastily moving to her desk.


    "Ma''am¡­?" Rhys took in a small gulp as he finally turned toward Olga, only to see her fully clothed now; her eyes still a little red and her pink hair a little disheveled.


    "I should also be apologizing for showing such a shameful part of me, Major Wilder," Olga then let out a short but very deep breath as she stood up straight, "What I showed you was extremely inappropriate and highly hical. If you wish to report me, I will face my punishment without countering."


    "...No, I shouldn''t even be here in the first ce," Rhys shook his head, "And you did nothing wrong, Ma''am. And¡­ there was nothing shameful about that."


    "...You don''t think so?" Commander Olga subtly looked down, and as she did so, the 4th Heart floating above her head once again began to fade and flicker.


    "But it was inappropriate," Rhys quickly retracted his words as soon as he saw the Heart flickering. Rhys has never really been good with women before he received his ability to read people''s desires¡ªno. Lina and the others say he has some sort of natural charm in him, but he knows it was just because of the way he looks; he wasn''t stupid, he knows how handsome and beautiful he is.


    But being handsome and beautiful is not enough, and he realized that when he received the ability to read the desires of those attracted to him. But now, he can''t use that ability on Olga, and he could really only rely on the flickering Hearts above her head ¡ª and even that could be considered cheating¡­ but Rhys would take all the advantage he could get.


    "It is," Commander Olga agreed to Rhys; the flickering Heart, now once again red and stable.


    "But I will not report you, Ma''am."


    "Why not¡­?" And once again, the Heart started to flicker, "There are rules, and there are rules of conduct, Major Wilder. And I¡­ broke it."


    "Because it is not a good time to lose a capable leader like you, Commander," Rhys, however, did not try to cater to her at all this time as he just said what was on his mind, "If I report you, then another person who does not know what is at stake will rece you."


    "Hm¡­" Commander Olga once again looked down.


    "But since we both agree that you broke¡­ something," Rhys could really only sigh as he saw the heart flickering again, "You will still receive a punishment worthy of the¡­ offense. But not from anyone else but me."


    "Of course, Major Wilder," Commander Olga finally looked up again and nodded, "I truly am sorry for showing you something so disgraceful. What sort of punishment¡ª"


    [All personnel, to your stations.]


    And before the situation could lead to anything, an rm raged through the entire ship and the phone in Commander Olga''s room rang. She quickly answered it, before just hanging it and quickly running out of the room; even pushing Rhys to the side as she did so,


    "Major Wilder, follow me!"


    "What''s the situation, Ma''am?" Rhys, of course, did not hesitate to drop everything as he quickly chased Olga from behind. The two of them, no longer even minding that some of the soldiers were looking and staring at them since they both came out of the same room.


    "Possible aerial attack," Olga did not even nce back as her steps became even faster¡ªno, she did not just be fast, she became extremely fast to the point she was almost disappearing as she avoided and moved past the other people rushing to their stations. Rhys, of course, was still able to chase after her due to his reflexes.


    Commander Olga, she is probably a Noble with the blood of Hermes running through her veins.


    "Aerial attack, from what?"


    "...You''ll see," Olga did not seem shocked at all that Rhys was able to follow her; in fact, she even seemed proud for some reason. And as soon as they stepped out onto the deck, Rhys saw what they were dealing with, "It would seem we are all being punished for what I did."


    How could he not, when it was literally flying directly above their ship and covering their view of everything?


    It was a gray eagle, whose wingspan probably doubled the length of their entire battleship.


    "...A Roc."

 Chapter 265 Uh Oh

    "Fuck¡­ I''ve only seen these guys from afar, but this bird is almost as big as yours, Rhys."


    "I''m zurrounded by children. Let''s just kill it."


    "No."


    Everyone was now gathered above deck, all of them just looking at the colossal eagle hovering above them; hovering, as it was not even pping its wings. Perhaps for the better, because if it did, it would surely topple the entire shippletely. Talia was about to release a barrage of her invisible cross des, but Commander Olga quickly stopped her,


    "Thest thing we should do is to anger it ¡ª we arepletely out of our territory," Commander Olga shook her head, "The air belongs to the bird, and beneath us lies the territory of even more terrifying monsters."


    "Hm," Talia did not really push the matter any further as she just turned to look at Rhys, almost as if asking her permission to attack. After all, the only order she was going to follow was his. Rhys, however, waspletely silent and not saying anything as he just stared at the roc, and with Rhys not responding, Talia just decided to rest her arms on her sides and wait.


    "It is not doing anything for now, and our priority is that it remains that way. For now, all of us should remain on deck to abandon ship as soon as possible if needed."


    "Or we could just kill it," Ayesha shrugged, "I''ve killed one before, but much smaller."


    "That¡ª"


    "...I don''t think we will have any chance to do that." And while everyone was either deliberating or listening as to what their next step should be, Rhys was still busy staring up at the roc; although it was hard to see its head due to its size, he was still able to make eye contact with it when it lowered its head ¡ª but most importantly¡­


    ¡­Rhys could actually hear the roc speak, it was an intelligent creature.


    And it was angry.


    "Commander Olga," Rhys then looked at Olga, who quickly turned her head toward him, "Will you believe me if I say I could understand the roc, and it''s talking now?"


    "Yes," Commander Olga nodded without any hesitation before looking at Prince Dubhai, who was hiding inside the ship but still peering out his head from time to time to look at the colossal bird, "You have already proven yourself credible when you spoke with the other races of the Underworld."


    "Rhys¡­?" Katarina was the first to notice Rhys''s somewhat conflicted expression, "Why¡­? What''s it saying?"


    "Nothing really," Rhys shook his head ¡ª and it is true, all he could hear from the eagle was gibberish, but he could still make out some of its words, "I think it thought this ship was some sort of prey, and when it got close and saw it was metal¡­ it got pissed off."


    "Just for that!?" Dominique could not help but just sp her head, "We''re all going to die, aren''t we!? We have the world''s strongest people here and we can''t do anything about a goddamn bird!?"


    "I''ll just burn it," Agatha, who was always just wee to do anything, was also acting slightly nervous; her hands, already itching to just make the colossal eagle go away, "I''ll just burn it and get this all over with."


    "No!" Before any sort of me or smoke coulde out of her, however, both Katarina and Ayesha grabbed each of her arms. The two actually already had a sample of Agatha''s raw powers while Rhys was in prison, and she almostpletely destroyed Wilder City with it,


    "You can''t even control it, you''ll destroy the ship way before the roc even flies away," Katrina shook her head vehemently, "And rocs are creatures hundreds and even thousands of years old, to kill it just like this feels wrong. Commander Olga is right, we just happened to be in its current hunting ground, it''s probably going to leave us alone once we''re out of it."


    "Ack, why are we even discussing this? And you, Commander Olga, I thought you would have more balls," Ayesha let go of Agatha, "I''ll do it, I''ll just jump there and kill the bird."


    "I have no doubt about your ability to kill the monster, Former Commander Ayesha," Commander Olga shook her head as she quickly appeared behind Ayesha to stop her from leaping toward the eagle, "But with your track record, the roc''s blood, flesh, and guts would fill this ocean, which would lure the creatures of the deep.


    We will only rece the roc with even more frightening creatures of the orange ocean. The only course of action to take here is to be as calm as possible."


    "Didn''t you hear the recruit?" Ayesha crossed her arms, "The bird''s angry."


    "I don''t know about you guys, but we''re wasting fucking time instead of dealing with the problem," Dominique whispered out.


    "Nikki''s right," Rhys then let out a loud sigh, "We are wasting time ¡ª I''ll try talking to it."


    "Oh my god. Thank you, Rhys!" Dominique pointed at Rhys, "If this was a TV show or a book, our readers would probably already be skimming thest 800 fucking words!"


    "Major Wilder, I can not advise that," Commander Olga shook her head, and the others immediately agreed, "We don''t know how it will react if¡ª"


    "Only one way to find out."


    "Rhys, don''t be stupid. That''s suicide¡ª"


    "That''s my forte, Kat." And before anyone else could say anything, Rhys disappeared into the shadows. Everyone then watched as Rhys emerged beneath the neck of the colossal eagle,tching onto its feathers.


    And to Rhys''s credit, he was moving beneath the roc extremely well; using his threads and wind control to navigate close to its head even with one hand.


    "Hey."


    "!!!"


    And almost immediately as he tried to whisper into the roc''s ears, its eyes widened and it immediately started moving its head to look for whoever was talking to it, causing Rhys to just hold on for his life.


    "Calm down, little eagle," Rhys then very calmly whispered before just using a tiny bit of force to leap across the side of the roc''s eyes so that it would be aware of his presence; the colossal eagle''s eyes widened, almost as if actually showing emotions as soon as it caught a glimpse of Rhys,


    "Can you understand me?"


    "You¡­ can speak," the eagle slightly turned its head, once again making Rhys grab on tight as it finally spoke to him.


    "Can you leave us alone?" Rhys said straightforwardly.


    "You leave," the eagle''s voice was almost simr to a hum, "You distracting food. I destroy and kill, use as bait, and prey wille."


    "No. Please don''t," Rhys breathed out, "We¡ª"


    "No talk!"


    "...Fuck."


    And perhaps for the very first time in a very long time, and perhaps due to the influence of the women around him, Rhys found himself letting out a curse as the eagle suddenly, but finally soared up into the sky. Surprisingly, though, there was no burst of wind at all when it did so, not even a single ripple on the ocean. How, well, magic.


    "Rhys!"


    "Enough tying our balls, I''m going to kill it."


    "No!" Rhys shouted before any of his women could try something.


    Commander Olga was right, after all ¡ª Talia would most probably kill the roc, but it would be extremely messy and would probably attract everything under the water, and same with Ayesha; she could probably kill it from the inside, but that might probably cause even more problems as the roc would fall into the ocean and most probably topple the ship¡­ and then attract even more sea monsters.


    And if the sea monsters are even anything close to what the Underworld Corps have told Rhys, then almost all of them are going to die. Honestly, if the people on the ship were any other people, and not soldiers who risk their lives every day, then Rhys would not care about them at all ¡ª and his friends were there too.


    Ayesha would surely survive if the ship sinks or topples, but he did not know about the rest.


    "I am going to lead it away and return through the shadows!" Rhys then once again screamed before the roc could gain some distance, just enough for everyone above deck to hear him.


    "...Did I just hear him say he''s going to lead it away?"


    "N¡­ No, Rh¡ª"


    "Rhys!" And before Katarina or anyone else could scream Rhys''s name, Commander Olga let out an almost shrieking howl, causing everyone there to just look at her as they heard the unusual desperation in her voice, "Youe back to the ship this instant, Rhys! That is an order!"


    Her screams, however, werepletely wasted as the eagle just continued to soar into the air. The only thing they could seemingly do was watch as Rhys started running around the beak of the colossal eagle, using his threads as some sort of rope and harness.


    "Oh¡­ shit¡­" Dominique, however, turned her focus back first to the roc, only to see it just suddenly turn around back toward them, "I think it''sing back! We''re...


    ...We''re all going to die!"

 Chapter 266 A Man of Tragedy

    "I told you to get close to the boy."


    "I did."


    "So, why are you here?"


    Back in the Surface, Joseph Hayden was once again talking to Hannah in his office; hisrge frame, barely even fitting at his desk as he was slightly hunched on his chair,


    "Why are you here instead of going with them to the Underworld, then?" Joseph''s voice did not seem friendly at all. As a matter of fact, it was devoid of any sort of weing presence as he just stared down at his daughter; smoke almosting out of his nose as he seethed in anger¡­ or perhaps disappointment.


    "Because I don''t like it down there," Hannah, however, just shrugged, "And I already got close to him, if you want me to be closer, then that will take some time."


    "Time¡­?" Joseph''s eyebrows began to lower, "The boy is inserting his penis left to right into women he just met seconds ago, and you are telling me you can''t even do that? He had sex with a cat, a cat!"


    "You said that I don''t need to fuck him!"


    "Why not!?" Joseph raised his voice and mmed his desk, causing a loud ripple to st through the entire room, "What is wrong with him!? The man is an idol, he owns a city where people worship him, a man who triumphed over tragedy, and most importantly, he is more handsome than the gods! What else could you want!?"


    "You know what''s wrong with him," Hannah shook her head, "If it was any other blood flowing through his veins, then I would have no problems making friends with him, he''s a cool dude¡­ but his tragedy will never be over, Father."


    "Hm."


    "You said it yourself, Father ¡ª The Fates will always lead him to where he should be. That is the deal you''ve¡ª"


    "You shouldn''t be here. You should be there," Joseph then just sighed in disappointment as he shook his head, "I thought for sure you would be joining them in the Underworld, that was the n ¡ª and now the n is goingpletely off the course."


    "Well, that''s not my fault. Is it?"


    "No, it was my fault for trusting this to you," Joseph''s tone finally lightened up as he leaned away from the desk, "Dan."


    "Yes, Sir?" Joseph''s assistant appeared out of thin air beside him.


    "Contact Margaret," Joseph shook his head, "Tell her it''s important."


    "Margaret is in the Underworld, Sir."


    "Exactly. Contact her."


    "Margaret..?" Hannah forced out a chuckle, "You''re entrusting this mission to Margaret?"


    "Why not? The most beautiful out of all my children, she can be quite unruly like you ¡ª but she always follows orders."


    "She''s a fucking slut who has already been ran down by thousands of men."


    "That tends to happen when you have lived as long as her, and we''re all sluts of fate, my child¡­" Joseph scoffed as he turned his chair around to look at the moon,


    "...The only question is how much."


    ***


    Back in the Underworld, the situation was instantly turning for the worse as the roc was now flying directly toward their ship.


    "We''re all going to die!"


    Dominique was not the only one who was thinking that, almost all of the crew of the ship and Commander Olga''s soldiers were thinking it too. One would get somewhat desensitized when one was surrounded by strong individuals, but that was not the case at all on the ship ¡ª a lot of them were not even at the level of Dominique at all.


    If the roc hits their ship, they die. If they kill the roc, they die.


    "Tch. This is getting ztupid."


    Talia could no longer her herself as she immediately stretched her arms to the side as she readied to attack the colossal bird that was about to smash through their ship ¡ª but before she could actually do anything, they all saw the roc''s head tilt up as Rhys pulled its beak with the threads, causing it to once again just soar in the air.


    "Haha!" Ayesha could not help but let out a chuckle as she saw that, "The recruit truly is something else! Go, Rhys! Fuck that bird''s balls!"


    "...Calm down." And while everyone on the ship had all sorts of different reactions, Rhys was just trying his best to calm the roc down. It was, however, having a different effect.


    "Kill. Destroy!"


    "Tch¡­" Rhys could really only just click his tongue as he heard the roc''s primal words. There was no use talking to it. Rhys then once again tugged on the threads, causing the roc to just shift from its path,


    "...Well then."


    Rhys let out a long and very deep breath as he turned to look at the ship, which was now quite a distance away. He lied, there was no way he could actually move through the shadows at this point ¡ª the only thing he could really do was lead the roc away as far as possible.


    "You and I¡­" Rhys then whispered, "...I guess we are going into an advent¡ª!!!"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, the bird just suddenly started flying down¡­


    ¡­straight down into the water.


    "What are you doing?" Rhys tried to pull on the threads again, but the eagle just shrugged it off and continued to fly down, "If you n to get rid of me through the impact of hitting the water, that is not going to work ¡ª both of us could die."


    But s, the roc was no longer listening at all as it just continued to dive down. Rhys once again looked at the ship, and since it was already quite a distance away, the chance of it actually toppling if the roc hit the water was slim, but it wasn''t zero.


    "No choice," Rhys whispered out; still extremely calm despite the situation.


    And so, Rhys just once again took a heavy breath¡­ before leaping from the roc''s head, and then just pulling himself closer again and smashing his feet right to it. It wasn''t strong enough to actually wound the roc, but it was enough to cause it to slightly slow down due to the shock of being hit¡­


    ¡­but s, even that was toote as it was still moving toward the water.


    "No¡­ no," Katarina was watching everything; her hands sped together and covering her mouth as she saw the eagle slightly struggle. But then, in the end, it ultimately just violently fell into the water along with Rhys, "No!"


    "Captain!" Commander Olga also screamed as she looked at the bridge, "Turn the fucking boat around!"


    "Rhys!" Katarina then quickly took off her jacket as she ran to the back of the ship.


    "Fuck this," Ayesha also ran, quickly passing by Katarina and pushing her back, "I''ll get the recruit, you stay here in case we need to heal him!"


    Katarina did not really say anything, she just nced at Ayesha''s eyes and nodded, "Please¡­ bring him back."


    "You don''t need to tell me," Ayesha continued to run, reaching the back of the ship in no time at all. She was about to dive without any hesitation, but Commander Olga suddenly appeared in front of her, "I will punch you if you¡ª"


    Commander Olga, however, did not seem to care for her at all as she just jumped into the water¡ªno, she ran down the walls of the ship and then on top of the water. Ayesha did not really bother thinking about why she would risk her life for Rhys and just also jumped and dived into the water; causing the ship to shake from the ripple she created as she started to swim.


    She did not care at all that she might be attracting the sea creatures below, and it did not matter ¡ª they are not really known to eat anything that was not at least 10 meters from the surface.


    As for Olga, she was just running across the surface of the water ¡ª something, however, caused her and Ayesha to stop; with Olga practically just plopping down into the water as she stopped running.


    How could they both not stop, when the eagle that was practically twice the size of their ship suddenly disappeared¡­ when some sort of sea monster emerged from below andpletely swallowed it in just one swoop?


    "Recruit¡­" Ayesha''s eyes could not help but just widen as she saw the colossal sea monster just slowly return to the water.


    "No¡­" As for Olga, her face was almost twisted as her whispers soon became screams, "No¡­ no¡­ Rhys¡­


    ¡­Rhys!"


    The ship stayed idle where Rhys and the roc disappeared for a few hours, with Ayesha diving back and forth into the water to try and find where Rhys could be even at the risk of attracting monsters. Katarina also did the same, but Ayesha just quickly incapacitated her as it was dangerous for her to do so.


    Dominique also created some sort of binocrs that would allow them to see through the water, but they could not even find any trace of the colossal eagle, let alone Rhys. The orange ocean was empty, they couldn''t even see where the mountain-sized sea creature that swallowed the roc was.


    Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­all of a sudden was just¡­ gone.


    ***


    "Hkah¡­"


    Dayster, somewhere in the Underworld, Rhys found himself waking up by the sound of his own gasps. And almost immediately, he grabbed his neck as he felt something tight wrapping it¡­


    ¡­a chain.


    He could not even focus, however, as he felt a pain in his leg; specifically, his right thigh where his mechanical limb is supposed to be connected to¡­


    ¡­but it was gone.

 Chapter 267 In Chains

    The nging of the chains, the sound of grunts, and perhaps the strong smell of something Rhys could not really exin. Those were the sounds that pierced Rhys''s ears as soon as he was woken up by his own gasp ¡ª he was confused, utterly so.


    Thest thing he remembered was falling down toward the orange ocean while trying to rein the colossal eagle. He also remembered failing, and then leaping off of the eagle before it dropped to the water.


    He also remembered watching the colossal eagle be swallowed by an even more colossal sea creature that was probably almost the size of a small mountain, and then being dragged into the water due to the sheer force of it¡­


    ¡­and he doesn''t remember anything after that.


    And now, he found himself being dragged by the neck with chains, extremely weak and exhausted, and could not even focus on his surroundings. And his billion-dor mechanical leg was missing.


    "Kh¡­" Rhys struggled to breathe as he dropped his head back to look at the one dragging him, and at first, he thought it was human, but not at all. The most obvious difference was that they didn''t have legs, but instead crawled with their snake-like lower body.


    "...Arise," Rhys then finally remembered he had special abilities; a sting of afortable warmth instantly covering his entire body as all of his physical energy returned to him ¡ª but that was all he could really do. He did not know the situation at all, and if he suddenly reacts here, who knows what will happen¡­


    ¡­since there were actually hundreds of creatures surrounding him; well, not creatures, but people.


    If Rhys''s memory serves him correctly, these are gorgons. There isn''t really much data on them in the Underworld Corps, and there were only blurred photos of them captured from more than 80 years ago. Not much is known, except for the fact that their lower body was simr to that of a snake, and that their hair was also a bunch of snakes.


    Well, thetter part was not right at all ¡ª they didn''t have a bunch of snakes on their head, but they had braids, thick braids that reached their back.


    It is also said that they were mostly women, another mistake as the one clearly dragging him was male, and so were the hundreds of gorgons walking around and staring at while he was being dragged by the neck.


    He was in some sort of Desert Region, considering therge amount of sand he was feeling on his back¡­ as well as the small houses he was seeing that seemed to be made of mud. There were also tents which were set up clumsily.


    Like the cenleons, of course, the Gorgons would also have some sort of civilization. But from what Rhys was seeing so far, the cenleons were a more advanced species than them¡­


    ¡­or so he thought.


    Soon, they entered some sort of gate ¡ª a colossal stone gate that caused the ground and the sand beneath him to vibrate when it slid open. Rhys once again found himself dropping his head to look at where the male gorgon was dragging him, only to see a metropolis.


    It was a city, a human city made of rocks, sand, and marble. Unlike with the cenleons where the structures were built around them having four legs, the city of the gorgons was truly just simr to that of humans. The only difference was that the doors were a lotrger in size.


    "What is this? What did you bring?"


    "I don''t know, I found him on the shore ¡ª I thought he might be a servant. Look at him."


    "By the gods. Look at his face. But¡­ what is wrong with his limb? Why does it look like that? That''s disgusting. And why does he only have one arm?


    Was he torn apart by the ocean?"


    "Oi! Don''t touch him. I''m the one who found him!"


    Rhys could really only squint his eyes as the man who was dragging him was stopped before entering the city. And from the way they were talking with each other¡­


    ¡­they were not well aware of the existence of humans, unlike the cenleons.


    "If he''s not a servant, then I would get even more money for him. Don''t touch him!"


    "Rx. Just give me the toll and you can pass, and cover the poor guy."


    "Cover him? No, I fully intend to drag him all the way to the temple for everyone to see! They are going to get curious, and they are going to offer me lots of money for him!"


    "Tch, lucky bastard."


    And once again, after the man dragging him gave some coins to the people stationed at therge gate, he started dragging him into the city ¡ª and there, Rhys quickly heard the heavy whispers, as well as the rampaging desires of all the female gorgons they passed by.


    And there were a lot of them, all of them curiously staring at him.


    "That poor man, look at him. Where is his limb and what¡ª!!! Look, is that his¡­ oh my."


    ''His¡­ his cock is sorge.''


    "He''s¡­ so beautiful. But why is his body so deformed?"


    "It looks disgusting¡­ but at the same time, it''s not?"


    "Cover your eyes, my child!"


    ''So hot. I can just slither my way on top of him.''


    Their voices and thoughts started to mix inside Rhys''s mind, to the point he almost did not realize that as soon as they entered the city¡­ almost all of the people were women. There were a few men, but Rhys could probably count them in his remaining hand ¡ª and they were all either carrying something, or they also had a chain around their neck.


    "I''ll buy him! I will buy him!"


    Rhys then watched as several gorgons started approaching them. Some of them, even trying to tap Rhys''s leg with the tail of their snake limb, extremely curious about it.


    "He''s deformed, so he''s not worth that much, right? I''ll buy him!"


    "Oi, oi! Please, Madams. Don''t touch the merchandise! I still need to bring him to the temple."


    "You don''t need to bring him to the temple, I have money!"


    "No, sorry. Can''t do, can''t do!"


    And as people started gathering and following them, Rhys could really only look at all of the eyes looking at him ¡ª was this what his Lowborn ancestors felt more than 300 years ago?


    Should¡­ he actually just escape this? But with one of his legs missing, he would definitely have a hard time escaping even with his strength. There was also the fact that he didn''t exactly know how strong these gorgons were, and considering he had seen one of the male gorgons lifting an entire boulder earlier with one hand without any difficulty, they were probably strong.


    And there was also the undeniable fact that he did not know where he was. And so, Rhys just continued to let himself be dragged across the city naked. Fortunately, the ground was incredibly smooth; it was almostfortable. There were no stairs either.


    And soon, they reached the so-called temple. And of course, with just one nce and one whiff of the scent, Rhys realized it wasn''t a temple at all ¡ª it was a brothel.


    It looked fancy, very much so as the entire building was seemingly made with marble; not much y. They did not enter the main entrance where the male gorgons were waiting and waving at the female gorgons, however, but the man dragging him slithered to the back of the establishment where the light of the Helios could not be seen.


    "Is the Mother inside? I brought her something she might like."


    "The Mother is busy, you can just¡ªwhat is that?"


    "The something."


    "Come with me."


    Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he was dragged inside the luxurious brothel. There were a lot of colorful drapes ¡ª and the sound of moans was almost drowning. They tried to hide the scent with something floral, but Rhys would recognize the scent anywhere.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys could not help but breathe out as he caught a glimpse of one of the patrons of the establishment through the gaps of the drapes; her snake limb just slithering wildly as a male gorgon was crawling on top of her.


    "Hn!?" Perhaps that was a mistake, as the woman also caught a glimpse of Rhys''s face, and she moaned loudly there and then as her entire body convulsed. Rhys then watched as she quickly pushed the escort to the side and rushed toward to see Rhys,


    "Who¡­ who is that!? Is that a new servant!?"


    "Madam, madam! Your clothes! Please!"


    The man dragging Rhys covered his eyes as he just continued to drag Rhys deeper into the establishment. There were a lot more women getting curious about Rhys, but the man ignored all of them and just went straight up to some sort of office.


    Some sort of office, because Rhys was not entirely sure if it was¡­ since there was a woman there surrounded by several men; all of their snake limbs intertwined with each other.


    "Oho¡­" The woman was smoking some sort of cigar; blowing it out as she looked at Rhys,


    "...It would seem you brought me something freaky this time, Hurkin."

 Chapter 268 Not What You Expected

    "Send another scout ship."


    "With all due respect, Ma''am ¡ª there is no way Major Wilder could have survived. We have wasted enough resources for¡ª"


    "Are you the Commander, or am I?"


    "...At once, Ma''am."


    Commander Olga and the rest of the group arrived in the territory of Russea a day ago, and during that time, she had already ordered 6 ships to embark across the orange ocean in search of Rhys. As for Katarina and the others¡­


    ¡­they really weren''t doing anything.


    Not in a way that one would find them depressing, they truly were not doing anything at all. Just rxing and waiting for something to happen. Commander Olga had an entire warehouse set up for the Amerkan team,plete with all the amenities they could ever want; even some entertainment and a bar.


    And the bar was the most popr spot as everyone was there drinking, even Katarina.


    "What do you think the Recruit''s doing now?"


    "Knowing him, he''s probably just traveling alone now and trying to make his way to Russea," Katarina just took a sip of her spirit while shaking her head.


    "Would you like to bet on that?" Agatha, who was sharing the bottle of spirit, smirked as she looked at Katarina, "I bet that the ckie is currently in bed and having vigorous sex with someone right now."


    "Is your mind all about sex?" Katarina rolled her eyes.


    "I could actually see that happening," Ayesha pointed at Agatha, "The Recruit''s really got to keep it in his pants once in a while or he''ll end up with his balls gone someday. But then again, I wouldn''t be here if he kept it in his pants, ha!"


    "The fuhrer is most probably out there conquering another civilization of people, like what he did with the cenleons," Talia let out a small chuckle as she drank her own mug of beer, "He wille back to us with another army topletely his conquest of world domination."


    "Stop it with that," Katarina groaned; her face extremely flushed, "Rhys¡­ Rhys is a good boy, he won''t¡­ he won''t do anything bad."


    "You guys¡­" As for Dominique, she could even barely drink the c in her hand as she walked back and forth around the bar, "...You guys really have that much faith in Rhys, huh? I¡­ I can''t help but worry. Just the other day when he disappeared in the water, all of you were screaming¡­ but now you''re just drinking."


    "You need to understand something about Rhys," Katarina let out a very long and deep breath, "He''s a survivor, always has been, always will. Just less than 2 years ago, he fell into a Hole that opened up near his school. And you know what he met there¡­? Arachnea. Arachnea, the God of Spiders. And he didn''t only survive, no¡­ he became even more powerful."


    "And as someone who trains with him and gobbles his balls every day¡­" Ayesha raised her bottle, "...the Recruit is strong, incredibly so. He hasn''t managed to beat me in close quarters with physical strength alone, sure.


    But if he uses all of his neat little tricks, he might have a chance ¡ª and that means the things that can kill him in this entire world could be counted in his hands, and he only has one. And none of you know this, but the Recruit can actually just teleport me and the Doc here if he needs help."


    "...He can do that?" Dominuque''s eyes widened.


    "Unless the gods decide to strike down the fuhrer, he will not be stopped," Talia agreed, "But perhaps even then, he would smite the gods himself."


    "I''ll toast to that," Agatha raised her ss and stood up, "But I still think the ckie''s getting it right now. And you know what, I''ll double the wager on that¡­


    ¡­Rhys is having a good time."


    And perhaps, in a certain perspective, Agatha would be right; perhaps everyone was. There were a lot worse things that could be happening to him right now.


    Rhys was currently standingpletely naked, with chains binding his wrist to his waist, and a metal choker wrapped around his neck which was attached by a chain locked on the floor. It took him an hour, but he was finally able to bnce himself with one leg without even trying or thinking about it ¡ª perhaps the only issue now was how long he actually needed to stand.


    The man who brought him to the brothel was already gone, and judging by the smile on his face when he left, he was paid a hefty sum for Rhys. It would perhaps be the correct move to find the man once Rhys manages to understand the entire situation and frees himself of his current¡ª


    "...Very interesting. Your limb is simr to that of a monkey ¡ª you are not deformed at all. You''re not one of us, are you?"


    ¡ªpredicament. The woman in front of him right now waving a hand fan had circled around Rhys perhaps for the hundredth time now; the tail of her snake-like limb slightly brushing against him every time.


    If Rhys''s assumption was right, thisdy was the owner of this brothel. The two of them were alone in her room now as she kicked all the other male gorgons out at the same time as the man who sold him.


    Like all of the gorgons, her braids were thick and plenty. There were several scales attached around her braids, using them as ties or just essories ¡ª which Rhys foundpletely weird. After all, would a human use his shredded dry skin as an essory?


    But then again, humans don''t have scales¡­ and he should probably stop thinking about random things and focus.


    Rhys then let out a short but very deep breath as he finally decided to focus and look at the woman''s face. Her skin was like bronze; her face round, and almost unblemished by any marks or imperfections ¡ª perhaps even smoother than Lina''s face, but not in the way like a doll like Lina¡­ but more of a finely sculpted statue. Her lips were pink, incredibly so.


    And it was perhaps the way her thick eyebrows perfectlyplemented the rest of her face that made her look seductive.


    But for Rhys, the most noticeable was the way her eyes glowed even in the dark.


    They were silver, very much like Rhys''s.


    "Can you even understand me?" The female gorgon then slithered in front of Rhys; the gold petals adorning the metal chain that covered her breasts clicked and nged as she did so, "If you are from another race, then it doesn''t matter even if you are the most beautiful man these scales have ever witnessed, I wasted a lot of gold in you ¡ª it is hical to exploit other people, and I will not have my establishment linked to such.


    So please, speak now if you can."


    "What do you think I am, Ma''am?"


    "!!!"


    And as Rhys finally opened his mouth, the woman quickly slithered back and looked at him from head to toe.


    "You speak ournguage, and quite fluently at that. Was I wrong, then¡­?" The woman tilted her head to the side as she closed her hand fan, "Are you actually one of us and just highly malformed? But you don''t even have a touch of scale on you."


    "I''m not one of you, Ma''am."


    "Polite, the others would like that¡ªno," the woman shook her head, "What are you, then?"


    "Right now, I think a ve," Rhys said as he gestured to the chains binding him.


    "A ve¡­?" The woman gasped as soon as she heard that, "You''re not a ve, you''re a servant. Please, never say that again. And those chains are for your protection ¡ª if you so happen to just run away after I have already paid for you, the Shivens will kill you."


    "I won''t run away, I don''t even know where I am," Rhys let out a small sigh as he looked the woman straight in the eyes, causing her to once again slightly gasp; differently this time.


    "...You tell no lie," the woman let out a small hum as she seemed extremely sure that Rhys was not lying at all, "Very well, let me free you of¡ª"


    "No need," Rhys shook his head before just casually stretching his hand to the side,pletely splitting and shattering the chains binding it to his waist.


    "...Are you a god?" The woman quickly bowed her head.


    "Do you know of any god that''s crippled?" Rhys shook his head as he crushed the metal choker on his neck and pulled it apart, "I''m just¡­ strong. And since you know I''m not one of your people now, can I assume I''m also free to go?"


    "...No," the woman blinked a couple of times as she looked at Rhys; her mouth slightly open, "I have paid a lot of gold for you. It would not be right for you to leave."


    "I can get your money back," Rhys sighed, "Or since I''m already here, I can just work¡­ but I would need information in return."


    "...There is only one work for a man with your face and body here," the woman whispered as she once again looked at Rhys from head to toe, "...Even with your limb deformed."


    "I''d¡­ rather not do that kind of work," Rhys shook his head.


    "Oh¡­ don''t worry about that," the woman let out a small giggle as she once again opened her hand fan, "With the clients that I have, you won''t need to do much work."


    "I can be a guard, I''m a soldier," Rhys shook his head, "And¡ª"


    "But of course..." And before Rhys could say anything, the woman slithered back to her sheets and nkets; removing the gold chains covering her breasts while she smiled at Rhys,


    "¡­I would have to test the merchandise first."


    "...You''re not listening," Rhys could really only let out a sigh. He did not really have any time for this¡­ but his lower body seemed to think differently as he felt it throb,


    "Well, I guess that''s fine."

 Chapter 269 Snek (R16)

    It was hard moving with only a single leg, Rhys had never really tried it before as they operated on him and attached the bionic leg as soon as he woke up. But still, approaching the snakedy right in front of him almost seemed so natural to him.


    He may not have aplete set of limbs, but all of his abilities made it so that he wouldn''t be ufortable at all. He used his threads totch on to the ceiling, and then used his wind control to push him ever so gently toward the woman.


    "Are¡­ you sure you''re not a god?" The snakedy let out a small whisper; a small gasp as Rhys just smoothly moved closer to her. She then once again grabbed her hand van and opened it; slightly covering her breasts as she leaned back onto the sheets; her long limb, slithering in a sort of circle.


    "Do you want me to be?" Rhys whispered as he just looked at the snakedy from head to tail.


    "No, not at all¡­" The snakedy slightly stuck out her tongue as she nced at Rhys''s cock. She then closed her hand fan and just very lightly touched his cock with it, "...I just need you to be with me at this moment, intertwined together."


    The snakedy then very slowly moved her hand fan across Rhys''s torso, tapping it on his chest before just proceeding to open it once more and cover Rhys''s entire view.


    "I take it you have never been with my kind before?" The snakedy''s head was suddenly beside Rhys''s ear, her whispers escaping her pink lips like a whisper, "I can see it in your eyes that glowed the same as mine; you are confused, bewildered, and yet filled with intense lustfulness."


    "T¡ª"


    "Then let me lead the way to your climax," the snakedy then snapped the hand fan closed again before hiding it behind her as her upper and lower body began started dancing ever so slowly; her breasts which were of a decent size, caressing Rhys''s body as she did so,


    "Hn¡­ just a slight touch of your body is enough to cause my limb to go frail, for my essence to slide down my scales. Hn¡­ Ha¡­"


    The snakedy then moved behind Rhys and wrapped her arms around his waist; her fingers, incredibly soft as they moved across his chest and stomach. She continued to dance, her pink teats rubbing onto Rhys''s back more intensely than thest.


    And soon, her fingers which were also dancing on him started to crawl toward his cock.


    "At the very least, this part is the same¡­" The snakedy breathed onto Rhys''s neck as she started stroking his cock, "...But bigger, way bigger. It''s like you''re going to fill up everything inside me if I put it inside."


    Rhys did not even need to read the snakedy''s thoughts ¡ª she was saying it.


    "I''m already so wet," the snakedy then once again circled around Rhys before finally returning to her sheets; her limb, coiling once again in a circle while shey her back on it. She then looked Rhys in the eyes while putting her finger in her mouth, twirling her long tongue around it before just letting it crawl all the way down her belly¡­


    ¡­and there, Rhys learned more about the anatomy of the gorgons, and how simr it also was to female humans.


    The snakedy continued to trail her fingers down, right where her scales and belly meet¡­ and there, Rhys saw her parting her lower lips with her wet fingers.


    "Everything of me shivers at the thought of you, Stranger," the snakedy whispered, "And the thought of you filling up all of me makes me faint. So¡­"


    The snakedy''s coiled limb then suddenly moved behind Rhys, coiling around his waist as it very gently pulled him closer to her.


    "You, the crippled stranger. Let me move for¡ª"


    "It''s fine," Rhys did not let the snakedy finish her words as he let himself fall very gently on top of her, supporting himself with a single hand as he started kissing her neck; his lips and tongue, sharing their warmth with her skin. But before Rhys could do anything else, however, the snakedy suddenly but lightly pushed him away.


    "What are you doing¡­?" The snakedy tilted her head to the side, "...Why do you act without words?"


    "Words¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times in confusion as he looked at the snakedy''s confused face. And it did not even take him a second to realize what she meant ¡ª she wasn''t just speaking and whispering to set the mood.


    The gorgons speak to each other while they do it. Unfortunately, Rhys was not really good with his words¡­ but he''ll try.


    "Your skin is¡­ soft."


    "...Hmn," the snakedy slightly squinted her eyes, but ultimately removed her hand from Rhys''s chest as she once againid her back on the sheets.


    "And my dried¡­ and thirsty lips are quenched by¡­ your sweat¡­ that smells good," Rhys whispered, "And with your scent thatpletely makes me weak, my cock¡­ Arises."


    "!!!"


    And as soon as he said that, the snakedy''s eyes widened as she felt something touching her. She looked down, only to see Rhys''s cock now extremely hard.


    "This¡­" The snakedy gasped as she gently held Rhys''s cock with both her hands, "It¡­ it wasn''t hard yet?"


    "It is now," Rhys whispered, "Because of you."


    "Ho¡­" The snakedy''s entire body started to shiver as her limb just once again coiled around Rhys, guiding his waist as she excitedly ced the tip of his cock on her vagina, "Ravage my insides, Stranger."


    "At once, Ma''am," Rhys slightly cringed at what he said ¡ª perhaps he should spend less time talking and just do what he does best.


    "Hn¡­kha!!!" The snakedy''s limb suddenly went straight, causing Rhys to almost trip; his cock, going deeper inside the snakedy as it happened, "N¡­Oh¡­Inside¡­deeper inside."


    "I''ll start moving with you. And I almost forgot¡­" Rhys whispered as he leaned to look at the snakedy''s face, "...What''s your name?"


    "Oh, Stranger. My name is of no importance for this act¡­" The snakedy was having a hard time looking at Rhys as her breaths were almost being stolen from her with each of Rhys''s strokes, "But¡­ if¡­ if you must know¡­


    ¡­my name is Mique."


    "Mique¡­" Rhys smiled, "...Let me make you pregnant."


    "Hn¡­hn!!!"


    Rhys''s words seemed to have a massive effect on Mique as her entire body just began to convulse; her tongue, sticking out as her eyes practically moved behind her head in pleasure.


    "Gn¡­Gah!" She then let out a scream as she grabbed the sheets. Rhys was about to move away when she heard that, but Mique''s limb pushed her back and she started shaking her head, "More¡­ more¡­ until you can''t anymore."


    "Until I can''t¡­ anymore?" Rhys breathed out, "We''ll be here forever, Mique."


    "Oh¡­?" Mique smiled as she heard that, "Then¡­


    ¡­We die happy."


    Rhys fulfilled Mique''s request.


    16 hours. The two spent 16 hours of pure moans, pleasure, and libido ¡ª and it would have continued if it weren''t for Mique just fainting there and then at thest minute from her cumming for perhaps the hundredth time.


    It was weird ¡ª Mique, as someone who had experienced more intercourse than most, she knew enough that even an hour was long and would start to hurt her. But with the stranger beside her, it just felt¡­ better and better, with each cum more delicious than thest.


    If it weren''t for her mind and body''s limits, she would have probably truly wanted to die feeling what she was feeling.


    "Ha¡­" And as she woke up with her sweat practically resting on the gaps of her breasts, the only thing she could really do was smile as she still felt her insides tingling, "You¡­ you said you''re not a god."


    "I''m not," Rhys also stuttered his breaths even though he was not tired at all.


    "Well¡­ you are for me," Mique then slid closer to Rhys and embraced him, resting her head on his chest while twirling her finger on it, "I''ve never met someone like you ¡ª I¡­ I''ll keep you for myself."


    "That¡­ I need to leave this ce," Rhys closed his eyes and sighed.


    "But¡­ you can''t," Mique shook her head, "The Shivens will hunt you down. Such¡­ such is thew of this ce."


    "They won''t be able to stop me," Rhys breathed out, "But¡­ you''re right, I still need to know where I am."


    "And I will help you, that was our deal," Mique smiled as she also closed her eyes and made herselffortable; her limb, slightly wiggling, "But you know my name, and I never received yours."


    "...Rhys. My name is Rhys."


    "Rhys¡­?" And almost immediately as Rhys said that, Mique opened her eyes and quickly lifted herself up to look at him, "Rhys¡­


    ¡­Your name is Rhys?"

 Chapter 270 Prophecy

    "Your name is not Rhys."


    "...I am pretty sure it is. Rhys Wilder, my name is Rhys Wilder."


    "!!!"


    Rhys could really only widen his eyes as Mique just suddenly pushed him away. He quickly crouched down to try and defend himself; kill her as fast as possible if he needed to. But Mique did not really do anything else but just stare at him with her eyes opened even wider.


    She was not really saying anything, causing Rhys to also just stare at her as he figured out what to do next. He stared at the Hearts floating above her head, only to see the three Hearts that filled up during their intercourse to start flickering ¡ª all of them at the same time, something that had not really happened before.


    "Who are you?" Mique then said as she stared Rhys in the eyes, "Why would you even say that name!?"


    "Why are you getting mad at me? You''re the one who asked for my name," Rhys slightly crouched so that he could maneuver if he needed to. Rhys was not overestimating his strength at all, but he was sure he could take on quite a few of these gorgons ¡ª the only issue was his mobility.


    With a single leg, there was really only so much he could do¡­ unless, of course, he just moved through the shadows from now on.


    "That''s not your name."


    "What''s my name, then?" Rhys shook his head.


    "I don''t know, but it can''t be that," Mique also shook her head.


    "But it is," Rhys shrugged, "And it doesn''t matter, it would seem I''ve overstayed my wee here. I''ll try to find the one who sold me and get your gold back. The Shiven, whatever they are, I''m just going to escape from them when the timees¡­


    ¡­I''ll see you again soon, Mique."


    Rhys then started grabbing the sheets and wrapping them around his body. It would have been nice to have some clothes, but it would seem he would need to do some extra steps just for that ¡ª the most important thing to do right now was to leave this ce and hide somewhere, he wasn''t safe here with Mique suddenly bing hysterical.


    "Wait¡­"


    But before Rhys could actually even start to leave Mique''s room, she grabbed his arm.


    "...You''re telling the truth."


    "...Well, yes," Rhys breathed out, "Why would I even lie about my name in this situation? I''m in apletely strange ce surrounded by strangers from another race."


    "Because the name you uttered is something I¡ªno. It''s something we had heard every day when we were in school as children," Mique closed her eyes and also let out a loud sigh, "It is a tale¡ªno, it is a lesson of belief, history, and what follows it ¡ª a prophecy."


    "..."


    "What? I went to school," Mique raised an eyebrow as she saw the look of disbelief on Rhys''s face.


    "...I wasn''t thinking about that at all," Rhys could not help but sigh. Mique seems to be perceptive, but not at the same time, "And it''s probably just a coincidence."


    "The story states that someday, a strange man, carrying from the sky would one day show himself to our people, and he carries your name," Mique gestured to Rhys to stay before slithering her way to her shelves, grabbing one of the books and flipping its pages, "Right here!"


    Mique then rushed back toward Rhys while pointing at a certain word in the book.


    "I can''t read¡ª" Rhys was about to shake his head as he could not even read a single word on the book Mique was showing him, but not even a secondter, the words just suddenly made sense to him.


    He thought his abilities could really only make him speak with the other species, but it would seem he could also understand their literature; he didn''t really have a chance to test it with the cenleons,


    "That¡­ is my name."


    "Yes!" Mique raised her voice as she turned the book back to her; her braids, bouncing along with her breasts as her limb started wiggling in excitement, "This is a very sacred book for us, Rhys. Although I haven''t read this for a very long time, it shows our oldest written history, the birth of Medusa. And¡ª"


    "...And what does it say about me?" Rhys asked before Mique could start rambling.


    "That¡­" Mique then started reading the passage that mentioned Rhys, "...It says that you are the one who will cure Medusa''s curse and lead us to salvation."


    "And who''s this Medusa?"


    "She''s our ancestor, said to be the very first of our kind," Mique nodded.


    "And she''s still alive?"


    "No," Mique slightly chuckled, "How can she even be alive."


    "...So that book is nonsense, then," Rhys could not help but sigh, "How can she be freed of her curse when she''s already dead?"


    "That¡­ they said not to take in the words literally," Mique closed the book, "But we were told that everything that has been written here is real!"


    "Well¡­ I guess it doesn''t really matter if it''s real or not. The Rhys Wilder in that story is not me," Rhys shook his head.


    "No¡­ No¡­ I think it''s you," Mique started shaking her head as she once again opened the book, this time to the first pages, "It''s said here that our kind used to have four limbs. 2 hands and then two lower limbs¡­


    ¡­we initially thought that meant we had two of these," Mique started wagging her snake limb, "But what if¡­ what if it means we have the same limbs as you? Like the monkeys. What if¡­ what if the curse they mentioned is this¡­?"


    "You''re not cursed, Mique," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he ced his hand on Mique''s cheek, "You are perfect as you are."


    "P¡­please don''t say something like that. My¡­ my insides can''t handle it anymore," Mique quickly backed away; slightly covering herself as she did so, "But this is serious, Rhys! What if¡ª"


    "What if this doesn''t have anything to do with me," Rhys stated while shaking his head, "It doesn''t ¡ª this is all just a coincidence."


    Of course, Rhys was not really confident with his words. Twice now ¡ª twice now he was told that he had some sort of great destiny ahead of him. And he had also already lost count of how many times he was told that his path would lead to him crossing fates with the gods.


    Arachnea, First King Aethelc, and now the history of the gorgons also included him. Every time, he tries his best to actively avoid being thrown into a mess he didn''t want, but each time, the Fates seem to find a way to bring him in.


    He truly doesn''t want to get involved ¡ª he wanted to change the world, to conquer it so that he would never have to feel oppressed anymore. He''s not some sort of hero that would lead the world to some sort of revtion that would lead them to rebel against the gods.


    One could argue that all his tragedy began because the gods gifted them powers in the first ce, but it wasn''t the gods that fucked him, it was the humans themselves.


    So why ¡ª why does the Fates want him to involve himself in whatever this is?


    "Rhys¡­?" Mique could really only lean closer to Rhys as he suddenly turned quiet.


    "It¡­ doesn''t matter," Rhys shook his head and sighed, "You said it yourself, this Medusa person is dead."


    "We can go to the shrine and ask. They will wee you there, Rhys!" Mique smiled. The air of maturity that previously surrounded her waspletely gone.


    "Or they will kill me for trying to desecrate your¡­ religion," Rhys sighed.


    "No," Mique shook her head, "I know the Head Priestess, if I exin to her everything and introduce you, she would understand everything, more so than me. This is also the chance to gain your freedom."


    "...I can just escape here and gain my freedom."


    "The Shivens will chase you everywhere," Mique argued, "Wait, no¡ªif you do this, if youe with me to the shrine, then I will remove the pledge and free you myself despite paying a lot of money for you."


    "..." Rhys was truly thinking of just escaping here. He could just jump into the shadows and then summon Ayesha to help him ¡ª of course, that would mean that Ayesha would also be lost with him. There was also the fact that he didn''t know if she was doing something important.


    Perhaps¡­ was it time to just actually face whatever the Fates have in store for him? After all, he was sure that if not this, then another event would just take its ce ¡ª perhaps something even more forceful.


    Rhys then turned to look at Mique; herrge eyes almost like a puppy now as she ced both her palms on his chest.


    "Fine," Rhys sighed and nodded, "Let''s¡­ see what this is all about."

 Chapter 271 The Real Temple

    "Is¡­ this necessary?"


    "Of course, otherwise people might think you''re ownerless and try to snatch you. Someone already offered to buy you just a minute ago since you''re not wearing one ¡ª I''m not going to take it off."


    If there was one thing that the humans could learn from the gorgons, it was that they had no capability to lie ¡ª or perhaps they do actually do, Rhys just hasn''t met one yet. It would seem that the gorgons always speak their minds, no matter what.


    "Shoo! Go away! Your ugly face negates anything you offer and I think burning it would be an improvement!"


    Or perhaps not.


    And judging from the way Mique was shooing away everyone that was curious about Rhys, she truly was not trying to be rude. She and Ayesha would probably go along with each other, and whether that was good or bad, Rhys doesn''t really know whether he would find out.


    The only thing Rhys could do right now was walk beside Mique and let the chains dangling from his neck continue to dangle. Rhys is highly aware that he has the tendency to be dragged around by people most of the time and he just allows it, but this was the first time that there was an actual physical representation of that.


    He keeps talking about resisting fate, when he actually gets dragged by people every single time.


    And upon that revtion, the only thing that he could do was sigh.


    "I''m sorry, Rhys. I should have covered your face," Mique noticed him sighing and quickly walked closer to him, "I guess a part of me wanted to boast about you being my servant before it all goes away."


    "It''s¡­ fine," Rhys just once again sighed, "Let''s just get to our destination faster."


    Rhys didn''t really notice it before, but the city of the gorgons was bigger than he thought, and it was slightly crowded unlike with the cenleons. There were activities everywhere, even the narrower roads had people slithering around them. The houses were near to each other, some even practically sharing the same sand wall.


    There were a lot of people selling things, perhaps too many and there wasn''t really an order or a ce where they specifically station themselves. And soon, Rhys and Mique reached an area that had people selling random things in a line, several lines; all of them just cing their things on the ground with only carpets to protect their wares.


    "Ah, Madam Mique! Madam! I have a new fragrance here, very good for your¡ªwoah, who is that!? Is that a new servant!? I''ll¡­ I''ll trade you everything here for 3 nights with him!"


    "No."


    "2 nights!"


    "I said no."


    "1 night and a half¡ªno. 1 night and¡ª"


    "I already said no!"


    "Madam, care to check on our new wares? This new type of oyster is said to make a servant''s cock to be as stiff as a branch but as gentle as a whisper! You can buy one now and I will give you another one if you purchase¡ªIs that your new servant!? How much for one night!?"


    "No."


    Rhys could really only hop even quicker as the vendors started mobbing them, with Mique almost using her tail to just whip everyone''s lustful gazes. Fortunately, it did notst long as everyone just stopped following them as soon as they stepped and slithered on a sand bridge.


    "Oh¡­?" Rhys nced back at the mob, only to see them just sighing andmenting as they all slithered back to their ces. They didn''t stop voluntarily, but because there were actually 2 guards blocking their path to the bridge, "You really do know someone high up, Ma''am."


    "Hmn. I just hope she wees us like they did."


    The bridge was leading to some sort of building, the biggest one Rhys had seen so far in the city ¡ª and unlike the rest of the desert metropolis, the bridge had clear water running underneath it¡ªno, the canal practically circled therge building.


    It was also filled with life and fauna, with green scattered beautifully and neatly everywhere that it almost looked like it did not belong in the city at all.


    "The Shrine of Medusa," Mique''s pace slightly slowed down as she looked at the shrine, "It is a ce that wees even the most detestable of sinners, and they eithere out as new people, or do note out at all. It is the safest and most dangerous ce at the same time depending on who enters it."


    "...Interesting," Rhys let out a small hum as he stared at the shrine, "They kill sinners if they know they can''t be reformed?"


    "Of course," Mique nodded, "That is the only way to ensure they will not sin again."


    "And how many sinners usuallye out?"


    "I don''t know of anyone who managed toe out since I was born," Mique shrugged, "It''s just¡ª"


    "Mique of the House of Flesh, do not slither further if you wish to keep your limb."


    And before Mique could finish her exnation, therge doors of the shrine suddenly opened up; with a gorgon wearing an almost translucent white robeing out while already gesturing to Mique to turn back. Her face was also covered with a white cloth; her eyes, also silver and her braids perhaps the longest Rhys had seen from all the gorgons.


    "You must note out, Head Priestess!" Several more people slithered out of the shrine, blocking the Head Priestess'' path and now allowing her to approach Rhys and Mique, "You must not let men see you!"


    "I will return inside once this flesh eater leaves!" The Head Priestess almost roared; her re unwavering even as the other shrine maidens tried to forcefully push him back inside, "Leave, do not desecrate this sacrednd with your wet scales!"


    "Head Priestess,nguage!"


    "H¡­hello, High Priestess." And while the Head Priestess was on the verge of exploding from anger, Mique just smiled and waved her hand at her, "It''s been a while since west saw each other, I could see the glow of purity oozing out from you. It is such a blessing¡ª"


    "Gah!" The High Priestess screamed¡ªno. The High Priestess let out an almost guttural shriek as she pushed all of her maidens to the side. And when they still tried to block her path, the Head Priestess'' hair slightly but suddenly started to wave around even though there was no wind at all. It was then followed by her silver eyes turningpletely white and the veins around them protruding.


    And there, Rhys watched as her maidens gasped in shock and fear, but not for long, however, as their bodies almost instantly turned gray.


    "Malenia, why would you do that!?" Mique also raised her voice as soon as she saw that ¡ª but then, she proceeded to do the same thing as High Priestess Malenia; her eyes turning silver as she looked at the petrified maidens. And when she did so, color once again returned to them and they all fell down and longed for air.


    "You do not get the right to raise your voice at me!" Malenia did not care, however, as she just rushed toward Mique, "I told you thest time we saw each other, it better be thest since I will turn you into stone!"


    "Can you calm down!?" Mique did not back down; the two of them, justpeting on whose eyes glowed brighter, but nothing really happened, "And you overreact, High Priestess. I visit you every time!"


    "When!? When is that!? Thest time I saw you was 30 sheddings ago, 30!" Malenia''s face was now only inches away from Mique''s. Her maidens once again tried approaching her, but all they could really do was back away as soon as she red at them again. She then nced at Rhys, who instinctively and quickly leaped behind Mique in fear of being turned into stone,


    "And you¡­ you even bring a servant here!? Have you no shame or respect for our guardian and protector, Medusa!?" High Priestess Malenia stuttered as she caught a glimpse of Rhys, "And¡­ and you even dare to bring your most prized servant!? You think his otherworldly beauty would allow him to pass through these doors!?"


    "Well, he passed through my doors, so¡ª"


    "Mique!" Malenia''s screams once again turned into shrieks as her braids almost danced in the air, "By the authority vested upon me by the Shrine of¡ªMuaghkh!"


    "Can you shut that mouth of yours for once and listen!?" And before High Priestess Malenia could finish her words, Mique suddenly grabbed her hand fan and smacked Malenia on the cheek with it without any hesitation, "To think 30 sheddings wasn''t enough to actually grant you the demeanor of a High Priestess!"


    "Wha¡­" The glow in the High Priestess'' eyes just instantly disappeared as she touched her swollen cheek. And soon, tears started swelling up from her eyes, "You¡­ I hate you. I hate you and wish for you to be mangled by Cerberus, Sister."


    "Wait¡­" Rhys then slightly leaned his head to look at the High Priestess. Silver eyes, slightly brown skin ¡ª how could he not even see the simrity between the two?


    "The High Priestess is your sister? Wait¡­


    ¡­is that why your brothel is called ''The Temple''?"

 Chapter 272 The Sister Snakes

    The outside of the Shrine of Medusa was already a tell of how the inside would look; it was a sanctuary where the light just shone from above, veiling the nts, the flowers, the trees, and the small pools and fountains that neatly littered everywhere.


    It was peaceful, perhaps the most peaceful ce Rhys had ever been to. If he could just close his eyes and lie on the ground, he most definitely would. Unfortunately, with the current situation, it was no sanctuary at all. It was just¡­


    ¡­a chamber of noise.


    "What do you mean it matters not!? Rhys Wilder, if this is the Rhys Wilder written in the book, then you just corrupted his flesh with your scales!"


    "I didn''t know beforehand!"


    "Ah, of course. ssic sister ¡ª putting in cocks before knowing their names."


    "H¡­ High Priestess,nguage!"


    "Shut up!"


    Rhys has lost track of just how long the two have been arguing. It was a miracle how Mique was even able to convey what she wanted to say to her sister when all they did was shout at each other.


    Yes. Throughout their long and heated argument, they were able to go inside the shrine, gather around a table with the shrine maidens serving them food and drinks, and Mique was even able to borate, exin, and discuss everything she wanted to say.


    How they were able to do that, well, perhaps it was an innate trait of the gorgons. Rhys just continued eating while the two continued shouting at each other¡ªgranted, he was actually quite attentive at the start and listened to everything. But now, he was just waiting for them to finish.


    He found himself, however, staring at the Hearts floating above Mique and Malenia''s heads. Mique had 3 Hearts floating above her head as soon as he made love to her, but it started to flicker, and it was still flickering now after she found out about his name.


    Malenia, however, was somewhat theplete opposite. As soon as she found out about Rhys and started mentioning the prophecy, her previously empty Hearts quickly filled up to the 3rd one¡­ and it wasn''t only her.


    "Lord Rhys, please¡­ have some more fruit."


    "Lord Rhys, are youfortable? Is the wind just alright?"


    While some of the shrine maidens were trying to get in between Mique and Malenia, most were actually beside and behind Rhys; one of them even feeding him even though he had already refused.


    "Can all of you just get out!? Out!"


    Unfortunately, Malenia''s hair once again started to float as she roared. The handmaidens, although unwilling, just let out a long and very deep sigh as they bid farewell to Rhys before actually leaving the verdant and lively hall.


    And as soon as the sound of the doors closing echoed through the sanctuary, silence suddenly washed out and drowned all the noise like they weren''t just shouting at each other''s throat moments ago. And finally, Rhys heard the calm and peace he was expecting; the water just flowing all around them and the emptyrge space that sang their whispers.


    Sadly, he still couldn''t appreciate it as Malenia was now staring at him like he waspletely naked.


    "If what my sister is saying holds to be true¡­" Malenia''s words were like an arrow as Rhys felt them just piercing him for some reason, "...then I apologize for showing you my rude state. But truthfully, although you are exactly what the prophecy states, my doubts are still clear ¡ª what if someone is just setting this entire thing up?"


    "Why would I set this up?" Mique raised an eyebrow.


    "I am not talking about you," Malenia seemed clearly annoyed just by hearing her sister''s voice, "What if it is an outsider, trying to shake our faith and our people."


    "That''s possible," Mique shrugged before looking at Rhys, "But you and I can feel he is not lying ¡ª there is also a fact that Rhys just wants to leave and go back to where he came from."


    "And where is that?" Malenia let out a small hum as she slightly raised her limb and adjusted it, "In what ce did the man from the prophecy live before all of this?"


    "He is¡­" Mique squinted her eyes, causing Malenia to slightly gulp as she anticipated her sister''s answer, "...I didn''t ask."


    "You have been with him this entire time and you did not ask!?" Malenia''s eyes started to twitch. But she was able to quickly calm herself down as she once again focused on Rhys, "Where were you before all of this, My Lord?"


    "Please¡­ don''t call me that," Rhys could really only sigh while shaking his head, "I''m from the Surface. The cenleons called it the Forbidden Land, maybe you call it the same?"


    "You¡­ are from hell?" Both Malenia and Mique''s eyes started to widen as soon as they heard Rhys''s words; the two of them, slightly slithering away from him.


    "To be fair, on the Surface, we consider this ce, the Underworld, Hell," Rhys quickly exined, "There are a lot of things we don''t know about each other. But my people are starting to establish rtionships with the other species."


    "...And you met with the cenleons first? Wait, are you human?" Malenia blinked a couple of times in disbelief, "They eat you. The gods sent you to hell to punish you for your evil deeds!"


    "Would you rx?" Mique let out a loud groan, "What Rhys said makes sense, we don''t know anything about each other. Just let him finish what he wants to say."


    "You have no right to order me around, I am the High Priestess!" Malenia raised her voice again.


    "To be fair, I''m supposed to be the one in your position."


    "But you threw it to me!" Malenia screamed, "You threw it to me because you wanted to live a life free of servitude, you wanted to whore yourself!"


    More and more, Mique naming her brothel ''The Temple'' was making sense.


    "Both of us awakened as saintesses," Mique shrugged, "I did not care for it, and I thought you would want to live a life being served and treated with the utmost respect. Rx, will you? I gave you a better life."


    "...Enough of this," Malenia rolled her eyes and once again just focused on Rhys, "...And what were you doing before our people found you ashore?"


    "...I suppose there''s no reason to hide it."


    Rhys then told the sisters about his mission. The sudden appearance and violence of the nymphs, and how he was separated from the rest of his crew.


    "The¡­ nymphs?" Malenia''s voice became a whisper as she looked down.


    "You were able to survive all of that?" Mique, however, was focusing on another thing, "Then you really are the man in the prophecy ¡ª the Fates want you here, Rhys Wilder."


    "The Fates can wait," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "Right now, my people need me. They can''t proceed with the mission without me since I am the only one who canmunicate with the nymphs."


    "You can¡­ converse with the nymphs?" Malenia''s eyes widened.


    "That is¡ª"


    "The nymphs are a peaceful people, that''s not possible," Malenia then raised her limb as she looked down at Mique and Rhys at the table, "They are the protectors of life, why would they kill anyone? Maybe your people did something?"


    "Maybe," Rhys let out a soft grunt, "But that''s why I was on the mission, to find out. Your prophecy, it''s not me."


    "..." Malenia just once again looked at the floor as she seemed to be lost in thought ¡ª an act Rhys was seeing for the first time with the gorgons. They are, after all, a species who just say whatever is on their mind,


    "Shivens," she then whispered. And as soon as she did so, several female gorgons started emerging from everywhere; some hidden in the leaves and trees.


    Rhys immediately put up his guard as the Shivens started surrounding their table. Before he could do anything, however, Mique held his hand while shaking her head.


    "Rhys¡­ and Sister," Malenia then let out a very long and deep sigh, "Follow me. Shivens, please be ready for anything."


    "Yes, High Priestess."


    Malenia then started slithering away deeper into the shrine. And since the shivens were not really there to apprehend Rhys, he and Mique just decided to follow Malenia until they reached some sort ofrge door with a silhouette embossed on it ¡ª and this time, it was not the face of Medusa.


    "Behind this door rests a sacred nymph," Malenia very gently touched the stone door, "And if what you say is true, then the answer you seek is perhaps something she could answer. You are wrong, Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­you are right where you need to be. The Fates can be cruel, but they are never without reason. Shivens, open the Nymph''s Rest."


    "Wait, Malenia¡­" Mique stood beside her sister and whispered loudly, "...If what Rhys Wilder is saying is true, and that the nymphs have be violent¡­


    ¡­should we really be opening that door?"

 Chapter 273 Instinct

    "...Should we really be opening that door?"


    There was a moment of silence after Mique said that. Malenia stared at her at first, spending seconds squinting her eyes almost as if trying to find a way to refute her sister''s words as harshly as possible ¡ª but s, she was making sense.


    And so, Malenia just turned her eyes toward the shiven, as they might back her up in what she was doing. But s, even they could see that it would not be a wise choice to open the door. And it did not even matter whether the nymphs had changed or not ¡ª their ancestors had shed their scales numerous times, and yet the Nymph''s Rest have remained closed ¡ª there was also the tradition to be kept.


    But of course, it was not like they could rebuke their High Priestess'' words when she was obviously adamant about it.


    And so, Malenia then turned her attention to Rhys, who just shrugged her shoulders and told her to,


    "It''s your choice, but I will act when I sense there''s danger."


    "Of course, it is my choice," Malenia raised her head high as she once again ced her palm on the stone door, causing Mique to just let out a deep sigh and slither back.


    Malenia then took in a deep breath before her braids once again started dancing in the air and her eyes lit up ¡ª and as it did so, the figure embossed on the door that Rhys thought was only a statue moved; its eyes also opening up in response to Malenia.


    A loud grumble then echoed throughout the entire shrine as the stone door started to slide open; the creak it produced was enough to be heard by the entire city, and feel it too as they all just stopped whatever it was they were doing to look at the direction of the Shrine of Medusa.


    "Oh, protector of the Shrine of Medusa, and guardian of the sacred leaves ¡ª we ask forgiveness for trespassing your domain and waking you up," Malenia then covered her glowing eyes as the door continued to open; vines and roots, crawling across the ground and escaping through the ever-growing gaps, "Nymph of the 4th Night Forest, hear the call of your people and¡ª"


    And before Malenia could finish her chant, she found her vision suddenly shifting as Rhys suddenly grabbed her shoulder and pulled her back; the two of them, falling to the ground as Rhys was not able to bnce himself with just a single leg.


    Malenia and the others did not need to wonder why Rhys did that, however, as arge branch; sharp enough to cut air itself, suddenly shot out from the other side of the door and almost skewered Maleniapletely.


    "Rhys!" Mique quickly slithered her way to where Rhys was, quickly pulling him away and helping him up.


    "Helping Rhys Wilder first before your sister," Malenia scoffed as she quickly also slithered back and collected herself, "I would do the same, because it would seem that Rhys Wilder truly is the Rhys Wilder being mentioned in the book ¡ª the hero that would save our people and Medusa."


    The shivens then quickly surrounded Malenia, brandishing their spears and shields to protect her from any more iing attacks from the other side of the door. But no more attacks followed and the door just fully opened on them.


    "You¡­"


    There was, however, a whisper that reverberated through the entire shrine even more so than the old stone door. And soon, everyone saw a very tiny person, the gigantic stone door making her look even smaller than she already was ¡ª and the photos and reports were right, they were just the size of Rhys''s forearm.


    Their presence, however, was even bigger than the stone door she was being kept in. The nymph''s skin was dark, aplete contrast to her glowing white hair that was longer than her tiny body. Most importantly, however¡­


    ¡­she looks pissed.


    "You dare wake me up from my slumber!?" The nymph screamed, causing the nts and even the water within the shrine to tremble.


    "...What is she saying?" Mique took in a small gulp as she nced at Rhys.


    "...She didn''t like that we woke her up."


    "Nymph of the 4th Night Forest!" Malenia quickly bowed her head, and so did the shivens, "Please, we implore your good¡ª"


    "Gah!" The nymph did not hear of Malenia''s words as she just shrieked, causing the roots of the trees inside the shrine to suddenly grow in size almost instantly; cracking the floors and even the walls ¡ª Rhys was wrong, the nymph was not pissed off or angry at all, she¡­ was in pain,


    "All of you, just die!"


    The nymph then opened her arms, causing the trees to be even more violent; their roots, now reaching to the outside, crawling so fast that they started rampaging across the city in a ripple.


    "Nymph of the 4th Night Forest, stop this!"


    Suddenly, however, the rampage stopped as soon as it started as the nymph turned her attention to Rhys as he spoke to her; the nymph''s expression, extremely confused and baffled as she tilted her head to the side.


    She then looked around, almost as if trying to find who was speaking to her before finally settling again on Rhys.


    "You speak our tongue?" The nymph then looked Rhys in the eyes, causing him to slightly be ufortable as it seemed like she was peering deep into his soul, quite literally as Rhys was feeling something crawling inside his brain,


    "You look familiar, but not quite? You¡­ are human ¡ª beings discarded by the masters. But you are different; Blessed, or perhaps cursed by their blood ¡ª which, I do not know. Tell me, human ¡ª why am I in pain? Why wake me up, just to allow me to bathe in this torment?"


    "We¡­ woke you up, yes. But your pain has nothing to do with us," Rhys raised his palm, "We don''t know what''s causing it¡­ but your kind is probably experiencing the same thing."


    "My kind, we are all in pain?" The nymph looked at her palms, "How do you know this?"


    "I saw it ¡ª hundreds of them gathering in one ce, and they killed one of my kind that unfortunately got too close."


    "You¡­ lie," the nymph seemed to hesitate to say her words as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "It goes against our very being and nature to take life. It is¡ª"


    "Tell that to her." And before the nymph could finish her words, Rhys slightly turned around to look at the aftermath of the nymph''s shrieking rampage; the roots, almostpletely eradicating the entire shrine¡­ but most importantly, one of the shivens was currently hanging from one of those wild roots, her armspletely limp to the side.


    "It is¡­" The nymph still wanted to continue her words, but she could not help but just shake her heads as her feet started to hover inches above the floor. She then floated straight toward the corpse as tears started to trail from her eyes,


    "To think that I would go into a fit of rage, blindingly tearing down the very precious fruits of emotions and memory¡­ what have I done? I¡ªno. No¡­"


    The nymph then started shaking her head as her feetnded back on the floor. And once again, the ground started to tremble.


    "...This pain," The nymph then clutched her hair, and the trembling of the ground started to be even more violent, "I can feel it, we are all feeling it at the same time. A rage, a rage that is pointed at everything we used to hold dear¡­


    ¡­as what we hold dear is what is causing our pain. I feel it, rushing, crawling through the very veins of our existence ¡ª we are hurt. Someone is hurting us."


    "What¡­ is she saying?" The sisters turned to look at Rhys, as even they felt the sudden gush of paining from her indecipherable words.


    "...She''s saying someone is hurting one of them."


    "Hurting one of the nymphs?" Malenia''s eyes widened, "But who would do such atrocities? The nymphs are sacred beings, to be treated with respect and much esteem. Such an act is deplorable, disgusting, and disgraceful ¡ª not to mention it makes no sense. What sort of monster would do such a thing to such a peaceful and beautiful existence?"


    "...My kind," Rhys then whispered as he nced at Malenia, "My kind would do that."


    "There are monsters in every people, Rhys," Mique offered her words.


    "Not like mine," Rhys said as he carefully approached closer to the nymph, "Do you know where¡ª"


    "If the very thing we are tasked and honored to protect and cherish have turn its back around us," the nymph once again started speaking before Rhys could say what he wanted, "Then perhaps it is no longer something to protect and cherish¡­


    ¡­but to wither and be reborn anew."


    And there and then, Rhys felt a certain weight crawling on the back of his neck; his instincts¡­


    ¡­telling him to just run.

 Chapter 274 Small But Terrible

    "...I think you should evacuate your city."


    "...What?"


    Both Mique and Malenia looked at Rhys as he said that, they did not look for long, however, as Malenia quickly chose to obey Rhys''s order.


    "Shivens, evacuate all the people! You do not need to worry about me, the Hero will protect me!"


    "Well¡­" Rhys could really only hold his words as the shivens all just quickly disappeared, "...I''m d that you listened to me, but this is putting too much faith in a stranger."


    "You are not a stranger ¡ª you have already proven yourself to be the Hero in the prophecy," Malenia shook her head before focusing on the Nymph of the 4th Night Forest.


    They had been talking for a bit now, and yet she still had not moved a single bit ¡ª but still, even though she did not have Rhys''s extreme senses, she still had enough to know that something dangerous was apanying the nymph''s silence.


    And it wasn''t only her, Mique''s eyes were also squinted as she stared at the nymph''s back.


    "...I think we all should just go," Mique then whispered as she quietly slithered next to her sister.


    "No," Malenia shook her head again, "I am the High Priestess, I am obligated to stay inside the Shrine of Medusa ¡ª abandoning it is abandoning my faith in Her."


    "There are other shrines," Mique grabbed her sister''s arm, "And you can always rebuild this ce. This is¡ª"


    "You brought the Hero here, Mique," Malenia, however, just quickly pulled her arm away, "Your task is done and you are free to leave. My task, however, has officially and finally begun. It is¡ª"


    Unfortunately, the nymph had also begun to move again; its arms, just lowering to her sides as her tiny body began to wobble and wave side by side. Rhys was about to talk to her again and ask her if she was okay, but she suddenly turned around and looked at him and the gorgon sisters.


    "Tch¡­!" Rhys quickly crouched down before quickly leaping toward the two; making sure his arm could get the both of them as he practically mmed his arm and shoulder at them ¡ª it did not matter if they were hurt, it was better than the alternative.


    Because right where the two were previously standing, was a torrent of roots that violently ravaged through the stone ground like it was just tofu; it spun and moved violently like a loose grinder.


    "It hurts¡­ it hurts¡­" And even though she was the one that suddenly attacked, the nymph just started sping her head again; her eyes, bleeding without reason as she once again stared at the three, "Why ¡ª why would the life we protect hurt us!? Why would you hurt¡ª"


    "I am sorry about this." And as the nymph was bing even more hysterical than she already was, Rhys suddenly emerged from the shadow behind it and grabbed her by the torso, "We''re not trying to hurt you, okay? But we need you to calm down, Ma''am. It''s¡ª!!!"


    Rhys quickly jumped straight up as the ground beneath his feet suddenly disappeared, reced by a jaw, a literal jaw of rocks and sand that threatened to swallow him. And before he could even rx, this jaw turned into arge worm that followed him in the air.


    He quickly shot out threads from his fingers, attaching them to the wall to quickly maneuver in the air; using his wind control to gain even more momentum and control ¡ª a mistake. As soon as he used his ability to control wind, it did almost the opposite as itpletely stopped him in the air momentarily.


    "!!!"


    Unfortunately for Rhys, a moment was all it took as another jaw emerged from the ceiling and justpletely mmed him back down to the ground ¡ª and as if that wasn''t enough, the initial worm golem that was following himpletely rained down upon him; the sharp grains of sand almost digging through his skin by the millions.


    None of them really prated his skin, but the pain it caused almost caused Rhys to scream. Rhys then dug his fingers through the ground before forcefully pulling himself away, lunging himself forward and spinning in the air before ultimatelynding on the wall¡­ and like a spring, he flew back toward the nymph.


    The nymph, however, just stared at him. And without even moving a single finger, a violent wall of water suddenly blocked Rhys''s path. He quickly used his ability to control water to split it, but once again, itpletely backfired and the wall of water just started topress before violently spraying toward him.


    He was able to avoid it by shooting his threads to the floor and pulling himself down, and he was right to do so¡­ as the jet of water was enough topletely slice through the stone walls without even any resistance.


    He had initially thought that Ayesha was just being extremely careful by not bringing Lina and Agatha, but now he knew just how different a nymph''s control over the elements is ¡ª they would probably need someone like Esme topletely overpower a nymph in terms of control and raw power.


    Rhys wasn''t really given much time to think as the ground beneath him suddenly turned into a quagmire, almost instantly pulling his entire arm and half his body.


    "Rhys!"


    This soft ground, however, quickly solidified as Mique''s eyes lit up, giving Rhys the chance to just pull himself up.


    "Thank¡ª"


    But before Rhys could even say anything, a violent stream of trees justpletely drowned him; their barks, sharp enough to justpletely obliterate everything.


    "R¡­ Rhys!? Nymph of the 4th Night Forest, please stop this!" Malenia''s eyes also started to light up as she looked at the rampaging nymph. Malenia, however, quickly covered her eyes, "Rhys Wilder is the Hero of Prophecy! If you kill him, then you are going against your duty to protect the children of Medusa!"


    "It hurts, it hurts!" The nymph was no longer listening to anyone or anything, almost as if just acting in instinct as she destroyed everything.


    "We need to help Rhys Wilder ¡ª I am ending this," the light in Mique''s eyes started to grow brighter.


    The roots that danced around Rhys were starting topress and wrap around him; tighter and tighter by the second, and if they do not do anything, no matter how hard Rhys''s skin has proven to be, he would still be shredded, but before Mique could actually look at the nymph, Malenia quickly blocked her path with her back, "You¡ª"


    "Nymph of the 4th Night Forest!" Malenia screamed as her hands that were covering her eyes started to tremble, "Please, do not force us to turn you into stone! You have served and protected our kind for thousands and thousands of sheddings, but if you kill the Hero, then you forsake us all!"


    "There''s no use talking to it, Sister," Mique shook her head and sighed as she ced her hand on Malenia''s shoulder, "Step aside, I will do it so you do not have to."


    "...No," Malenia also let out a sigh as her hands started to lower, "I am the High Priestess of the Shrine of Medusa ¡ª I will be the one to¡ª"


    "Hrn¡­?"


    And as Malenia and Mique were both ring at the nymph, the nymph suddenly let out a small and confused hum as she looked at the raging torrent of trees he had summoned ¡ª nymphs, unlike the humans, are one with the elements; they could actually see, feel, and hear whatever the element touches.


    And before the the gorgon sisters could wonder what was happening now, the dancing trees just suddenly exploded from the inside¡ªno. The gorgon sisters watched as Rhys stepped out of the trees, literally mowing his way out; tearing the roots with his teeth and hand like a feral animal.


    And from the way his eyes were ring at the nymph while showing his teeth, he truly probably was feral. Rhys then pushed himself out and once again leaped toward the nymph; his body spiraling in the air like a drill as he did so.


    But of course, once again, the nymph summoned a violent torrent of water to block him; this time, however, Rhys did not seem to care as he just rushed through the wall with his body.


    "!!!"


    The violent gush of water was enough to tear off his skin and flesh, but Rhys did not care at all as he just started healing whatever wounds crawled on him ¡ª he was going about this all wrong. There was another reason why Commander Olga of Russea approached Amerka aside from Rhys''s ability to talk to the nymphs, it was also because of Ayesha and her brute strength.


    And that is how he should have approached this in the first ce, using brute strength.


    "It¡ª"


    "I know it hurts." And before the nymph could open its mouth again, Rhys was finally able to grab it again. And of course, like earlier, it summoned another violent storm of trees to attack Rhys¡­ but Rhys did not care at all and just lifted her up in the air¡­


    ¡­before just mming her on the ground head first.


    "...I really hope I only just knocked you out."

 Chapter 275 Hero of Prophecy

    "I really hope I only just knocked you out."


    Rhys controlled his strength ¡ª but he might have used a little more force than necessary since he needed to end the situation as fast as possible. The reports about the nymphs'' strength were not an exaggeration at all, and Rhys felt her getting stronger by the second; if he did not end it the moment he did, the nymph would have probably killed him soon.


    "Did¡­ did you kill her?" Mique was the first to react as the rampaging roots and vines finally stopped destroying everything around it. She quickly slithered toward Rhys, her wiggle slightly careful as she stared at the nymph in his hand,


    "The¡­ Hero of Prophecy starts his journey¡­ by killing a sacred nymph? Well, I suppose¡­ you did save us."


    "She''s not¡­ dead," Rhys very gently ced the nymph on the ground; his words slightly hesitant, "And I''m not the Hero of Prophecy."


    "You''re not, or you do not want to be?" Mique looked Rhys in the eyes before focusing on the nymph; tapping it with her finger to check if she was alive, "I¡­ think she''s dead."


    "She is not," Malenia was the one who seemed sure, however, as she slithered toward them while brushing her palm on the trees that the nymph summoned, "The sacred nymphs are the heart of their creation ¡ª they die, and all the life they create withers with them. Hero, may I?"


    "I''m not¡­" Rhys didn''t really bother finishing his words as he just let out a long and deep sigh before making way for Malenia, who very gently picked up the nymph and cradled her on her bosom.


    "Should¡­ you really be doing that?" Mique grabbed her hand fan and once again started poking the nymph.


    "I will not tolerate you disrespecting the sacred nymph any further," Malenia quickly pped Mique''s hand away, "I know you are of indecent nature, but at least leave it in your pleasure house."


    "Oh, I am indecent ¡ª and the Hero knows it quite well," Mique smirked.


    "You''ve tainted the Hero," Malenia''s eyes twitched.


    "Quite the opposite¡­" Mique moved closer to Rhys and embraced him from behind, "...I''m the one that''s tainted with him; my insides were oozing."


    "I do not want to hear it, it is not the time or ce for it and it never will!" Malenia clicked her tongue as she carried the nymph back to her rest, gently cing her on the pedestal before moving back,


    "And now we wait again for her to wake. But if in turn she is still of feral nature, then the only choice is stone ¡ª may She forgive us for doing so."


    "I am quite sure Medusa would want us to put the nymph down," Mique shrugged, "Look at what she did to her shrine¡­ and can''t you just talk normally? Why are you pretending to be all prim and proper with the Hero?"


    "I am not pretending! You should be the one to stop pretending that you and I still know each other, Sister."


    "You¡ª"


    "Are¡­ the two of you able to turn her into stone?" Fortunately, Rhys was used to interrupting arguments due to Lina and Vicky''s endless quarrel ¡ª well, their quarrel somewhat halted when they were in bed together.


    "Yes," Malenia quickly answered, "Even my useless whore of a sister could."


    "I don''t think I appreciate your tone, Sister," Mique opened up her hand fan before ncing at Rhys, "And yes, that is the ability granted to us as priestesses ¡ª or rather, we were chosen as priestesses because we were born of Medusa''s powers."


    "Our abilities, however,e with a price¡­" Malenia closed her eyes and ced her hand on her chest, "...We lose parts of ourselves momentarily whenever we use it ¡ª be it memories, strength, scales¡­ and even our emotions. We are trained to harness our abilities, as it is the symbol that we are closer to Medusa¡­ but of course, my sister chose not to be closer to Her."


    "The secluded life of chastity is not for me, and perhaps it was meant by the Fates to be so. After all¡­


    ¡­I am the one who brought you to the Shrine of Medusa, and not my sister."


    "You¡ª"


    "She''s waking up."


    And before the two could start arguing again, Rhys felt a tingle crawling across his spine, and he instantly knew that the nymph was waking up. Malenia and Mique did not question Rhys at all even though the nymph was not even showing any signs of being awake; the sisters'' braids now both dancing in the air and their eyes glowing ¡ª ready to turn the nymph into stone if they needed to.


    As for Rhys, he just calmly hopped and limped closer to the nymph, causing the two sisters to blink a couple of times in confusion. They wanted to stop him, but they could not really release their focus on the nymph.


    "I apologize for hurting you, Ma''am," the tone of Rhys''s voice did not contain hints of fear or anxiousness at all; instead, it was calm¡­ warm, even, "But I need you to understand that I did that because you are¡­ hurting the nts. They are supposed to be your children that you nurture, not weapons to inflict pain on another being. The violence you are showing¡­


    ¡­does not equate with the beauty that you hold."


    The nymph did not have any Hearts floating above her head, not at all ¡ª but it doesn''t mean that Rhys could not get through it with flowery, and meaningful words that seem like ites very deep from his heart. Perhaps he should thank Mique for that, as during their half a day''s worth of intercourse, he learned how to also weave his words.


    "We are not going to hurt you, no one is here to hurt you," Rhys whispered very gently as he stood right in front of the pedestal.


    "Hero, please move a little!" Malenia raised her voice, "We can''t see her!"


    "It''s okay¡­" Rhys did not move at all and even gently ced his hand on the pedestal right beside the nymph, "...I am not¡ª"


    "Grr!" And before Rhys could finish his words, the nymph suddenly bit his finger ¡ª but of course, it did no damage at all, especially since the nymphs did not have any teeth at all.


    "My name is Rhys Wilder," Rhys then introduced himself as he just let the nymph do what she wants, "I would be more than honored if you also tell me yours, Ma''am."


    "...I," the nymph blinked a couple of times as she finally let go of Rhys''s finger; she then sped her head, slightly wincing from the pain she was feeling.


    "I''m not going to hurt you," Rhys calmly said as he even crouched down so that the nymph would have a slightly higher eye level than him, showing his submissiveness ¡ª but of course, that was not entirely the case. If the nymph even shows a single sign of aggressiveness again¡­


    ¡­Rhys would bite her down into pieces.


    "I am¡­" The nymph slightly whimpered; tears trailing down her cheeks as it seemed to truly be in pain. Soon, after, she looked at Rhys, "...I am Aeng, 4th daughter of the Nymph of Evening."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys nodded; not really saying anything as he just waited for the nymph to speak first. Aeng, however, stood up from the pedestal; growing a pair of wings before just flying in the air.


    "No¡­" Aeng''''s words whispered throughout the entire shrine; she covered her mouth, in disbelief at the destruction she caused, "...The chaos here is not something I intended. My mind is withering, unsure."


    "This isn''t your fault, Ma''am," Rhys limped and followed Aeng.


    "The fault is mine, that is no question," Aeng whispered before flying toward Rhys, and Rhys just instinctively raised his arm for her tond on it.


    Of course, Rhys wanted to quickly lower his arm as it might offend the nymph, thinking she was being treated like a bird ¡ª but Aeng did not seem to mind at all and even sat on Rhys''s forearm, "You are Rhys Wilder, the hero written to be the salvation of those near."


    "...You know the story too?" Rhys could really only sigh at Aeng''s words.


    "I was there when the words were carved into letters," Aeng''s wings returned to her back as she looked Rhys in the eyes, "I was there when the Goddess of Wisdom turned beauty into violence. I was there when your kind stood side by side with the gods, long before this polis ced its very first brick."


    "You''re¡­ thousands of years old?"


    "To count it is meaningless. We only exist when we are needed, our eyes closed when we are not," Aeng shook her head, "Even now, you have walked far longer than I have in this world, destined Hero."


    "That''s¡­ not me," Rhys shook his head.


    "But it is. I am Aeng, and you are Rhys Wilder ¡ª the Sister of Fates have weaved it so," Aeng shook her head, "You can not escape your destiny¡­


    ¡­Descendant of the Fallen, Eros the Betrayed. He who¡ª"


    "Stop it¡­" Rhys gritted his teeth,


    "...I don''t want to hear it."

 Chapter 276 Dodging Responsibilities

    "What do you think they''re talking about?"


    "I think it is none of our concern; to pry is to sin."


    "...But you should know, you''re the High Priestess."


    "No."


    "And why are we even outside? We can''t even understand a word they are saying."


    Mique and Malenia were now outside the shrine, standing by therge stone door as they gave Rhys and the nymph a privacy to talk. And perhaps it was a good thing that they did leave the shrine, as they saw the true extent of the nymph''s rampage.


    The damage wasn''t only inside the shrine, no¡ªthe city took most of it. While Rhys was fighting with the nymph in the shrine, it would seem that her abilities were also going amok throughout the entire city.


    And what was once a polis of sand and stone, was now covered in green and a violent sleuth of trees; some with roots even thicker and bigger than the houses they destroyed. Fortunately, there did not seem to be a lot of deaths even though the people were evacuated toote since most were outside their homes when it happened.


    "Do¡­ you truly believe that it''s him?" Mique nced at the door and sighed, "The Hero of Prophecy?"


    "You are the one who brought him here, Sister," while Malenia looked at her sister in disbelief.


    "Well, I also wanted an excuse to see how you were doing. And¡­ it''s a shame if he is," Mique smirked while fanning herself.


    "Why would it be a shame? The Hero of Prophecy is here."


    "...Because he is the besty I have ever experienced. And it is not even close," Mique''s smirk turned into a coquettish giggle before licking her lips, "Oh, dear sister. If only you knew just how good it felt with him inside me, it was an¡­ an experience."


    "You are disgusting," Malenia scoffed, "And you put the Hero in chains. Of course, he would follow you when you turned him into a servant ¡ª I could have the shivens apprehend you for that."


    "Arrest me for what, indulging myself with things that make me feel good?" Mique raised an eyebrow, "Then you should apprehend every citizen in this city and let those living outside the walls in instead. And the concept of the High Priestess is outdated, and not to mention unfair ¡ª you are the High Priestess, you should be able toy whoever you want toy."


    "Sister!"


    "My words are only telling the truth," Mique crossed her arms, causing her gold chains to dangle, "You are the highest authority in this city, even more so than the governess. Let me send you a couple of servants after all of this is done."


    "No."


    "Oh? Quite picky, Sister. Fine then, I will ask the Hero toy you."


    "..."


    "What is this¡­?" Mique raised an eyebrow, "Why am I not sensing bouts of refusaling from you, Sister? Could it be you have a little crush on our Hero?"


    "I bear no such shameful feelings for the Hero! What I have is only admiration, nothing more."


    "W¡ª"


    "I wish for this matter to be over!" Malenia looked away, "Rhys Wilder is meant for greater things. Things that are bigger than us¡­


    ¡­we do not belong together."


    And while the two gorgon sisters were talking and bickering with each other, Aeng and Rhys werepletely silent as the two were just facing each other. Aeng had been trying to tell Rhys about the prophecy and his lineage, but Rhys was not giving her the chance to do so.


    "You are refusing your role in all of this ¡ª understandable. But what you need to realize is that you do not have that luxury, Hero."


    "I don''t need the luxury because I''m not the guy in the prophecy, I have been telling that since earlier," Rhys shook his head for the hundredth time.


    "You say that, Hero. But look at me, and look at where you are," Aeng stretched her arms to the side, "You are here, and not where you want to be."


    "I''m here because a giant eagle attacked our ship in the orange ocean."


    "And why was there a giant eagle, Hero?" Aeng tilted her head to the side, blinking a couple of times as she looked up at Rhys, "And why would a giant eagle attacking your ship lead you here, and not to the embraces of death? The creatures of the ocean are unkind, without mercy, and without discrimination ¡ª strong as you are, they would have torn you into pieces more than you already are."


    "T¡ª"


    "You can not escape your destiny, Hero," Aeng did not let Rhys speak as she raised her palm, "You can change the path you take, but it will always lead you to the same destination. It is an inevitability."


    "...So, am I supposed to just ept it?" The tone of Rhys''s voice changed as he closed his eyes, "This is not what I want."


    "Is it not?" Aeng once again looked Rhys in the eyes, "I sense something in you that my kind has not sensed in the other heroes of old. Like you, they had the will, the ambition, the bravery, and the luck to traverse their path; what they did not have that you have aplenty, however¡­


    ¡­is greed."


    "Because I''m not a hero," Rhys smiled as he heard the nymph''s words, "There''s your proof, Ma''am."


    "On the contrary, that just makes you different," Aeng shook her head, "But I sense that I can not persuade in this matter ¡ª but I do not need to. You can not escape your fate. But for now, my mouth will no longer convince you of this, Hero."


    "Thank you," Rhys sighed, "And please, I''ve listened to what you want to say¡­ please hear out mine."


    "As a matter of course," Aeng nodded, "You and I have a contact, I will oblige."


    "The nymph that you said was being tortured. Do you know where she is being held and who is doing that to her, Ma''am?" Rhys asked, "I need to know so we can save her."


    "And you say that you are not a hero," Aeng smiled.


    "I''m not ¡ª it''s just part of my mission."


    "You avoid your fate, but use it to your advantage at the same time." This time, Aeng also smiled, "You are only able to ask that question because fate brought you here, Hero."


    "...You said you won''t mention it anymore."


    "I only said that I will not persuade you. But to answer your question¡­


    ¡­I do not know where she is, or who is hurting her. I could, however, point you in the right direction."


    "If I take you with me, will you be able to guide me there?" Rhys stood up, "Are¡­ you able to leave this ce?"


    "I may be," Aeng also stood up, but not before raising her finger and causing the roots to once again dance inside the shrine¡­ before crawling toward Rhys.


    "T¡ª"


    "Do not move, Hero," Aeng muttered as the roots started slithering around Rhys''s dismembered leg and arm, "It will not be as strong as your lost limbs, and will shatter if you use them inbat ¡ª but at the very least, it will make your life morefortable."


    Rhys then watched as the roots started to take shape, replicating his lost arm and leg, "This is¡ª"


    "I told you not to move, Hero¡­ this will hurt."


    And before Rhys could even say anything else, tiny, thread-like roots started to dig through his flesh.


    "!!!"


    Rhys had experienced the harshest pain even at an early age; this pain, however, was something else entirely. His brain almost instinctively caused him to lose consciousness there and then.


    "Kh¡­"


    "Endure it, Hero," Aeng walked closer to Rhys as he dropped to the ground, "Because from this moment forward, that will be the least pain you will experience ¡ª the path of a Hero is tragic; filled with death and destruction."


    "Heh¡­" Rhys only smiled and gritted his teeth as he looked at Aeng as she stood beside his head, "This¡­ is nothing, Ma''am."


    "But of course," Aeng smiled and nodded, "The removal is the more painful part, so use it well and do not destroy them so soon, Hero."


    "..."


    Rhys and Aeng spent a few more minutes inside the shrine. Those few minutes, however, felt an eternity for Rhys as the wooden limbs connected through his nerves ¡ª how that even worked, well, as most modern scientists would deduce¡­ magic.


    "Hero!"


    And finally, Rhys stepped out of the shrine; finally, he was able to walk with both feet nted on the ground.


    "You look¡­ strong," Malenia took in a small gulp as she quickly lowered her sight.


    "I agree," Mique, on the other hand, feasted with her eyes, "I wonder how even better you are now, Hero. Shall¡­ we coil again in my sheets?"


    "Sis¡ª"


    "There is no time for that."


    And before Mique and Malenia could even start arguing, they both bowed their heads as Aeng flew and sat on Rhys''s shoulder,


    "The Hero and I are to depart."


    "What is she saying, Hero? Are you... leaving? But¡­


    ¡­you''re the hero?"

 Chapter 277 The Peculiar Start of the Heros Journey

    "It would seem I have destroyed much of this city ¡ª we must hurry, Hero; if not, my kind will destroy this world."


    "I¡­ agree, Ma''am. If just one of you can already destroy an area thisrge in minutes, I could really only imagine what hundreds of you would do in an hour. But first, supplies."


    It would seem Aeng had already be ustomed to sitting on Rhys''s shoulder, and she even made some sort of seat and a harness so that she wouldn''t fall whenever Rhys moves and tilts his body ¡ª which he was doing a lot since they were picking up supplies.


    Malenia said that she could pick up anything she wanted around the city, and the Shrine of Medusa would pay for it. Of course, he felt bad about it since the supplies are probably needed by the city after more than half of it was destroyed by Aeng, but it would seem they have more than enough because their kind naturally liked to hoard things.


    "I could return this city to the way it was before, but they refused," Aeng looked around as the gorgons bowed their heads at her, "They said that the city had never been filled with much life before, and that they would like for it to remain this way ¡ª filled with the pulsating verdant dome."


    "...I do agree that it has more character to it now," Rhys looked around him, and the once beige and almost gray city had truly be filled with life; some parts even had water trailing from it, causing the gorgon servants to dig a canal across the city, "We''re done, this should be enough to at leastst us more than a month ¡ª are you sure you don''t eat anything?"


    "My kind feeds on the very essence of the world," Aeng shook her head before she stood up and then flew into therge bag Rhys was storing all the supplies in. She then opened one of the pockets outside and got in it.


    "That''s convenient," Rhys breathed in as he carried the bag on his back; using both his hands to secure it, "...Both hands, another convenience."


    "Are you getting used to your new limbs?" Aeng made herselffortable on the bag, only revealing her head and arms as she spoke with Rhys.


    "Yes," Rhys looked at his wooden hand while opening and closing it, "Wearing the mechanical leg already helped me get used to not feeling anything ¡ª and you said it was fragile, but it should be enough."


    Rhys ced his wooden hand on one of the stone debris before just casually shaving the hard stone with his fingers.


    "I meant it is fragilepared to your body, Hero," Aeng shook her head, "I have already tested the durability of your flesh, it is thick and hard."


    "I could attest to that."


    And as Rhys was just making his way out of the city, Mique suddenly slithered beside him and joined their conversation,


    "You truly not staying for at least another sleep, Hero?"


    "No¡­" Rhys sighed, "...Ma''am Aeng only knows the general direction of where her brethren are being kept ¡ª time isn''t really on my side, and I''m also hoping to meet some of my friends on the way there since I''m sure that''s where the mission is leading them."


    "That¡­ is the longest I''ve heard you talk," Mique let out a small but very deep breath as she smiled, "I suppose you are really excited to get reunited with your friends. Still, I''m really d I met you, Rhys Wilder."


    "...I feel the same, Mique."


    "Well, I guess we did more than meet," Mique let out a small giggle as she covered her lips with her hand fan. After a few more breaths, however, Mique stopped slithering beside Rhys and stayed behind,


    "This is where we part ways, Hero. I''m not good with farewells since I have not really done so before, so¡­ if a timees that you get tired with your great destiny¡­


    ¡­you are wee toy with me again."


    "...Hm," Rhys only looked Mique in the eyes for a few seconds, before smiling and nodding his head and walking away. She still had 3 Hearts floating above her head, and Rhys would have truly liked to gain her ability ¡ª but he truly did not have the time.


    "I expected no less from the descendant of Eros," Aengmented, "Are you nning onying with me too?"


    "...No," Rhys almost tripped as soon as he heard that ¡ª aside from the fact that Aeng did not have Hearts floating above her head, she was only asrge as his arm. If they happen to do it, he would¡ªno.


    Rhys quickly shook his head to stop himself from thinking about it.


    "You have thought about it, yes?" Aeng said casually, "But I apologize, I do not have holes down there ¡ª only half of us are capable of procreating, and I unfortunately was not chosen to be one."


    "I¡­ see," Rhys did not really know what to do with that information¡­ well, he did ¡ª but he couldn''t really imagine how he would even start filling up their Hearts, if they did have Hearts floating above their head.


    Rhys was once again stuck with his own thoughts, not even noticing that he was already outside the city; the male gorgons, all looking at him weirdly. How could they not, when most of them were unaware of his existence? Some, however, had their eyes wide open as they recognized Rhys as the one being dragged across the ground just a day before.


    No one approached him, after all, with what happened to the city, they were sure he had something to do with it.


    "Hmn¡­"


    "...Are you going to miss this ce?" Rhys really only woke up from his stupor as he heard Aeng letting out a small hum when they gained some distance from the walls and the tents of the male gorgons outside the city.


    "I barely even know it, Hero," Aeng whispered, "As I have told you earlier, our kind spend most of our time in the realm of dreams. But¡­ I suppose I would be lying if I said I would not miss it ¡ª I was here when it was created, after all. Sentiment and nostalgia, very peculiar things."


    "Are¡­ you sure you don''t want to just stay here?"


    "What for?" Aeng moved her eyes away from the city, "I would just sleep again ¡ª my existence here is the same as the stone lying around on the ground, merely a decoration. Let us go, Hero. I¡­ am sensing her pain again ¡ª that way."


    "Alright," Rhys breathed in as he adjusted the backpack, "Let''s¡ª"


    And before Rhys could start running, he quickly leaped back as severalrge lizards suddenly ran past in front of him; all tied to some sort of spherical carriage that looked like a luxurious egg ¡ª that was the best way Rhys could describe it. Rhys, however, was focusing more on the lizards; they were fast, perhaps only slower than a cenleon.


    Rhys then looked at the one driving the carriage, and¡­ it looked like a shiven judging from what she was wearing.


    "Hero."


    And it truly was a shiven, since the carriage opened up with the High Priestess Malenia riding in it.


    "Ma''am," Rhys quickly stood straight up as Malenia called him, "You¡­ did not really have to follow me all the way here to say goodbye. You have a lot of work to do."


    "I am not here to offer my farewell, Hero," Malenia shook her head and smiled.


    "...Your sister said the same thing," Rhys also smiled back before letting out a small breath, "It''s been short, but it was a pleasure meeting you, High Priestess."


    "The pleasure and honor was solely mine, Hero," Malenia shook her head, "And you seem to have misunderstood ¡ª I am not here to offer my farewell, but mypanionship¡­


    ¡­I will join you in your journey, Hero."


    "You¡­?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at Malenia. And once again, it was useless to read their desires as they said everything that was on their mind ¡ª the only thing that Rhys could really do was look at the Hearts floating above her head, 3 of them filled up,


    "But you''re the High Priestess."


    "Not anymore," Malenia shook her head, "I leave that position to my sister. Starting now, I am the Hero''s Priestess ¡ª as is written in the prophecy."


    "Nothing like that is written," Aeng quickly climbed from the bag and onto Rhys''s shoulder.


    "...Are you sure?" Rhys looked Malenia in the eyes, "You might die."


    "Then that is my purpose," Malenia said without any hesitation, "W¡ª"


    "Malenia!"


    And before Malenia could say what she wanted to say, a loud scream started to reverberate from afar. Rhys quickly looked back, only to see Mique rushing toward them while being stopped by the shrine maidens.


    "Malenia, you snake! I don''t want this position, Malenia!"


    "Hero¡­" Malenia''s voice quickly became hurried, "...I would truly like it if you get on."


    "...Right." Rhys did not really have a reason to refuse as he quickly got on the carriage, "Is¡­ your sister going to be okay?"


    "Well¡­


    ¡­I hope not."

 Chapter 278 Spicy

    "Did¡­ you reallyy with Mique, Hero?"


    "...Yes."


    Rhys really only hesitated for a few moments before truthfully answering Malenia ¡ª there was no use in denying it at all, as the gorgons seemed to have an innate skill to tell if someone was lying or not. They had been in the carriage for more than 3 hours now, and judging from how fast they were moving, they were already quite far away from Malenia''s city.


    Although Rhys was not sure of it, they were probably going at least 70 miles per hour, which was quite impressive since they had not lost speed at all.


    The cenleons were faster, but they could not really run for long, unlike the lizards that were pulling the carriage ¡ª not to mention the weight of the carriage shouldn''t be a joke at all, as there were also a handful of shivens on the outside along with the driver.


    "I would probably still be there if you and your sister didn''t mistake me for this so-called hero," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh, "Although I''m not really versed in your culture, it would seem that I was owned by your sister?"


    "...I did hear that other cultures arepletely different from ours," Malenia let out a small hum as she closed her eyes, "But yes, my sister owned you by contract ¡ª and she owns a lot of servants for her dirty flesh house."


    "The servants, they''re only men?"


    "Yes. Is¡­ that not the case with your people?" Malenia looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "very was practiced before, but it has be hical thest hundred years."


    "We don''t have ves, Hero," Malenia quickly shook her head, "We have servants."


    "I¡­ didn''t really see the difference."


    "The difference is that¡ªforgive me. I suppose it doesn''t matter," Malenia sighed, "There is no use in trying to learn my culture now as I believe we will not return for a very long time. But I still do wish to return to our earlier topic. What¡­ would you have done if my sister didn''t bring you to the shrine? Would¡­ you truly actually be working with your¡­ with your flesh?"


    "Right¡­" Rhys shrugged as he looked outside the carriage. They had been traveling for 3 hours, and yet they were still in a Desert Region ¡ª he had never really experienced something like this before. He knew he was washed away somewhere, but how far was he actually from the Russea?


    "...I would most probably still be in the brothel."


    "...Would you have preferred that more?" Malenia cleared her throat as she slightly looked down, "To be surrounded by flesh and pleasure? My¡­ my sister told me that you¡­ you were better than most of her servants, and it¡­ it was not even aparison."


    "I¡­ have certain advantages," Rhys slightly squinted his eyes as he tried to read deeper into Malenia''s desires, but he could hear nothing that Malenia hadn''t already mentioned or said, "And¡­ I guess I would''ve been really popr in that kind of work."


    "That''s¡­" Malenia once again took in a small gulp as she slightly nced at Rhys''s thigh before once again quickly looking away, "Then¡­ do you crave it as my sister does?"


    "...Crave what?" Rhys looked at Malenia.


    "Flesh," Malenia then knocked on the walls of the carriage. And as she did so, they slowly came to a halt, "I¡­ I¡­"


    "Hm¡­?" Rhys slightly leaned away from the window as he saw Malenia''s face getting redder by the second. He then looked at the Hearts floating above her head, but there wasn''t really any progress with it, "You don''t really¡ª"


    "...I may not be able to provide it to you," Malenia''s voice slightly turned meek as she opened the door of the carriage, revealing 3 shivens waiting outside, "But¡­ they can."


    "That''s not really necessary, I''m¡ª"


    "Please, Hero," Malenia shook her head, "I have already told them their purpose, they would¡­ feel sad if you refuse."


    Malenia then gestured to the 3 shivens to enter the carriage, all of them, quickly moving to Rhys''s side and taking off their already revealing clothes. Malenia then closed the door, with her still inside.


    "O¡­ of course, as the High Priestess," Malenia''s face turned even redder as she once again knocked on the walls of the carriage, continuing their journey, "I must witness this act."


    "T¡ª" Rhys was about to say something, but then he noticed Malenia''s 4th empty Heart slowly gaining a little fill.


    And so, after thinking about it for a single millisecond, Rhys just let out a small breath and pulled one of the shivens closer to him, kissing her by the neck and causing her to moan ¡ª and to Rhys''s surprise¡­ Malenia also let out a small whimper, right at the same time as the shiven.


    Rhys slightly squinted his eyes at this. He then made sure to keep his eyes on Malenia before licking and sucking on the shiven''s teats, only for him to see Malenia biting her lip and slightly covering her breasts.


    Was she¡­ actually feeling what the shivens were feeling?


    And so, to test this thought, Rhys then very gently moved his fingers toward the shiven''s clit. And as soon as he did so, Malenia almost jumped from her seat while touching just above her scales.


    "Oh¡­" Rhys whispered as he pulled another shiven closer to him. The shivens also had Hearts floating above their head, but the only one he was truly interested in was Malenia ¡ª the ability to turn even a nymph into stone would prove to be¡­ extremely useful.


    And so, Rhys was now extremely determined. Before they could reach their destination¡­ he would try to fill Malenia''s Hearts.


    "High Priestess Malenia¡­" Rhys whispered as he looked Malenia in the eyes while removing his clothes,


    "...Do witness."


    ***


    "H¡­haa¡­nh¡­" After a few more hours, Rhys and Malenia were now once again alone in the carriage. With Malenia fully covering her mouth with her hand to avoid letting out a loud whimper in front of Rhys.


    The shivens only just went out a few minutes ago, all of them quite reluctant to even take a single slither out of the carriage. However, they could really only follow the stuttering and high-pitched words of their High Priestess.


    Malenia could barely even breathe, her facepletely flushed and her body filled with sweat¡­ and there was also the fact that the sheets she used to hide her lower pair of lips werepletely drenched.


    "Are¡­ you alright, High Priestess?"


    "Y¡­yes," Malenia cleared her throat before gasping for air, "Why¡­ why would I not be? And¡­ and it would seem my sister was not exaggerating. As expected of the Hero, your¡­ your vigor is something else. And¡­ and it would seem you''re still not¡­ tired."


    Malenia''s eyes then widened as she saw Rhys''s cock still as hard and almost as big as her skinny arm.


    "Should¡­ should I call them back?" Malenia could barely even lift her hands. She was about to knock on the walls again, but Rhys moved toward her and grabbed her wrist, "E¡­eep!"


    "You¡­ don''t need to do that, High Priestess," Rhys then looked Malenia in the eyes; their faces, only a foot away from each other.


    Malenia''s breath turned heavier by the millisecond ¡ª millisecond, as she was breathing incredibly fast as she returned Rhys''s gaze.


    "But¡ªbut¡­ I can''t do it," Malenia opened her mouth, seemingly wanting to stick out her tongue and just kiss Rhys there and then; the Hearts floating above her head, now only a single one not filled, "I¡­ I made a sacred oath that I must keep. I¡ªeven if it''s for the sake of the Hero, I can''t¡ª"


    "...I''m not talking about that," Rhys blinked a couple of times as he let go of Malenia''s wrist and slowly got back to his seat, "I think we arrived somewhere."


    "W¡­what?" Malenia stared at Rhys for a few seconds before his words registered in her mind. She then quickly looked outside, only to see her subordinates talking to other gorgons, "Those people¡­ they''re from Hortho City."


    "Hortho City?"


    "Yes," Malenia nodded her head, "They¡­ are a muchrger city than ours. It''s where I took my oath as a High Priestess. I did not really expect that the direction the Nymph of the 4th Night Forest would pointed us to would lead us to Hortho."


    "...Madam Aeng, wake up," Rhys then quickly patted his bag several times, and it was only at the 5th pat that Aeng emerged from inside the bag, "Is this our destination?"


    "No," Aeng quickly shook her head, "We are not even close ¡ª continue riding in this direction, I will go back to sleep."


    "What¡­ did she say?" Malenia looked at Rhys as soon as Aeng returned to the bag.


    "We still have a long way to go," Rhys shook his head, "Should we rest here before we¡ª"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, he and Malenia watched as the people from Hortho City suddenly threw a on the shivens and started covering them in chains.


    "What¡­!? What is the meaning of this?" Malenia''s eyes widened. She was about to open the door, but Rhys stopped her from doing so.


    The remaining shivens tried to fight back, but they were also quickly apprehended as the other side just had too many people ¡ª and soon, those people slithered they way toward the carriage.


    "Right¡­" Rhys let out a long and very deep sigh as he just freely opened the door and stepped out,


    "...It''s never that easy, huh?"

 Chapter 279 Caterpillar

    "Is¡­ something the matter here?"


    "Are you the High Priestess of your city?"


    Rhys and Malenia stayed beside the carriage for a few moments, waiting if the people from the Hortho city would let them pass. But after a few minutes, they noticed the situation getting more and more heated up as the people from the city became slightly aggressive for some reason, and Malenia could no longer stand on the side.


    "I was, I have since abdicated the honor to my sister, But I, and always will be, loyal to the Shrine of Medusa," Malenia then showed her wrist, which carried the tattoo proving she was a High Priestess, "I still carry the title, and I travel for a mission that would¡ª"


    "Tch. You are not allowed entry into the city, go back to where you came from." But before she could finish her words, however, the people from Hortho city raised their voices and even tightened their hold on their spears.


    "How dare you speak to the High Priestess like that?"


    "Shut your mouth if you do not want this spear in it, begone!"


    "You¡ª"


    "It is fine." Malenia quickly moved in front of the shivens before themotion could turn violent ¡ª and judging by the way the people from Hortho city were reacting, there was a very high chance of that.


    "It is not fine, High Priestess!" The gorgon warrior shook her head vehemently as she red at the people blocking their path, "These people are disrespecting you! Even if they are from a bigger city, the High Priestess'' authority will always be in the highest order, rip off your scales and repent!"


    "Even if she is the reincarnation of Medusa herself, we don''t care ¡ª now, scram, or this sand will be where your scales rest!"


    "Y¡ª"


    "Enough," Malenia sighed as she raised her palm, trying her best not to lose herposure ¡ª being respected and followed was the only advantage she appreciated from her title, and now that it was being spat on¡­ she was slowly reaching the limit of her patience, "We don''t seek residence in your city, we only want passage.


    Hortho City is between two long and tall teaus, it would take us hours to go around it and¡ª"


    "We have already warned you once!" The female gorgon who was leading the group from Hortho pointed her spear at Malenia, and without even any hesitation, she rushed toward her with the intent to just stab through her eyes.


    But of course, the shivens quickly moved to protect her, parrying the spear and quickly countering with her own attack.


    "No, stop it!" Malenia screamed as she truly did not want the altercation between them to reach their cities. Malenia''s shiven, of course, instantly stopped by her order. Her opponent, however, did not have the same restraint as the de of her spear drew near and fast the shiven.


    Malenia''s eyes were about to glow, but they only widened as she saw the person from Hortho''s head just suddenly tilt forward and her body tilt back before she just dropped to the ground like a wet noodle.


    "What¡­" The woman''spanions all just stared at her, only for them to notice after a few seconds that there was a wet clump of sand sticking to her chin. Malenia and her shivens also saw this, and they all quickly looked back ¡ª and there, Rhys had his arm stretched forward, with traces of wet sand slowly dropping from his fingers.


    "They attacked first," Rhys then shrugged as he finally approached the group; patting his hands clean while doing so, which felt a little weird for him as he had already gotten used to having only a single hand, "I''m just returning the favor ¡ª it''s okay if I just knock them down, right?"


    "...No," Malenia slowly shook her head, "Violence is not¡ª"


    "Die!"


    And with him still looking at Malenia, Rhys casually caught the de of the spear with his bare wooden hand, and then also casually snapped it into two with his fingers ¡ª and without even giving the attacker any time to react, Rhys then tugged on the spear and pulled her close¡­ before just striking her on the chin and also knocking her out with the same wooden hand.


    But it would seem Rhys was not as used to controlling the strength on his new arm, however, as he almost snapped the woman''s jaw in half.


    "...Hm," Rhys breathed out while shaking his head. But after a few moments, he just rushed toward the remaining person; this time using his left fist so that it would not identally crush the woman''s jaw.


    "!!!"


    Rhys, however, suddenly stopped advancing with his fist just inches away from the woman''s chin. And not even a millisecondter, he heard a crack from his fist, he quickly looked at it, only to see his knuckles and fingers turning into stone.


    He quickly leaped away and rushed to Malenia''s side, before looking at the female gorgon that slowly slithered her way toward them, apanied by several male gorgons.


    No, the female gorgon was not slithering her way at all, as she was being carried on some sort of pnquin by the male gorgons; except the pnquin had no walls or roof at all¡­ most probably because of the female gorgon''s size ¡ª she wasrger than Rhys in terms of width. She was fat¡ªno, she was morbidly obese to the point that she couldn''t even seem to move her snake-like limb.


    "Hero, your hand¡­"


    "Hm?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at his hand, and the petrification now reached his wrist. He was about to say something, but Malenia just very gently grabbed his hand; her eyes gently glowing as she stared at it ¡ª and almost instantly, his hand turned back to normal,


    "...Thank you, High Priestess. I thought I was about to have two wooden arms."


    "You do not need to thank me, Hero ¡ª it is my duty to serve and protect you," Malenia then closed her eyes as she ced Rhys''s hand on her cheek. But after a few seconds, she realized what she was doing and quickly let go of Rhys''s hand ¡ª slithering away to hide her reddening face,


    "I am High Priestess Malenia, serving the Shrine of Medusa," Malenia then approached the pnquin and showed her tattoo to the fat gorgon, "Greetings, fellow High Priestess. I am here on a mission and was hoping to pass by¡ª"


    "Let me down," the fat gorgon did not let Malenia finish her words at all; interrupting her as she ordered her servants to lower the pnquin. The fat gorgon then looked at Malenia from head to toe, before letting out a scoff that caused her triple chin to giggle,


    "I am Governess Rheadan, state your purpose for invading my city."


    "...Governess?" Malenia whispered; squinting her eyes as she looked at the tattoo on Rheadan''s arm. And although it was almost distorted due to her thick and plump arm, it was the same tattoo that Malenia had, "But you have the Shrine of Medusa on¡ª"


    "We have abolished that archaic and useless practice," Rheadan snorted. She tried approaching Malenia, but failed to slither as she could not even move her limb for even a single millimeter. And so, she just pped one of her servants, making them slightly lift up the pnquin so that they could move closer to Malenia,


    "And I, Governess Rheadan, hold the sole authority of Hortho City ¡ª and I say that you are not wee here."


    "...We only seek passage, Governess," Malenia''s eyes tried their best not to twitch.


    "No one from the other cities is allowed entry to the city!" Governess Rheadan raised her voice, "Especially not a High Priestess! You think I would let you undermine my authority after I worked hard to be in the position that I am in!?"


    "I''m not¡ª"


    "Go back, if not ¡ª you will force us to go back to your city with our warriors and¡­ and¡ªWhat is that?" Rheadan slightly lost breath as soon as her eyes suddenlynded on Rhys; her eyes, looking at him from head to toe before settling on his face, "...Is that someone from another race? A¡­ human?"


    "Please, Governess ¡ª I would appreciate it if you address him with respect. He is the Hero of¡ª"


    "I will grant you passage," Rheadan then smirked as she looked Malenia in the eyes, "And in exchange, I will let you pass through the city."


    "I am afraid that is not going to happen," Malenia raised an eyebrow, "He is the Hero of¡ª"


    "I will even add gold for your servant," Rheadan''s plump lips started to rise as she once again looked at Rhys; her braids, barely even holding on to each other due to her thinning hair, "And you may even choose to pick one of my finest servants that you see here now ¡ª Ooh¡­ I can''t wait to taste that¡ª"


    "Look here, you fat disgusting caterpir."


    Not only Rheadan, but the shivens, the servants, and Rhys all looked at Malenia as soon as she said that; her voice, extremely seething and furious.


    "What¡­ what did you just call me?"

 Chapter 280 Gratitude

    "What¡­ did you just call me?"


    Rhys had always thought that the gorgons'' inability to keep their thoughts in their mind would surely always lead to trouble. And right now, he was witnessing just that. Just moments ago, Malenia was trying her best to mediate and calm the situation down; even when the Shrine of Medusa was insulted, she kept her calm.


    But as soon as she saw Governess Rheadan staring at Rhys from head to toe while licking her lips, her impatience just instantly reached its limit.


    "I called you a fat caterpir, you can barely even move your limb ¡ª and I could see through your scales since your skin is stretching. What I can''t see, however, is your neck; which one is it from the 6 I am seeing?" Malenia said in the span of 5 seconds while staring Rheadan in the eyes,


    "And is that cosmetics on your lips, or is it sauce?"


    "You¡­you dare insult me!? Right in my city!?" Rheadan pointed her chubby finger at Malenia.


    "I am only stating facts, and we are not in your city. Your city is still half a mile there and I can see its gates," Malenia shook her head as she pointed at therge stone gate that was in between even taller teaus, "Maybe if you just let us pass like we wanted, we would have already been gone by now.


    Please, Governess, as someone who had served the Shrine of Medusa, I am asking you to let us pass ¡ª I am on a very important mission."


    "You think you have the right to even look at Hortho after what you said to me!?" Rheadan screamed as she tried to slither her way out of her pnquin, but failed to do so, "Hear this, you and your people are to never set foot in Hortho ever again, I forbid it! I forbid it! What are all of you just looking at them for, kill them!"


    And as Rheadan said that, the remaining warrioresses raised their spears again¡­ and a dozen more suddenly emerged from the sand,pletely surrounding Malenia and the group. Rhys did not really realize they could do that, and he did not even sense them even with his heightened abnormal senses.


    Well, it made sense that he wouldn''t detect them at all ¡ª the only threat on the other side was Rheadan, and she could barely even move.


    "Malenia," Rhys then stood behind Malenia and whispered, "I will kill everyone but the fat one, will that be alright?"


    "That¡­" Malenia nced at Rhys before looking at the warriors inching toward them. She still seemedpletely hesitant, but the only thing she could really do was nod, "...They are trying to kill us, they left us no choice. Shivens, prepare to¡ª"


    "Shivens!" Malenia could not finish her words before Rhys interrupted her, "Prioritize protecting the High Priestess and the carriage."


    "Wh¡ª" And once again, before Malenia could say anything, Rhys just leaped into the air. And as he did so, 7 scalpels fell from his trusty utility belt ¡ª but before the scalpels could actually drop down, he caught each and every one of them and threw them one by one; each letting out thunders as he threw them at full force towards the warriors'' heads.


    All the scalpels hit the warriors right at the very center of their foreheads, justpletely stabbing into their heads and through the back like their skulls were just made of tofu.


    He did all of this while he was still ascending in the air, and when he was starting to fall; he tugged his hand and pulled all the scalpels back to him, which actually had threads attached to them ¡ª these sharp threadspletely tore through the warriors'' heads, and before the others could react, Rhys swung his arm and sliced through the remaining warriors¡­


    ¡­doing so before his feet even returned to the sand.


    And when his feet did drop back to the sand, so did the corpses of the warriors who died without even knowing what killed them.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then let out a small breath as he looked at the servants carrying the pnquin; wondering if he should also kill them. But after thinking about it for a few seconds, he chose not to do so ¡ª after all, he was sure they would still need to carry the Governess back to the city,


    The shivens could really only nce at Rhys; they were only about to bring Malenia back to the carriage by Rhys''s orders, but before they could even drag her 3 steps to the carriage, Rhys had already killed the warriors ¡ª there was no need for them to do anything at all.


    "Now then," Rhys nced at Malenia before looking at Rheadan. And with another sigh, he started approaching the governess. Rheadan''s eyes quickly lit up as soon as he noticed Rhys walking toward her, but before she could even turn anything into stone, she found her eyes being showered by sand.


    Of course, their eyes were resistant to the inconvenience that sand brings ¡ª and Rhys knew this. And so, Rhys just quickly shot out a web of thread from his fingers andpletely covered Rheadan''s eyes.


    Rheadan''s servants did not really do anything, and even moved away as Rhys drew closer.


    "How do you want to do this, High Priestess?" Rhys then nced back at Malenia, "I don''t think we can push through using diplomacy here."


    "...Diplomacy was not an option from the start," Malenia also let out a long and very deep sigh as she slithered next to Rhys while shaking her head at the sorry sight of Rheadan, "I could only assume, but it would seem she got tired of being the High Priestess and decided to rule Hortho instead ¡ª for what reason, I do not know why. She¡ª"


    "Do you think that you could¡ªHrmph!?" Rheadan was about to scream her lungs out, but before she could do so, Rhys also covered her mouth with webs.


    "Do you want me to scout ahead?" Rhys looked at the gates of the city from afar.


    "No," Malenia shook her head as she approached Rheadan''s servants, raising her arm and showing the tattoo of the High Priestess. And as soon as she did so, the servants all bowed their heads and tucked their limbs,


    "Why is your High Priestess serving as the Governess of your city?"


    "That¡­" The servants all looked at each other before nodding at the same time.


    Apparently, Malenia''s guess was almost spot-on. Rheadan ordered her shivens to overtake their city ¡ªpletely abandoning the Shrine of Medusa and even tearing it down.


    "When¡­ did that happen?"


    "Several sheddings ago, it has been a very long time," the servant bowed his head further down as he spoke to Malenia, "I was there when the High Priestess turned the governess into stone. And¡ª"


    "She turned the governess into stone?" Malenia stopped the servant from talking, "Did they shatter her stone and kill her?"


    "N¡­no. She keeps her petrified body next to her bed, she¡ª"


    "That means there is still a chance that she is alive," Malenia looked at Rhys.


    "That''s not our problem, High Priestess," Rhys let out a small sigh while shaking his head, "I can bring the Governess to the city to create some chaos, and in the meantime, the servants could take you and the carriage past the city."


    "No, please¡­!" The servants then all bowed their heads down again as they slithered closer to Malenia, "No one¡­ no one likes Governess Rheadan! They''re all just scared of her, and only the shivens follow her orders! She¡­ she had to turn the other city guards into stone too!"


    "If that''s the case¡­" Rhys ced his hand on his chin, "...Then I suppose that might prove faster than trying to create chaos in the city. But the first time I notice someone even looking at us funny, High Priestess ¡ª I am going to carry you and the nymph out of the city."


    "E¡­even me?"


    "Of course," Rhys nodded as he looked at the Hearts floating above Malenia''s head, "I need you."


    "The¡­ The Hero needs me¡­?" Malenia quickly looked away, "We¡­ we should be quick then, bring her inside the city!"


    Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, no chaos really happened and Malenia did not have the chance to be carried by Rhys out of the city. Instead, all the citizens weed them with open arms; some of them even cheered and cried as soon as they saw the fat governess tied up.


    Rhys truly thought that there would be some sort of altercation and he had to kill more people again, but nothing happened ¡ª and instead, they truly did save a lot of gorgons. But sadly¡­


    "...Most of them will die if I undo their petrification."


    The petrified guards were already in a dpidated state, most of them either missing limbs or their heads were cracked. Perhaps the only weing news was that the previous governess was alive and well.


    "You¡­ you have my utmost and eternal gratitude, High Priestess!"


    "Please, Governess, we only did what we are supposed to do ¡ª I am with the¡­ Where''s the Hero?"


    But while Malenia was talking and being thanked by the people, Rhys was currently in front of the ruined Shrine of Medusa with Aeng sitting on his shoulder.


    "I do not feel my sister here, Hero," Aeng had her eyes closed.


    "Was¡­ she killed?"


    "No, I would have felt it," Aeng shook her head, "But it would seem the Fates have once again guided your steps, Hero ¡ª the lingering presence left of my sister on this ruined shrine¡­


    ¡­it is the same as the one who is howling in pain."


    "I see..." Rhys''s eyebrows lowered, "I guess we could spare some time...


    ...and interrogate the fat caterpir."

 Chapter 281 Unnecessary Torture

    "Wake up."


    "Gkuhkh!?"


    A loud snorting echoed throughout the entire dungeon as Rhys doused the former governess and high priestess Rheadan with several gallons of water. She was already awake, but Rhys just felt like slightly drowning him for some reason ¡ª of course, it also did not help that he was actually feeling the animosity from Aeng.


    How could he not, when she was heavily breathing through his neck while staring at Rheadan?


    And of course, for safety reasons, Rhys had her eyespletely covered.


    "H¡­huh? Where¡ª"


    "Shut up."


    And as soon as Rheadan opened her mouth, Rhys quickly pped her on the cheek,pletely mming her face on the wall right next to her. Rheadan''s sticky nose formed strings, the mucus creating a bridge between her snoot and the sandy wall.


    She was about to open her mouth to speak again, but Rhys pped her on the cheek before he could have the chance to even utter a single word.


    "...Hero, perhaps you should let her talk first?" Malenia, who was outside the cell, could not help but flinch when Rhys''s pped echoed throughout the entire dungeon; her eyes, slightly straying away as she saw blood starting to spurt out from Rheadan''s gasping mouth, "You have not even asked her questions yet."


    "I will," Rhys breathed out; the tone of his voice, extremely cold and stoic, "And you should not be here for this, High Priestess."


    "N¡­no," Malenia shook her head, "My mission is to see through the Hero''s adventure, my scales will not shy away from what happens in the shadows."


    "I am not asking for your sake, High Priestess ¡ª I am asking for mine," Rhys nced at Malenia as he grabbed Rheadan by the mouth to prevent her from uttering any noise, "I''m not going to befortable knowing someone''s watching me."


    "Then¡­ just treat it as if I am not here at all, Hero."


    "...Alright," Rhys could really only let out a sigh as Malenia did not move away from the cell at all, "I guess I''m also used to doing this with an audience. Several things are going to happen here, Rheadan ¡ª and none of it you are going to enjoy."


    "Wh¡­" And as Rhys let go of her mouth, Rheadan was finally able to raise her voice, "Why¡­ why are you doing this!? Let me out of here this instant! By¡­ by the order of the Governess, let me out!"


    "You see, that''s not going to happen," Rhys crouched down so Rheadan could hear him breathing, "The current Governess, although unwilling, agreed that you would be under our care now. They wanted to kill you for what you''ve done to the city, eating food that was supposed to be for half of them. Starving them, taking away their servants, turning everyone you didn''t like into stone.


    You should thank High Priestess Malenia for convincing them not to kill you."


    "Is¡ªthen I surrender!" Rheadan forced out a chuckle as blood spurted from her mouth, "Just¡­ just take me away from this city! I wish to mingle with them no longer!"


    "That''s not going to happen," Rhys sighed, "Because you see, you should also be cursing High Priestess Malenia, because she agreed that I would be the one getting the answers from you ¡ª and she also agreed with my methods."


    "I¡ª" Malenia was about to raise her hand, but just chose to be quiet as she saw Aeng ring at her for some reason. She was saying something, but she could not understand what it was.


    "What¡­ what do you want to know!?" Rheadan screamed, "I will tell you everything! I¡ª"


    "That would have been nice. But you see¡­ I don''t trust you," Rhys let out a small sigh before just violently and forcefully putting his wooden fingers inside Rheadan''s mouth;pletely cracking some of her teeth as he did so, "You should bite on that, I don''t want you identally biting your tongue."


    "Wh¡ªKh!?"


    A loud and screeching muffle escaped from Rheadan''s sealed mouth as Rhys just suddenly plucked a handful of her scales. Rhys then removed his hand from Rheadan''s mouth, but before she could even let out another scream, Rhys suddenly put all the scales he had just torn away into her mouth¡­ practically slicing parts of her cheek as he did so.


    And when Rheadan identally just slightly tried to close her mouth, the hard scales stuck through her broken and shattered teeth, inserting itself through her already bleeding gums; causing a surge of pain that literally crawled through Rheadan''s entire fat body.


    "I''d suggest you not to scream or even move your mouth," Rhys let out a small sigh as she saw tears starting to dampen the blindfold on Rheadan''s face. He did not seem to care at all, however, as he plucked another one of her scales, causing the fats in her body to vibrate.


    "Sshh¡­ shhh¡­" Rhys then forcefully grabbed Rheadan''s hand, not even needing to restrain her since she could not even move properly due to her weight.


    She waspletely helpless, and even though Malenia hated her and was seething about what she had done with the Shrine of Medusa, she could not help but just hold her breath and slightly look away as she heard her whimpers whispering through her ear. But of course, Malenia promised to herself to witness the Hero of Prophecy. And so, she looked again and made sure never to look away again¡­


    ¡­only to see Rhys using Rheadan''s own scale to practically dig through in between her fingers. Perhaps, it would have already been brutal with just that, but Rhys even dipped the scale in sand; causing the granules to just pin themselves and shred the insides of her nails.


    Was¡­ all of this really necessary? ¡ª Malenia thought. Rheadan was ready to answer all of their answers before Rhys started the torture, but the Hero did not seem to care at all. Rheadan also looked like she wanted to say something, but couldn''t do so due to the sharp scales inside her mouth.


    Rhys plucked the nails in her hand one by one, and as slowly as possible; even tearing off the skin and flesh of her fingers; starting from the base of the nail and across the wrist. But finally, after what seemed like an entire hour but not really, Rhys was done with her hand.


    Unfortunately, Rhys freed her other hand to do the same. Rheadan seemed to still have plenty of strength left, as expected of someone who seemed like she had enough carbohydrates in her body tost for years. She quickly moved her mutted hand and pulled her blindfold off.


    "!!!"


    But as soon as she did so, Rhys lodged a scale straight through both of her eyes. And before she could even react to that, hepletely broke her arm and folded it in half.


    And without even a chance in his expression, Rhys proceeded to remove the nails in Rheadan''s other hand.


    Malenia truly thinks that all of this is unnecessary, he has not even asked a single question and just continued to torture Rheadan ceaselessly; not even letting her rest at all. Rhys told her that they did not have time, and yet Rhys seemed to be taking his sweet time to torture Rheadan ¡ª she deserved this, of course, but Malenia could not help but just gasp from the Hero of Prophecy''s brutality.


    But finally, after another hour, Rhys removed the scales inside Rheadan''s mouth and asked her a question.


    "The nymph inside the Shrine of Medusa," Rhys whispered right into her ear, "What did you do with her?"


    "W¡ªGkh!?"


    And perhaps as she was finally able to exim her pain; Rheadan''s shriek almost seeped through the dungeon and the entire city as Rhys snapped one of her fingers even though she was about to talk.


    "We¡­ we sold her!" Rheadan''s speech was a little disgruntled, but it was clear enough for Rhys to understand even as the blood and fragments of her teeth flew from her mouth, "We¡­ we sold her, you demon! I¡­ I would have told you that from the start!"


    "Hm¡­"


    "A¡­ a group of hyssirs visited the city several sheddings ago," Rheadan gasped, "I¡­ I haven''t seen their kind look like that, so civilized before ¡ª they offered me gold, all sorts of treasure in exchange for the nymph."


    "And you gave her away!?" Malenia raised her voice as soon as she heard that, "And where is all of your treasure now!? Gone, and you take away the people''s privilege for even a good day''s worth of food!"


    "They did not give us much of a choice ¡ª if you were in my scales at that moment, you would have done the same!" Rheadan wheezed, "They¡­ they were with a human, I know it. I remember it ¡ª how can I not¡­


    ¡­when he was also speaking ournguage?"


    "What¡­?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he heard Rheadan''s words,


    "...What do you mean another human spoke to you?"

 Chapter 282 Friend

    "Hero¡­ you should rest ¡ª or do you¡­ require assistance again? I can call my shivens and¡ª"


    "No. I''m just¡­ thinking."


    After refusing it initially, Rhys ultimately decided to rest in Hortho for a while. And even though Rhys did not really feel like it since all he did was kill and torture some people, they were still treated well by the Governess since they practically liberated their entire city.


    The Governess wanted them to stay in her house, but Rhys and Malenia opted to stay inside one of the taverns instead since there were a lot of them including the shivens and the driver, who was in dire need of rest after their long journey was interrupted by the exciting events that transpired.


    Rhys, however, did not rest at all as he kept thinking of what Rheadan said to him. A human that could talk to the races of the Underworld.


    Were they special like Rhys, or was the blood running through their veins allowing them to talk to the gorgons? Either way¡­


    ¡­it wasn''t good.


    Rhys needed to be the only one who could talk to the species of the Underworld; his entire n to conquer the Surface rests on it. And by the way Rheadan described the man, he seemed to carry the features of someone from the East.


    Unfortunately, there was no way for Rhys to know which country they were actually heading to since the Underworld''s only anchor point, the Helios, just looked the same no matter what side of the Underworld they were looking at it from.


    "What¡­ are you thinking about, Hero?" Malenia slithered closer to the table where Rhys was sitting on the floor by himself, "Do you happen to know the person who bought the sacred nymph from Rheadan?"


    "No, not at all," Rhys let out a small sigh as he slightly scooched to the side to give Malenia some space. Malenia was actually going to rest her limb on the other side of the table, but her face just quickly reddened as she made her way beside Rhys, "I''m¡­ just thinking of a reason why anyone would try to hurt a nymph."


    "Hm¡­" Malenia squinted her eyes as she looked at Aeng, who was actually sleeping on Rhys''sp, "I, too, see no reason to hurt an innocent creature such as a nymph. They are sacred beings, Hero ¡ª meant to be protected, and in return would protect. But as for keeping one in captivity, the reasons I see are plenty¡­


    ¡­to change the environment, for one ¡ª turn what once was a lifeless desert into a field of verdant life."


    "...I think I know where we''re heading now," Rhys quickly looked at Malenia as soon as she said that.


    "Already?" Malenia let out a small gasp as she saw Rhys''s silver eyes looking at her. Both of them had the same eye color, but there was a certain glow in Rhys''s eyes¡­ or perhaps she was just thinking that and she truly was just flustered that Rhys was staring at her.


    "Yes," Rhys nodded as he looked at the table, "It''s the most technologically advanced country in the wo¡ªin the Surface, Nihon."


    "Nihon¡­" Malenia breathed out, "...I am afraid my knowledge about your world is as little as what I know about you, Hero. What is the Forbidden Land like? Is itpletely different?"


    "Completely different," Rhys smiled as he remembered how surprised the cenleons were in seeing a human city for the first time, "I can''t really exin it, you would just have to see for yourself, Ma''am."


    "Hero¡­ please just call me Malenia," Malenia quickly shook her head as she gently held Rhys''s hand, but quickly shying away and removing it, "I am here to serve you, not to be served."


    "Then just call me Rhys," Rhys let out a small breath as he gently grabbed the hand that Malenia moved away, "Please."


    "H¡­" a small and almost yelping gasp escaped Malenia''s lips as she looked at Rhys''s hand, "...Rhys."


    "That''s good," Rhys smiled, "I''m not some sort of¡­ savior from a prophecy, Malenia. But I do promise you that if you need help, I''ll be there for you."


    "...And you whisper that you are not a hero," Malenia also let out a small breath as she smiled.


    "A friend would also do the same," Rhys then sighed as he let go of Malenia''s hand, "You should get some rest, we might have to spend a long time inside the carriage again."


    "A friend¡­" The smile on Malenia''s face persisted as she looked at her hand. But after a few seconds, she nodded and started slithering away, "...Then, I shall offer myself to the world of dreams, Rhys."


    "Good night, Malenia."


    "...Good night?" Malenia blinked a couple of times.


    "...You''ll get it once we travel to the Surface," Rhys let out a small chuckle, "I''ll¡ª"


    "Would you like to rest in my room?" And before Rhys could finish his words, Malenia suddenly turned around again and looked at him in the eyes, "I¡­ I know you have your own, but maybe you want thepany. I¡­ I know you do not need to sleep like the rest of us, but¡ª"


    "I¡­" Rhys returned Malenia''s gaze before nodding, "...guess I could rx for a bit."


    "Ah!" Malenia''s face brightened up before suddenly turning red again, "We¡­ are¡­ well¡­ we''re only resting as friends."


    "...Of course," Rhys squinted his eyes as he stood up,


    "Friends.''


    ***


    "I''m¡­ I''m cumming!!"


    Malenia''s upper body was almost as curled as her snake limb; her eyes, just looking at the ceiling while her insides were being ravaged by Rhys. They did not stay as friends for long at all.


    By the fifth second they entered the room, Malenia quickly asked Rhys about what he and Mique did¡­ and then asked if they could do the same. Truly, the gorgons'' inability to keep their thoughts to themselves was a blessing depending on the situation.


    "Hn¡­ho¡­" Malenia''s entire body trembled as she came; her decently-sized breasts, jiggling along with her golden ne. And as Rhys removed himself from inside her, she once again found herself convulsing violently before just dropping to the sheets, instantly drenching it with her and Rhys''s juices.


    "R...Rhys," Malenia used thest of her energy to practically crawl toward Rhys, pulling him down beside her; coiling her snake limb and embracing him, "I¡­ I wish to remain by your side¡­


    ¡­forever." And with those words, Malenia practically fainted from both exhaustion and pleasure. As for Rhys¡­


    ¡­his eyes suddenly lit up as soon as Malenia said that ¡ª the stone ceiling he was looking at, very slowly turning gray and even more stone.


    Rhys quickly shook his head and blinked his eyes several times, trying to control the ability he suddenly received. And like with the rest of his abilities, he only really needed a few seconds to get used to it ¡ª mastering it, however, was another realm entirely.


    He then leaned away to looked at the sleeping Malenia, only to see the singlerge Gray Heart now floating above her head. Until now, he still doesn''t know what will happen if he actually filled up therge Gray Heart ¡ª will he gain 100% of their ability?


    Amongst all the women in his life, Ayesha was the one who had her Gray Heart filled up the most. Does that mean¡­


    ¡­he could actually get 100% of Ayesha''s raw strength?


    "..." Rhys then quickly shook his head again to remove the thoughts he was having in his mind. He wanted to fill up the hearts, but it shouldn''t be because he wants to get their abilities ¡ª he promised himself he wasn''t going to be like that.


    And it''s true¡­ he does love all of them equally ¡ª some would say that was impossible, but it wasn''t. Perhaps another perk of the Blood of Eros.


    And now¡­ there was another woman in his life.


    Rhys ced his lips on Malenia''s forehead, causing her to slightly snuggled even deeper¡­ and coil her limb even tighter around him.


    "Ha¡­" Rhys could really only let out a small but very deep sigh, "...Life."


    A few hourster, Malenia woke up; quite fresh and filled with vigor as they once again continued their journey to their destination; their carriage, upgraded. The Governess felt bad that they could not prepare a feast for their liberators. And so, she just decided to give them the best carriage and lizards they had ¡ª allowing Rhys and the others to travel faster.


    And the carriage, well, Rhys and Malenia were putting it to good use. Unfortunately for the shivens who were waiting to be called upon by their High Priestess to help relieve Rhys¡­ they were no longer needed.


    And finally, after what seemed like more than a day of continuous travel, Aeng woke up.


    "Stop."


    Malenia quickly covered herself as soon as she heard Aeng''s voice; almost burying herself in the sheets as she truly did not expect Aeng to wake up while they were doing it ¡ª well, from the noise she was making, she should be more surprise she didn''t wake up sooner.


    Fortunately for Malenia, Aeng did not wake up from her moans at all.


    "Hero ¡ª I can no longer pinpoint my sister''s location."


    "...Did we go the wrong way?"


    "No¡­" Aeng then looked down,


    "...She should be somewhere on the other side. We have reached our destination."

 Chapter 283 Boom Boom

    "Nothing''s¡­ here."


    Malenia expected their destination to be filled with peril and all sorts of unique dangers. But throughout their entire journey, the only time she truly exerted any effort and stamina¡­ was whenever she was alone with Rhys.


    But of course, she was not ashamed of it ¡ª in fact, she was proud of it. After all, she found a way she could assist the Hero of Prophecy even outsidebat. That was her job as a High Priestess of the Shrine of Medusa.


    But of course, she also needed to prove herself in other areas ¡ª and right now, she was looking everywhere to find clues as to where their actual destination might be since they were just surrounded by a t sea of rock and boulders from miles on end.


    "Our destination is below us, Malenia," Rhys ced his hand on Malenia''s shoulder and gestured to her to stop searching, "You won''t find anything here, we would have to go to the Surface as initially discussed."


    "The¡­ Surface," Malenia took in a small gulp as she heard Rhys''s words, "Where all our souls go to be judged, and then tortured for all eternity."


    "...That sounds about right," Rhys let out a silent chuckle from Malenia''s words, "Tell your shivens to set up a perimeter, but tell them not to go too far. I''m going to start creating a Hole through the Surface, it will attract any monsters nearby."


    "Of course, Rhys," Malenia quickly slithered her way toward the shivens. As for Rhys, he just started stretching his arm while choosing a spot to dig the Hole.


    "Why dig here, Hero?" Aeng climbed to his shoulder while pointing in a certain direction on the horizon, "My sister''s energy is more abundant and plentiful there."


    "I don''t want to risk identally digging where people are," Rhys gently grabbed Aeng before cing her on top of a boulder a little distance away, "We don''t know what''s on the other side, we might even emerge near a city ¡ª that will be really bad."


    "How are you nning to¡ª"


    And before Aeng could even ask her question, she saw Rhys just casually digging his palm through the rocky ground as if they were still in a sandy Desert Region. And then, with a breath, Rhys forcefully scooped out the rocky ground; lifting and shaving arge part of it ¡ª it did not really take Rhys long to make a hole deep enough topletely engulf him.


    And as soon as his head was a foot away from the surface, he finally raised his leg and mmed his foot on the hole.


    "!!!" The ground practically erupted around him, instantly rippling and causing arge crater to form ¡ª there was not much of a mess, however, as the debris just stuck itself to the sides as the hole finally turned into a Dig.


    "R¡­Rhys!? What was that!?" Malenia, who had been trying to converse with Aeng even though they could not even understand each other, quickly rushed toward the sudden crater emerging near them; her eyes, widening as soon as she saw Rhys standing vertically on the walls of the hole,


    "Is that¡­"


    "I guess you''ve never seen this?" Rhys wiped the dirt on his face as he saw Malenia looking at him, as well as Aeng who was sitting on her shoulder.


    "How¡­ how are you standing on the side of the¡­What¡­?" Malenia stuck his arms down the Hole, only to feel his hand being pulled to the sides. And with an almost curious smile crawling on her face, she quickly crawled down the Dig like some sort of snake¡­ which she halfly is,


    "Such¡­ such magic. Such¡­ wow."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys nced at Malenia''s amazement for a few seconds before turning to the wall blocking their path to the Surface below him¡ªwell, behind him, "...I suggest covering your ears, Malenia."


    "Okay," Malenia did not even hesitate to follow Rhys''s orders and covered her ears. And as soon as she did so, she felt her entire body trembling along with the magical cavern she found herself in; her eyes widening in amazement as Rhys just practically bulldozed his way through the hard surface.


    She wasn''t actually the only one amazed, even Rhys was. After all, it was probably less than 2 years ago that he saw a Cyclops Barbarian digging a Hole by himself ¡ª and now he was able to do the same. And he knows¡­ he knows that if he was to fight the Cyclops Barbarian again, it would prove to not be a match against him.


    He wasn''t a fool¡­ he knew he was gaining too much strength too fast, and now he even gained an ability that could turn even a sacred nymph into stone ¡ª he knew it could be done, since that was what thete Rheadan did to be able to contain the nymph before undoing the petrification after it was already in a cage.


    If he was to fight Esme now, would he finally be able to beat her ¡ª or at least wound her? A being that couldpletely turn into a mist and just turn an entire city into ice with a snap of her fingers¡­ and she did not even need to be in the said city.


    "...No," Rhys shook his head and just focused on drilling through the hole as he realized he was being overconfident. Most of the people above him in the Top 15 Strongest Explorers in the world could finally end him before he knew what happened, he can''t even beat Ayesha yet.


    "Rhys¡­ Rhys!"


    Rhys then snapped out of his stupor as he heard Malenia scream behind him.


    "Lanni spotted something approaching us! She said it might be humans but she''s not sure! Their feet looked like wheels, she said!"


    "...So someone was nearby," Rhys could not help but just let out a small sigh as he rushed toward Malenia while looking at Aeng who was sitting on her shoulder, "You said you didn''t sense anyone for miles, Ma''am."


    "I did not," Aeng shook her head, "I can only feel life when it is directly connected to the ground."


    "...They''re riding on something," Rhys once again sighed as he quickly leaped out of the Dig, while Malenia was very careful to just slither through the gravity shift.


    "Where did you spot them?" Rhys then immediately approached Lanni, one of Malenia''s shivens, "Right¡ªwhat¡­ what is that roar!?"


    And before Lanni could answer, they all heard a loud roar echo through the air, and as they looked toward the horizon, they spotted several silhouettes getting closer and closer to them.


    "They¡­ are already here?" Lanni and the other shivens could not help but look at each other, "What¡­ what is that roar? Some sort of monster¡­!?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "It''s a motorbike. Malenia, all of you should hide and make sure they don''t see the carriage."


    "But the monsters¡ª"


    "They''re humans," Rhys slightly raised his voice, "If they see you, things are going to getplicated."


    "...Okay," Malenia slightly hesitated to leave Rhys, but just quickly grabbed Aeng by her shoulders, hiding her on her bosom before she and the shivens all slithered away back to the carriage ¡ª of course, they all hid in a spot where they could see what was happening. After all, if they decide to attack Rhys¡­ Malenia and the shivens weren''t just going to hide.


    And without even a minute, the group of humans were already in front of Rhys; most of them were riding motorcycles, but only one was actually run by petrol and the others were electric ¡ª and behind them was a truck with some sort of insignia.


    It was an Explorer Guild that Rhys did not recognize; that was already to be expected, of course, since they were in apletely different territory¡­ a different continent entirely.


    "What the¡­ a foreigner?" The man who first got off the bike quickly pointed at Rhys as soon as he took off his helmet; his face, oriental.


    Was Rhys right? Were they in the Underworld area of Nihon? Rhys couldn''t really determine since his ability to understand every and allnguage was just tranting everything for him directly in his mind.


    "...Not really," Rhys just smiled as he approached the group, but quickly halted his steps as all of them put up their guard, "Rx¡­


    ¡­I''m a local. I live in Edo," Rhys just said the only country he knew from Nihon.


    "...You''re a Dregger."


    "Wait, shit¡­ You''re right. What''s a dregga doing all the way up here?"


    "...Is that a Hole behind you? We heard a noise here."


    "Oh, I only just got here when I heard the noise," Rhys shrugged as he nced back at the Hole he was making, "I think a monster was digging a Hole here, but it was already gone when I got here. It''s¡ª"


    "Wait, Rhys Wilder!?"


    And as soon as a woman stepped out of the truck that was behind the convoy, Rhys was sadly quickly recognized.


    "Ah¡­" Rhys could not help but just close his eyes and sigh,


    "...I''m a tourist."


    Rhys forgot that he was famous.

 Chapter 284 Nihon Genes

    "...I''m a tourist."


    Rhys knew there was no saving this situation, and so he just blurted out the first thing that popped out of his mind ¡ª but of course, that made everyone just highly suspicious of him as they all squinted their eyes at him¡­ or perhaps they weren''t, it was hard quite hard to tell.


    "Rhys Wilder¡­? He really was a Lowborn!? I thought that was another one of the Amerkan''s propaganda."


    "Let me see, let me see him!"


    And as soon as he was recognized, all the guild members got out of their vehicles and started approaching Rhys, looking at him from head to toe as if he were some sort of rare animal in the zoo¡­ which he probably is.


    "What the¡ªwhy is he so good-looking? He looks like that one actor who did the perfumemercial."


    "That was him, you stupid."


    "Are all Amerkans this handsome?"


    "Rhys¡­ Rhys Wilder, sir. Can I get your autograph!?"


    "Enough!"


    And before Rhys could actually get mobbed by the guild, all the members just quickly scattered away and bowed their heads as soon as a deep and almost grunting voice roared in the air. Judging by how everyone was making way for him, the man wearing a long ck coat was their guildmaster, he was also the only one who had some sort of rose pinned to his chest.


    His long blue hair, waved and bounced with each step. His hair was silky, almostparable to Arachnea''s hair.


    Rhys could really only hide his sigh as the man approached him; the man''s eyes, ring at Rhys from head to toe ¡ª but unlike the other guild members who held a certain curiosity and awe in their gaze, there seemed to be nothing but contempt in the man''s eyes.


    "My name is Kirijo Junpei," the man, Junpei, also bowed as he introduced himself to Rhys, "Guildmaster of the Herculean Rose."


    "I am Rhys Wilder," and of course, Rhys returned the courtesy by also bowing. Junpei''s name all but confirmed that they were, in fact, in Nihon territory.


    "I am aware of who you are, Mr. Wilder," Junpei squinted his eyes, almost closing them as he did so ¡ª Junpei''s was quite feminine, but still quite extremely handsome. Perhaps the reason why almost all the guild members who stepped out of the truck with him were also somewhat good-looking women¡ªno.


    Now that Rhys was looking at everyone clearly, there were perhaps only 4 other men, "What I want to know is what you''re doing here, in Nihon? You''re also suspiciously fluent in thenguage, which makes you suspicious entirely."


    "The truth is¡­" Rhys could really only just sigh while shaking his head, "...I was attacked by a roc and ended up being brought here ¡ª I didn''t really want to kill it since they''re important to the Underworld''s ecosystem."


    "H¡­how noble of you, Mr. Wilder," one of the women standing behind Junpei whispered out; her face, somewhat turning red as she also looked at Rhys from head to toe. Since Rhys was only wearing thin clothes he received from the gorgons, the lines of his muscr body were quite obvious¡­ as well as the bulge between his legs. The woman was about to say something else, but Junpei red at her.


    "A Roc¡­? When was this?" Junpei''s eyebrows began to lower, "Our sensors would have detected something that big."


    "A few days ago, I''m not sure," Rhys shrugged, "I''ve been trying to find people or at least a hole, and then I heard some sort of explosion and ended up finding this Dig ¡ª and then you guys came."


    "Did you hear that, Junpei!? Let''s bring him along with us!"


    "Don''t worry, Mr. Wilder. We''ll take you home ¡ª you can ride with me on the back of my bike. Or¡­ or if you want, you can drive it and I''ll just ride you¡ªI mean, I''ll ride behind you."


    "Enough! Hitomi, scan the surrounding area for monsters," Junpei raised his voice to stop the women from ogling Rhys. He looked at one of the women behind him who was holding arge tablet, "Mr. Wilder here said that there might be a monster, and since it was digging a Hole, our guild is obligated to deal with it."


    "But¡­ if it was the one responsible for that thunder¡­ I don''t think we''re equipped to deal with it? The highest level Explorer we have is Ozawa, and she''s like only Level 5."


    "Levels are useless," Junpei flicked his long silky hair to the side, "They are just indicators of how long and how vast we''ve explored the Underworld."


    "We don''t have to worry, Mr. Wilder is with us!" One of the women behind Junpei stepped forward and rushed toward Rhys, tilting her head to the side as he stared at his face, "I''m Marie Ozawa, I''ve lived in Amerka for a few years. It''s very nice to meet you, Mr. Wilder."


    "It''s¡­ very nice to meet you too," Rhys could really only lean away from Marie as she leaned closer to him. From the way her eyes were a little bigger than most, she was probably mixed.


    "...You don''t know who I am?" Marie pouted, "I''m on Shudder ¡ª our live streams were actually quite close in views from when you were still active in streaming."


    If Marie''s views were close to Rhys''s, then that would mean she was a famous streamer since Rhys had hundreds of thousands of active viewers during that time. And from what her other guild members said, her license had the highest level amongst the guild.


    "Stop bothering Mr. Wilder!"


    "Don''t mind her, Mr. Wilder. She''s just a slut!"


    "Enough!" Junpei once again raised his voice as the women started gathering around Rhys again; his eyes, ring at him while slightly clicking his tongue, "Hitomi, are our sensors detecting anything?"


    "Yes¡­" Hitomi adjusted her sses as she showed the readings to Junpei, "...But it''s saying here that there are more than 5 of them, and they''re quite small too."


    "This¡­ they''re near."


    And as Junpei turned to look in the direction where Malenia and the others ran to hide, Rhys could not help but let out a small grunt while closing his eyes.


    "I lied, I''m the one who created the Hole."


    And before anyone could think of checking or even taking a step to where Malenia and the others were hiding, Rhys let out a loud sigh and raised both his palms in the air, "The truth is, I just wanted to go to the Surface as soon as possible ¡ª I was going to plug it back in, I swear."


    "Mr. Wilder¡­" Marie covered her mouth as she tried her best tough, "...What are you doing? I didn''t know you were so impatient."


    And as Marie just casually pleased her hand on Rhys''s chest, Junpei''s eyes started to twitch as he once again raised his voice.


    "Just what exactly are you trying to y at here, Mr. Wilder!?" Junpei finally lost all the friendliness in his voice, if it indeed ever had one, as he pushed away Marie and stood right in front of Rhys, "...Don''t tell me you''re here as a spy?"


    "If I was, I wouldn''t be in the Underworld."


    "Pft."


    "You¡­" Junpei''s eyes once again twitched as he heard the women of her guild slightly giggle at Rhys''s words, "...You''re trying to illegally enter the country, aren''t you? Everyone knows what you are, Mr. Wilder ¡ª it''s in the news. You''re an assassin of Nobles¡­


    ¡­don''t tell me you''re here to assassinate Hanamichi Rukawa?"


    "W¡ª"


    "Someone check what our sensors are reading¡­" Junpei then gestured to some of his guild members, "...I have a feeling they''re not monsters at all. You have someone with you. A team of assassins, perhaps? You''re in the Secret Service, right?"


    "No, I''m¡ª"


    "What the fuck is that!?"


    And before Rhys could say anything, all the guild members started backing away. Rhys did not even need to look back to know that Malenia decided to reveal herself, the only thing he could do was just once again sigh while still having his palms up.


    "Why don''t we all calm down and rx?" Rhys smiled, "You''re right, you''re right. I''m here on a mission ¡ª but not to assassinate."


    "Stop lying! Everyone, get ready to¡ª"


    "If I were you, I''d stop here." And soon, it was Rhys''s time to lose all the friendliness he had in his voice, "I''m here on a secret mission ¡ª you''ve discovered me, and now I am asking you to just leave."


    "You''re¡­ with monsters."


    "They''re not monsters, they are gorgons," Rhys sighed while shaking his head, "You''ve seen me in the news¡­ so, you know that I can talk to the other species. I''m here on a diplomatic mission, and we just happened to be stranded here."


    "Lies, all lies!" Junpei then stretched his arm to the side, and as he did so, a long whip filled with thorns materialized in his hand. And although filled with hesitation, Marie stepped back as her face started to morph and grow fur, and the others followed suit as they all put up their guard.


    "I am asking you onest time, Sir," Rhys slowly lowered his hands,


    "Just leave."


    "Oh, no, no¡­


    ¡­that''s not happening."


    "Then¡­" Rhys shook his head,


    "...You''re already dead."

 Chapter 285 Surrender

    "...All of you are dead."


    Rhys did not really hesitate anymore as he grabbed several scalpels from his trusty utility belt.


    His trusty utility belt, probably the best investment he had ever bought with his money. Also proved to be the most durable, as while most of his clothes and even his bionic leg were torn away, his trusty utility belt found a way totch onto him.


    Of course, it wasn''t really the time to be thinking about that as Rhys just nced at all the members of the Herculean Rose, already thinking of the order by which to kill them.


    Junpei needed to go first; he initially thought Junpei would have enhanced strength due to the name of their guild, but he materialized a whip instead. The second one he needed to take care of was Marie Ozawa, who was the highest-rated Explorer among them.


    Rhys then nced back at Malenia, only to see her eyes already glowing. After all, the very reason she revealed herself was that she saw the people surrounding Rhys starting to get agitated and aggressive ¡ª she was ready to turn all of them into stone as soon as she deemed them a threat to Rhys''s safety.


    "Wait, wait!"


    Before anyone could turn into stone or die, however, Marie once again quickly moved between the two sides while covering her head as if to protect it just in case everyone started attacking each other.


    "Marie, move or we''ll attack you too!" The thorned whip that Junpei was holding seemed to have a mind of its own as it started swinging on the ground; its end, pointing at Marie.


    "Wait," Marie raised both her palms as she looked at Junpei while taking several steps back toward Rhys, "How about we hear Mr. Wilder¡ª"


    Rhys watched as Marie did not even bother finishing her words as she suddenly turned around and violently swung her hand toward Rhys; her long sharp ws threatening to rip off his face.


    Rhys, however, did not bother dodging at all as his senses also did not bother to warn him to move. He doesn''t know how, but the abilities he got from Arachnea were allowing him to know exactly if someone was a threat to him ¡ª Agatha, Esme, Ayesha¡­ his senses go on overdrive whenever they start doing anything.


    Marie, however, did not even raise a single strand of his hair. And for good reason ¡ª her ws just shattered as soon as they touched Rhys''s skin.


    "Kh!!!" Marie quickly leaped back as she felt her fingers dislocated and fracturing, but as she did so, Rhys followed closely in front of her; his hand, now covering her facepletely. And without even letting her let out a single whimper of struggle¡­ he crushed her face.


    He did not m it, he did not break her neck¡­ he literally just shaved off her face; casually crushing the side of her face like it was made of sand. And everyone watched as whatever remained of Marie''s head just slid off of Rhys''s hand; her corpse falling to the ground like a ragdoll.


    No one could really utter a word, and the only breath that whispered in the rocky field was Rhys as he sighed while staring at Marie''s corpse. But after letting out his disappointment, he once again focused on Junpei and the rest of the Herculean Rose.


    "You¡­ you killed her!" Junpei screamed, "How could you do that!? You¡­ are you actually secretly on the monsters'' side!? Is that what you are trying to do, bring monsters to the Surface!?"


    "They''re not monsters," Rhys shook his head. He did not, however, immediately attack Junpei as he initially nned. Instead, he even made sure not to move at all from his spot; just tightly holding on to his scalpel as he continued to scan everyone, the movements of his head slightly exaggerated while doing so.


    He realized something ¡ª Marie was a famous streamer, which meant there was a high chance that there was a camera recording or even live at this very moment. Fortunately, he realized that the moment he was about to kill Marie when she started backing toward him¡­ and he just decided to attack her after she did, making it look like he was defending himself.


    He was in apletely different country, if he was caught attacking someone, it might lead to certainplications that he did not really need right now.


    "What are all of you just looking at him for? Attack him at the same time!"


    And as soon as Junpei roared those words, some of the people on motorbikes once again mounted their ride and started circling around Rhys. Most of them seemed to be an Elemental type, as they all summoned all of their elements and just threw everything at Rhys while circling around him.


    Fire, water, and even a spike of stones crawling across the ground and twirling around him like a tornado. Rhys was about to rush toward one of them, but before he could do so, he suddenly felt something wrapping around his neck and slightly preventing him from moving from his spot.


    He looked at the sudden slight pressure, only to see Junpei''s thorned whip wrapping around his neck, extending straight from Junpei''s hands. Junpei was riding on the back of the motorcycle, letting his whip just slowly andpletely wrap around Rhys''s neck by severalyers. ¡ª and finally, Rhys realized where the ''Herculean'' from their guild name came from.


    Junpei, did in fact, have enhanced strength. Sadly for him, the weakest wind blowing across the rocky field and his strength was just the same for Rhys¡­pletely inconsequential.


    "Rhys Wilder ¡ª I offer this rose to your death!" Junpei then breathed out as several flowers bloomed across his thorned whip ¡ª and then, with a tug, he tried topletely rip off Rhys''s neck with the whip he had wrapped around it, "Wh¡ª!!!"


    But s, the only thing that Junpei did was pull himself closer to Rhys, dragging the motorcycle with him as well as the rider as they violently crashed and rolled across the ground. Both of them were fine, however, and only the motorcycle was destroyed ¡ª they, however, found themselves being continuously dragged closer to Rhys as he started pulling back.


    The other guild members who were riding in circles all stopped their attacks as they saw their guild master just being helplessly dragged across the ground. Junpei, however, finally had the sense to let go of the whip as he quickly collected himself while backing away by somersaulting in the air.


    Junpei stared at Rhys for a few seconds, and as soon as he saw himpletely unscathed even with their joint attack, he started letting out a small but very deep sigh while looking at his guild members.


    "It¡­ would seem there might have been a misunderstanding between us, Mr. Wilder." And as soon as those words escaped his mouth, his guild members also all let out a deep sigh. After all, most of them knew they were actually no match against Rhys, it was only their guild master who was foolishly trying to provoke him.


    Fortunately, their guild master realized how stupid all of this is¡­ sadly at the price of Marie Ozawa''s life.


    "Tanaka," Junpei then turned to look at Hitomi, their guild''s navigator, "How far are we from the nearest Hole? We¡­ should just escort Mr. Wilder aspensation for this misunderstanding. And damn it, shut off Marie''s drone."


    And as everyone started to calm down and move away from Rhys, Malenia, who was just waiting for the right time to turn everyone into stone, took this chance to approach Rhys and stand by his side.


    "Rhys, what''s happening¡­? Is everything fine now? Why did they all suddenly calm down?"


    "Get rea¡ª"


    "And it really is a misunderstanding!" Before Rhys could say what he wanted to say, Junpei suddenly once again focused on him, or more specifically, toward Malenia, "How¡­ how can a monster even be this beautiful? He¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And before Junpei could finish his words, Malenia watched as his blood just suddenly splurted out from his neck¡ªno. Everyone watched as Junpei''s head just very slowly tilted backpletely before dropping to the ground as it separated from the rest of his body.


    They all then turned their eyes toward Rhys as soon as the rest of Junpei''s body followed to the ground, only to see Rhys with his hand stretched to the side and holding his scalpel.


    "...Rhys?" Malenia''s eyes could not help but widen as she saw Rhys just suddenly kill an unarmed opponent who seemed to have no intention of fighting anymore. She was about to say something else, but before she could do so¡­


    ¡­she found herselfpletely petrified by what she had witnessed next.


    Rhys did as he promised ¡ª he killed all of them, even those who were trying to run away with their bikes.


    Rhys was right, Marie had a drone recording everything ¡ª but as soon as they turned it off, he took that as a signal to just kill the rest of them.


    "...It''s just recording." Fortunately for Rhys, as he found Marie''s drone, it was only recording and wasn''t actually streaming to anywhere live. And so, he just crushed the drone and the camera with his bare hands; just letting it merge with the rocky ground like the corpses of the Herculean Rose.


    "Rhys¡­" Malenia was still in the very same spot she was before. And as Rhys passed by her, the only thing she could really do was whisper, "...You killed them all."


    "I needed to," Rhys nodded.


    "But¡­


    ¡­they were crying and surrendering."

 Chapter 286 Almost Immediately

    "Hero¡­"


    The previous deafening thunders were now just whispers, with Rhys probably already drilling more than halfway through to the Surface; it was no longer loud enough to drown away the whispers that were escaping Malenia''s lips as she stared at the dark hole.


    It wasn''t only her, her shivens were also surrounding the Hole; some of them even ying around with the gravity shift as they went in and out of the Dig like children, almost aplete opposite of Malenia''s mood.


    "Is your heart still wavering with what you have witnessed, High Priestess?"


    "Oh¡­"


    Malenia, however, quickly tried her best to look calm and unperturbed as soon as she saw her most trustworthy Shrine Maiden, Ranni, approaching to her side. Ranni actually also happens to be the one that was driving the carriage; choosing toe with Malenia instead of staying in the shrine,


    "...Wavering yes," Malenia nced at Ranni and answered her question, "But never doubtful."


    "You can doubt but still believe," Ranni also leaned forward to look at the dark abyss in front of them, "That is the difference between a believer and a fanatic. I would garner that you would prefer to be the former, High Priestess?"


    "My¡­ my belief in the hero is not in question and will never be," Malenia shook her head and sighed, "It is his actions that haunt me so, Ranni. Those humans, although I understand no words that uttered from their mouths ¡ª I know they were surrendering, they were helpless."


    "He also killed another High Priestess, and tortured her when she begged for mercy," Ranni slithered closer to Malenia, coiling her limb over hers before resting her head on Malenia''s shoulder, "You only uttered your dissatisfaction at the start and no longer offered words of reluctance after the fact."


    "She deserved it for desecrating and sullying the shrine she was meant to uphold and protect, and she even had the audacity and gall to sell one of the Sacred Nymphs ¡ª it is an act well deserved of death," Malenia closed her eyes, "But the humans from earlier, some of them were barely even out of their shells, their skin barely shed ¡ª do not mistake me, Ranni, I truly love the hero; his actions just surprised me, ''tis all there is to it."


    "Well, I am telling you it should not surprise you at all," Ranni''s arms started to wrap around Malenia''s waist as she whispered into her ear, "Many a hero have lived and died by their deeds, most of them shouldering the deaths of a generation. Heroes are not kind, High Priestess ¡ª they are mighty."


    "I know that," Malenia let out a small sigh as she held Ranni''s arm.


    "Heroes, ording to the stories¡­" Ranni turned her head back to look at the carnage Rhysmitted; her eyes, reflecting the gruesome deaths of all the members of the Herculean Rose. Their bodies were all sliced into several pieces, some of them even had their entire body split in half,


    "...More often than not, are more viin than hero. One belief against many."


    "...You should have been the High Priestess, not me," Malenia sighed while shaking her head, "I wish I had your wisdom, Ranni."


    "We all can''t have everything, High Priestess," Ranni let out a small giggle as she looked at Malenia''s face, "Dismissing the fact that you have the godly power to turn being into stone, very much like the Mother Medusa, you and your sister have a face that anyone who has scales would envy."


    "Hm¡­"


    "And my sister, dumb as she is, was able to be a shiven because of her strength and certain affinity toward violence," Ranni looked at the shivens who were ying with the gravity shift, "Speaking of, Lanni told me something curious ¡ª you ordered them to¡­ offer the Hero some relief throughout our journey?"


    "Yes," Malenia nodded.


    "And why, pray tell, did you not include me there?" Ranni tilted her head to the side while squinting her eyes at Malenia, "Did you think I would not fancy catering myself to the Hero? Saving my dignity, High Priestess?"


    "...You are a Shrine Maiden, Ranni," Malenia blinked a couple of times as she looked Ranni in the eyes, "You swore an oath of chastity."


    "If I recall, you did too," a wide smirk instantly crawled on Ranni''s face as she returned Malenia''s re, "And your oath is stronger than ours, and yet¡­


    ¡­now I bear the curse of hearing you moan endlessly, and I could not cover my ears as my hands hold our way."


    "T¡­that¡­" Malenia''s face quickly reddened, "Speak no more of that, Ranni!"


    "Oh, my lips are sealed, High Priestess¡­ unlike yours."


    "You¡ª"


    "Eek!"


    Fortunately for Malenia, before she could even force herself to even dabble with the conversation, the both of them quickly turned their heads toward the shivens¡­


    ¡­only to see some of them falling straight to the hole instead of walking across the walls; their loud screams slowly fading away.


    "Wha¡­" Malenia and Ranni could really only stare at the silhouettes of their fellow gorgons as they disappeared into the darkness. They then looked at the remaining shivens, only to see thempletely terrified from fear ¡ª after all, they were just ying peacefully earlier.


    "Did my sister just fall into this seemingly endless pit?" Lanni blinked.


    "I¡­ believe she did," Malenia was also quite perplexed and confused with what just happened. But after a few seconds, her eyes widened and her limb began to perk, "Ah! The Hero finished digging the Hole!"


    "Should we¡ª"


    "Eeeep!"


    And before Ranni could even ask what they should do, Malenia just leaped toward the hole.


    "...Maybe at least a little disbelief?" Ranni could really only close her eyes as she heard Malenia scream''s slowly wither away. Unfortunately, the only thing she could really do was follow her lead and jump; her snake limb acting like a spring ¡ª and soon, the terrified shivens followed too.


    Suffice it to say, their screams were loud until they fainted due to the gravity shift upon reaching the Surface.


    "Uh¡­ ugh¡­" And as Malenia found herself waking up, she could not even lift herself up; her limb, almost unable to move or slither as she was extremely groggy. The only thing the could do was look at the ground beneath her palm while letting out a small wheeze.


    "It''s alright, you''re fine."


    Malenia was about to lose the strength in her arms, but Rhys was able to gently catch her before she could actually even start falling back to the ground.


    "R¡­Rhys," Malenia whispered as she looked Rhys in the eyes, trying her best not to puke in front of him.


    "You can let it out, it happens to everyone," Rhys nodded and assured Malenia, "You''re actually thest one to wake up."


    "I¡­ I am?" As soon as she heard that, she quickly forced her back to straighten itself while taking in a very long and deep breath, "Where¡ª!!!"


    But as soon as she started looking around, however, she instantly leaped into Rhys''s arms as her eyes reflected the blue sky. She couldn''t even say anything anymore as she quickly coiled her limb around Rhys.


    "Wee to the Surface, Malenia," Rhys, of course, just gently embraced her, "Take all the time you need to get used to the scenery."


    And Malenia did just that; her eyes, scanning the forest she was surrounded by. But aside from the so-called blue sky, there really was not that much difference between the Underworld and the Surface. There were more nts, yes ¡ª but there are areas in the Underworld that had more.


    "I¡­ I am okay now." And so, after a few minutes of heavy breathing, Malenia finally had the strength to lift herself up on her own, "Where¡­ are the others?"


    "I managed to get us arge van. It''s a little cramped, but everyone fits."


    "A¡­ van?"


    And suffice it to say, Malenia, who just recovered from her shock, could not help but widen her eyes as she saw the long paved road in front of her; it almost looked like it went on forever, coiling across the mountain they were actually on. Her eyes, however, went even bigger as soon as she got into the van and it started moving on its own.


    "M¡­ magic," Malenia blinked a couple of times as she leaned her head to the front seat and looked at Rhys, "This is magic, Rhys."


    "...I''ll exin everything at another time," Rhys just let out a small chuckle before he looked at the person driving the van.


    And suffice it to say, he was extremely terrified.


    Rhys actually hailed and hitched a ride, and fortunately, someone stopped. Unfortunately for the driver, though.


    "...What is the in your hands?"


    "Oh, this?" Rhys showed the thing on his hand, "It''s a smartphone I borrowed, I logged in to my ount and left a message to my friends ¡ª I''m just waiting for them to call back."


    "Logged¡­ in?" Malenia blinked a couple of times.


    "You''ll under¡ª"


    "!!!"


    "It''s singing!" Malenia leaned away and pointed at the phone.


    Rhys really only smiled before answering it.


    [Recruit¡­ is this really you?] And almost immediately, he could hear Ayesha''s voice and many others on the side.


    "Yes, I''m in Nihon¡­ and I brought some people with me, as well as a nymph."


    [A¡­ nymph? How did you¡ªwait, no. That''s not important. You need toe to us¡­


    ¡­The Doc''s not in a good condition.]

 Chapter 287 Unfortunate Cliche

    "...What do you mean not in a good condition?"


    Even Malenia, who could not understand a word Rhys was saying, could see and notice the sudden shift in Rhys''s expression; any excitement he had upon returning to the Surface waspletely reced by a certain sense of worry¡­ and something else.


    [It''s best if you just hurry. Is this line secure?]


    "No."


    [I''ll still send you the location ¡ª but to think you actually found your way to Nihon¡­ the gods must truly favor your balls, Recruit. I sent you the location, have you seen it?]


    "Yes."


    [What''s your ETA?]


    "14 hours moving by car," Rhys checked on the map, and Ayesha and the others were at the edge of the map, most probably still aboard the ship, "I could run there, it would be faster."


    [No. Just stay in the van, it would be best for no one to know you''re here. That driver, can you make sure he stays silent?]


    "He''s silent," Rhys nced at the driver, who nervously looked away as soon as their eyes met, "There is a problem, however. I encountered a guild in the Underworld."


    [...Are they silenced?]


    "Yes," Rhys breathed out.


    [I''ll have the guys check to see if there''s any news with you on it. I''ll call you back every 3 hours, keep your line open.]


    "Copy that."


    [Recruit¡­ I''m really d your balls are alright. I''ll see you soon.]


    And as soon as Ayesha hung up the phone, Rhys closed his eyes and let out a very long and deep breath; charging the phone to make sure it won''t die on them.


    "Thank you for letting me borrow your phone, Sir. And for driving us as well," Rhys then nced at the driver again, "I would make sure theypensate you with your time handsomely."


    "I¡­ I just want to go home to my family, Mister," the driver could really only nce at Rhys before focusing on the road again.


    "You will," Rhys nodded before cing the phone back to its holder right in front of the driver, "But drive us to this location first."


    "That''s¡ª"


    "You''ll bepensated handsomely," Rhys sighed, "And don''t mind mypanions. They''re¡­ just wearing cosy."


    "...Cosy?" The driver''s eyes widened as he once again nced at Malenia and the other gorgons.


    "Very expensive cosy," Rhys followed up.


    "R¡­ right."


    "What''s your name, Sir?"


    "Sakurai, Sakurai Ippo," the driver breathed out.


    "My name is Rhys, Mr. Sakurai. Rhys Wilder."


    "You¡­ look a bit familiar. Lowborn with¡ª"


    "My hair is also cosy, and we Amerkans all look alike."


    "I¡­ I see."


    At the very least, after Rhys said that, Ippo seemed to have calmed down even if just by a little. Of course, Rhys was still trying his best to get friendly with the driver, it would be a very long drive ahead of them, after all.


    There was just one thing Rhys was worried about throughout their entire journey, and after several hours into it ¡ª it was happening.


    The driver had to get gas and relieve himself. Rhys was not really used to doing things incognito ¡ª and perhaps if he was, he could have avoided a lot of troublesome things. But of course, those troublesome things rewarded him with some great things. This time, however, Rhys was not really seeing any advantage in not hiding himself¡­


    ¡­and so, he wore a cap that he borrowed from Ippo to slightly hide his face and hair.


    They did not really have trouble getting gas even though there was a gasboy assisting them; Rhys got certain looks here and there, but aside from that, Ippo just paid as casually as he could without setting off rms ¡ª he seemed tempted, however, as Rhys could notice him slightly gesturing with his head.


    Fortunately, the gasboy did not really get what he was trying to insinuate.


    "Mr. Ippo, please don''t do that again," Rhys warned Ippo as soon as they parked near thevatory, "Because the next time you do¡­


    ¡­I won''t be as courteous anymore."


    "I¡­ I wasn''t doing anything, I swear!" Ippo stuttered with his words while raising both his palms in the air, "I''m not¡ª"


    "Get out."


    "N¡­no, please! Please! I have a family, look! Look!" Ippo then pointed at the photo that was hanging on the windshield. He truly did not want to anger Rhys ¡ª after all, Rhys did not actually hitch a hike¡ªno.


    Ippo was actually just resting for a bit on the mountainside, and when he decided to leave, he found the back of his van being lifted up by someone¡­ and that someone happened to be Rhys who politely forced him to give him and his weird friends a ride,


    "Please, don''t kill me!"


    "What are you talking about?" Rhys only shook his head before getting out of the van, "You need to pee, right? I''ming with you. And please, don''t let me warn you again ¡ª don''t do anything."


    Ippo just sat on the driver''s seat for a few seconds; sweat running across his cheeks as he thought of just driving away there and then as soon as Rhys got off the van. But then, when he noticed the gorgons looking at him from behind, all those thoughts just faded away. Although Rhys had already told him they were just wearing costumes, he was stillpletely freaked out for some reason.


    "Those¡­ those are some really intricate costumes," Ippo tried talking to them, but all he received were their slightly glowing eyes which made him instantly get out of the van and awkwardly follow Rhys to thevatory.


    As for Rhys, he was extremely careful not to make eye contact with anyone. Unfortunately, the toilet just had to be in the store where there were at least a dozen people for some reason ¡ª and as soon as he and Ippo entered the store, all eyes were immediately on them.


    Once again, Rhys forgot one crucial fact. He may have covered half his face with the cap, but his 6''8" frame could never be hidden ¡ª he forgot he was taller than the majority of people living on the surface of the, not to mention Nihon.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just made sure to lower his cap even more before gesturing to Ippo to just walk ahead. Ippo did not really try anything this time as the two of them were able to peacefully go inside thevatory ¡ª but as soon as they got out, however, they found themselves surrounded by 3 women.


    "Excuse me, are you with the foreigner?" The three women were wearing heavy makeup that was a little shades darker than their ownplexion; all of them, sporting skirts that almost exposed their buttocks. They tried leaning their heads closer to Rhys to look at his face, but Rhys immediately looked away while hiding his face.


    "That¡ªhe¡­ he is," Ippo stuttered as he answered the women''s questions, "He''s¡­ a tourist. Please, don''t bother him."


    "Bother him? We just want to talk to him!"


    "Go over there, old man!"


    "Hm¡­"


    "We¡­ we really need to go!" As soon as Ippo heard Rhys breathing loudly, he quickly tried to pass through the group of girls, identally pushing one of them and causing her to drop to the floor butt first, "R¡­red!"


    Ippo, identally and unfortunately, blurted out the color of thedy''s underwear.


    "You¡­ you idiot pervert!" The woman quickly covered herself as she pointed at Ippo. And soon, her friends also started shouting and calling Ippo names. And not even a few secondster, several more people who were wearing some long coats started approaching them.


    "S¡­Senpai! That old man pushed me and looked at my panties!" The woman who fell quickly got up and jumped into the arms of one of the men, who quickly red at Ippo. He was about to approach but then noticed Rhys standing behind Ippo.


    "What the¡ªwhat''s a foreigner doing all the way up here?" The man and his friends started looking at each other; grins, crawling on their faces, "Oi, don''t you know there''s a fee for tourists down here? Pay up, old man."


    Rhys started looking at the other people inside the store ¡ª and if they weren''t outright just quickly leaving the store, they were avoiding looking at them. Even the one who was standing behind the counter waspletely ignoring them.


    And when Rhys caught a glimpse of the motorcycles parked outside the store, he finally realized what they were ¡ª- they were some sort of biker gang.


    "A¡­ a fee?" Ippo looked at each of the men snickering at him, "But I don''t¡ª"


    "Just pay them," Rhys whispered to Ippo, "I''ll pay you back handsomely."


    "What the¡ªthe foreigner can talk!?" The gangsters and the women all gasped as they heard a whisper escape from Rhys''s lips, "Wait, oi! You''re a tourist, right? Does that mean you have a lot of money? If so¡­


    ¡­then pay up."


    And as he saw the gangsters surrounding him, the only thing that Rhys could do was let out a sigh.


    Of course, something like this just has to happen to him.

 Chapter 288 Bad Guy

    "We don''t want any trouble, we will just pay you the toll and leave."


    There really was no use pretending to be a tourist as they already heard him talk, but Rhys was still trying his best to cover his face with a cap. Soon, however, Rhys''s eyes wandered toward one of the gang members who was wearing a mask that one would see in hospitals, and he wasn''t alone.


    One of the other people in the store was also wearing the same mask ¡ª perhaps he should probably ask the clerk if they were selling one of those.


    "Oi, where are you even looking at? And why are you so tall? Are you an import or something?"


    "...An import?"


    "A basketball yer. You¡ªoi, look at us when we''re talking to you."


    "W¡­ wait, we''ll just pay the toll!"


    But of course, perhaps the most affected of all by the entire situation was still Ippo. He truly just wanted to go home to his family, and now he was being involved with a couple of gangsters ¡ª he initially thought this was his chance to escape.


    If the gangsters started putting their attention solely on Rhys, then he might actually find himself free ¡ª he could even point the gangsters to the cosyers in his van.


    But for some reason, call it instinct or whatever, but Ippo felt like that would be a very wrong decision and he would end up regretting it very badly.


    "How¡­ how much is it?"


    "300,000 yen."


    "W¡­ what?" Ippo could really only blink a couple of times as he heard the number that escaped the gangster''s lips, "That¡­ that can''t be right. That''s 2 months of my pay."


    "Well, if you can''t¡ª"


    "We''ll make it just 100,000 yen if the foreigner shows us his face." And before the leader of the gangsters could finish his words, one of the women smirked while looking at Rhys from head to toe; the tone of her voice, highly suggestive and she wasn''t even being subtle about it, "You know¡­ I haven''t sucked a foreigner''s cock yet, especially someone as big as you ¡ª I wonder how big it is."


    "Kurosawa!"


    It was a good thing that Rhys was able to at least borrow some of Ippo''s clothes, and fortunately, he wore a couple of sizes up. It was still a little tight, but it was better than nothing.


    "Rx, rx," The woman just let out a small giggle while raising her palms, "I''m just saying¡­ I''m tired of sucking small little¡ªKh!"


    And before the woman could continue her words, the leader of the gang suddenly pped her on the face, and without any reservation at that.


    "What the fuck!? I was just joking, you fucking bitch!" The woman''s face turned red, but not because she was embarrassed or hurt, but because mes started flickering across the surface of her skin.


    "Don''t even try it," the leader of the gang red at the woman, causing the other members of the gang to just look at each other weirdly.


    "It''s¡­ it''s the police!" Fortunately, before anything could happen inside the store, the sirens of police cars very slowly whispered in the air; getting louder and louder by the second, "Fuck, someone must have called them!"


    "Shit¡­ Who did that!?" The leader of the gang kicked one of the shelves,pletely breaking it and causing all the items to just shower on the floor, "Fuck! Don''t think this is over! Let''s go!"


    And with that, the gangsters all left one by one. Not before, of course, the woman who was trying to flirt with Rhys gave him a coquettish look while sticking out her tongue and being creative with it ¡ª of course, not as creative as Agatha or Lina.


    "We should go too before the cops arrive."


    "R¡­ right!"


    Both Rhys and Ippo also rushed out of the store, quickly getting back to the van and driving away. Of course, not before Rhys picked up one of the face masks from the store and then throwing a dor he had in his trusty utility belt toward the clerk.


    "Rhys, did something happen? I saw another one of those things with two wheels ¡ª were they creating problems for you again?" Malenia quickly asked as soon as Rhys and Ippo returned to the van.


    "They''re¡­ a different group," Rhys shook his head, "And we''re fine, they were just a couple of gangsters."


    "...The majority of your kind almost all look alike, but there''s also so much variety," Malenia breathed out as she looked at all the people as they drove away, "I even saw another one like this but a whole lot bigger, Rhys. I think I can fit the entire city there."


    "That was a truck," Rhys smiled, "I promise to teach you all about it once everything starts to calm down."


    "Hm. You do not need to worry about me, Rhys," Malenia shook her head, "I am already happy just breathing the same air as you¡­ and I hope whatever it is you are going through right now, it will be alright all so soon."


    "...Thank you, Malenia."


    "That¡­ that was close!" And as they were finally quite a short distance away from the petrol stations, Ippo was able to let out a long and very deep sigh of relief. He looked back and forth between Rhys and the rearview mirror; a sort of excitement slowly growing inside him, "Do you¡­ do you know that I was an Explorer once?"


    "Really¡­?" Rhys nced at Ippo due to the sudden shift of his tone, "What happened?"


    "I¡­ took a stinger to the knee," Ippo breathed out while shaking his head, "It was a giant wasp. It just blew out my knee out of nowhere and that was that."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at his own wooden arm and leg. If the circumstances were different, Rhys would have probably also been doing somethingpletely different now.


    "I could still work as an Explorer, but my wife, well¡­" Ippo looked at the photo hanging on the windshield, "...When he told me that my child might grow up without a father, I just stopped doing anything dangerous. It doesn''t pay as well, sure ¡ª but at least I get to go home to my family. What about you, Mr. Rhys¡­


    ¡­do you have any children?"


    "Too young to have one," Rhys smiled and shook his head.


    "Really? Good looking guy like you?" Ippo scoffed and chuckled, "I bet you have children you don''t even know of. If I was you, I would¡ªOh no¡­"


    "Rhys!"


    "...Just keep driving."


    Ippo and Malenia reacted at the same time as they saw a group of bikers on the side of the road ¡ª the very same gangsters who were creating trouble inside the store. Ippo was truly hoping that they were just hanging out on the side of the road, but of course, reality was not as convenient.


    Because as soon as they passed them by, they all revved their motorcycles and started following behind the van.


    "What¡­ what do we do, Mr. Rhys!?" And as one of the gangsters started riding very close to Ippo''s side of the car, the only thing he could really do was slowly step on the brakes.


    "Don''t brake," Rhys, however, quickly gestured to him to just step on the gas instead, "They''ll just get tired soon. They''re just a bunch of ga¡ª"


    "Aah!"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, one of the windows on the back blew out as the gangsters threw a stone at the van. The gorgons quickly curled and covered themselves to hide, but the bikers only needed to ride near the van to be able to see them.


    "..." Rhys closed his eyes and sighed. He was ordered by Ayesha not to reveal himself, and yet it would seem that life was just not making it easy for him at all.


    "Should¡­ should we stop?"


    "No," Rhys then opened his eyes while shaking his head, "There''s no need ¡ª this actually makes it easier for us. Can I borrow a coin?"


    "S¡­Sure?" Ippo looked at the coins he had on his dashboard, "But what are you¡­"


    "Open your window," Rhys said as he grabbed a few coins from the dashboard.


    "But¡ª"


    "Just do it."


    "O¡­okay," Ippo did not really have a choice as he rolled down his windows. And as soon as he did so, theughter of the gangster riding beside him could be heard even with the loud rumble of the exhaust, "What are you¡ª!!!"


    Ippo''s eyes just suddenly widened as he felt a sharp breeze slightly touching upon the tip of his nose; he also heard a certain thunder, almost like a gunshot. What followed next, however, was the violent tumble of the gangster riding beside him.


    His motorcycle practically flipped over, throwing the gangster straight onto the windshield of his van ¡ª fortunately, the motorcycle did not hit the van at all¡­ but the gangster was going to leave a dent somewhere.


    "Just a little ident," Rhys whispered out as he opened his window and then just grabbed the gangster from there ¡ª and without even a slight hesitation, he pulled him by the arm before catching him by the neck.


    And there, Ippo watched as Rhys just casually crushed the gangster''s neck before leaning out from the window¡­ and then throwing the body straight toward one of the other motorcycles, causing another crash.


    And as a matter of course, the other gangsters finally stopped following them. And almost as if he didn''t just do what he did, Rhys just calmly rolled his window up before letting out a small sigh and rxing back on his seat.


    "Just¡­ how many of you do I have to kill today?" Rhys blurted out.


    "W¡­ what was that?"

 Chapter 289 End of the Road

    [...several people were injured and one dead. It was also earlier reported that the biker gang was creating trouble in a nearby petrol station ¡ª whether or not what happened was an ident is not yet clear as of this moment. 4 were arrested but three were unfortunately able to flee from the scene. For those who are just tuning in, the incident happened on route¡­]


    "That¡­ that''s good. It seems they''re not suspecting us at all."


    Ippo''s sigh of relief almost filled the entire van as soon as Rhys turned off the news radio. It had been several hours since their encounter with the biker gang, and yet there was no mention of them in any news outlet.


    "I think we''re in the clear," Rhys also let out a sigh as he looked out the window, "Good driving out there, Mr. Sakurai. You kept calm."


    "I¡­ I did nothing," Ippo let out a small chuckle while scratching the back of his head, "It''s normal to be calm in situations like that ¡ª I told you, I was an Explorer once. You know, I think I remember who you are now, Mr. Wilder."


    "...You do?" Rhys nced at Ippo.


    "Yeah, I can''t mistake that handsome mug for anything else. I''ve seen you on TV, Mr. Wilder," Ippo blew out air while shaking his head, "If I knew who you were in the first ce, I wouldn''t have been as nervous. You should have just told me¡­


    ¡­you''re on a peace-keeping mission, right?"


    "Peace-keeping?"


    "Shh," Ippo raised both his palms for a second as he subtly nced at Rhys, "Of course, it''s a secret. The people in the back¡­ they''re from the Underworld, right? I heard the news, you''re trying to establish a connection between their race and ours. Oh man, I''m d I was born in this era¡­ and oh man. I can''t believe there''s a famous person in my van. Can we take a picture?


    I want to show my wife and kids."


    "...No."


    "...I guessed that," Ippo sighed, "So, this mission¡­ are you trying to bring them to Amerka, is that why we''re heading to the ocean?"


    "You could say that," Rhys nodded.


    "Then it''s true, you''re the only one who could talk to them," Ippo widened his eyes in disbelief, "I feel like¡­ I feel like I''m part of something great again, you know? Of course, I''m actually just an unwilling driver. Well, I was. I''m bbering, aren''t I? Sorry, it''s just doing my job, you don''t really get to talk to anyone ¡ª and I''m old. Old people like to talk.


    Ah, that''s it! That''s the ocean!"


    "Rhys¡­ Rhys!"


    And soon, the view of the ocean came into view ¡ª and just at the right moment when the sun was rising on them.


    "Helios¡­ Helios really is moving here," Malenia and the other gorgons could not help but just push each other as they saw the rising sun and orange horizon, "This ce¡­ it''s so beautiful, Rhys. All of you¡­ have lived here your entire life?"


    "Hoho¡­ I guess they haven''t seen that before, huh?" Ippo then opened Malenia''s side of the window, causing all of them to back away, "You don''t have to worry, no one would see you."


    "It''s fine, Malenia," Rhys nodded at Malenia and the others, "Your lower halves aren''t exposed anyway."


    "W¡­wow," Malenia leaned her head out the window, "It''s¡­ it''s a familiar scent, butpletely different. It almost feels¡­ endless."


    "We''ve always been told that this ce is a Forbidden Land, where all those who have done evil are punished. A prison, hell¡­" Ranni, Malenia''s shrine maiden, almost shed tears upon seeing the view, "...But from what I have seen so far, we are the ones that are trapped in a small space ¡ª these people are free, High Priestess."


    "But they are punished by the gods¡­" Malenia blinked a couple of times as she nced at Ippo, "...And yet they do not seem like it."


    "Because your books aren''t true, Malenia," Rhys quickly sighed while shaking his head, "And that only means one thing¡­


    ¡­your hero of prophecy doesn''t exist."


    "He does, I am looking right at him," Malenia did not waver at all with her words; no longer looking at the beautiful scenery in front of her and instead just staring at the back of Rhys''s head, "I know that you are."


    "...Why?"


    "Because I believe it to be so."


    "W¡ª" Rhys turned to look at Malenia, but before he could even say anything, Malenia looked away and once again stared at the horizon that was glowing ever so softly. The glow was touching Malenia''s slightly smiling face; the gentleness in her eyes, reflected the light even more softly than she received it.


    A small smile also crawled on Rhys''s face as he saw that. His smile, however, quickly faded away as he focused back on the road.


    "I saw that, Mr. Wilder," Ippo smirked as he nced at Rhys.


    "Hm?"


    "The smile on your face when you were looking at her," Ippo nodded several times as the smirk on his face turned into a cheeky smile, "I may not understand what she was saying, but I do understand that the snakedy fancies you, a lot. I''ve seen the way she looks at you too the entire ride."


    "It''s¡­ nothing."


    "It''s not nothing," Ippo shook his head, "You know, when I first heard about you from my daughter. You know what I told her? I told her to stay away from any of your content because you''re clearly a womanizer, and you are ¡ª I''ve seen the photo of you with several women, Mr. Wilder."


    "...Right."


    "But I can see now that you''re a different kind of person from the rest of us," Ippo pointed at Rhys, "Me? I can only love one person ¡ª my mind and my money can only handle that much. pft¡­ But you? Wow, I can tell you''re a lover through and through ¡ª you don''t even have to juggle between them, you just eat them all up at the same time."


    "Well¡­ I don''t really know what to say to that," Rhys could really only blink a couple of times as he looked at Ippo.


    "I can just feel it, you have that¡­ feel in you," Ippoughed, "I can feel that you are good to these people."


    "...I''m not a good person."


    "I didn''t say you are," Ippo scoffed, "But you could have threatened me directly or just outright tried to hurt me to get what you wanted, but you didn''t. I''m not saying you''re a good person, Mr. Wilder¡­ I am saying that you''re safe."


    "...And what does that mean?"


    "That''s for you to figure out," Ippo chuckled; the small wrinkles on the side of his eyes slightly showing, "But stay away from my daughter."


    "That¡­" Rhys quickly raised both his palms, "...You got me."


    "Ha¡ªthat''s what I¡ªIt''s them again!"


    And before Ippo could finish his words, a thunder once again revved in the air as the biker gang once again showed themselves following behind the van.


    "S¡­seriously, can''t these guys just all disappear!? I''m just trying to make an honest living!"


    "There are no people here," Rhys then let out a small but very deep sigh as he opened his window, "It''s time to get rid of them once and for¡ª"


    "Who is that!?"


    And before Rhys could actually jump out of the window, they passed by a tall, dark woman standing in the middle of the road; her long and very thick hair, just blowing along with the harsh wind.


    And as soon as Rhys saw that, he returned back to his seat and rxed.


    "W¡­what''s going on, Mr. Wilder!?"


    "It''s fine," Rhys just gestured to Ippo to continue driving. Ippo was going to ask what was happening again, but as soon as he looked in the rear-view mirror, he saw the woman just blocking the biker gang with her arm.


    "Wait¡­ I know her," Ippo''s eyes widen, "She''s one of your women. I recognize her from one of the photos!"


    "You recognize her instantly¡­


    ¡­but not me?"


    And with Ayesha clearing the biker gang, the rest of the ride once again became peaceful. Well, 15 minutes of it that is, since they have already arrived at the end of the road, quite literally.


    "I knew you were going to bring trouble with you, Recruit. Do I have to drag your balls everywhere for you?"


    Ippo parked the van further out into the shore, but they could not really approach closer to the water since there were a lot of rocks ¡ª there weren''t any people there, not even a lot of cars moving across the nearby road; a perfect ce toe and go inside the country.


    "Where''s the ship?" Rhys quickly looked around for the ship, which should be in view with howrge it was.


    "Well, nice to see you too, Recruit. And what are you even saying? The ship''s obviously back in the Underworld."


    "Right... I''m just getting everything mixed up."


    "We thought you were dead, gone," Ayesha crossed her arms while letting out a sigh.


    "You did¡­?"


    "No, of course not," Ayesha scoffed, "You, dying? What a joke and¡ªwhat the fuck are those?"


    "...Gorgons, long story."


    "Right¡­" Ayesha nced at the gorgons who were looking around, some of them even picking up the rocks. Ayesha then nced at Ippo for a few seconds before gesturing to Rhys, "...We need to talk."


    "Where''s Katarina?"


    "You''ll see, but we need to talk first."


    "...Right. Mr. Ippo, can you wait on the van for me? I''ll just talk with¡­ my boss," Rhys pointed at Ippo.


    "No problem, Mr. Wilder," Ippo smiled and nodded several times. Waving his hands at the gorgons as he walked away ¡ª surprisingly, the gorgons also waved back, causing the smile on Ippo''s face to just stay there even when he got into the van.


    And then, his wide smile widened even more as he saw a gold ne just resting on the passenger seat.


    "This¡­" Rhys did say he was getting paid handsomely ¡ª but arge gold ne? And with the weight and the craftsmanship, he could probably livefortably for the rest of his life.


    "M¡­Mr. Wilder!" Ippo could not help but stutter as Rhys returned to the van and sat beside him on the passenger seat, "This¡­ this is too much. I can''t¡ª"


    And before Ippo could finish his words, Rhys suddenly grabbed the golden ne¡­


    ¡­and wrapped it around Ippo''s neck.


    "I''m sorry¡­" Rhys looked away and closed his eyes. And very soon, a small snap just whispered in the air,


    "...I''m really, really sorry. No one¡­ no one could know I was here."


    And as Rhys opened his eyes, he only stared at his feet... before he started hitting himself on the head, again... and again, and again until blood started to fill the side of his face.


    "My fault... this is my fault..." Rhys whispered. But after a few seconds, he took in a deep breath and calmed himself down,


    "I''ll make sure your wife and daughter receive thepensation. I''m¡­ really so¡ª"


    "...Hero?"


    And before Rhys could finish his whisper to the dead, Malenia''s whisper reached his ear as she stood right outside the van; her eyes... just reflecting Ippo''s lifeless body.

 Chapter 290 Consequences

    "...Hero?"


    Malenia truly just wanted to check on Rhys, as the look on his face when he was heading back to Ippo''s truck was something she had never seen Rhys be. She felt it ¡ª that he was hurt, disappointed, angry, but most importantly, sorrowful at the same time.


    She wanted to ask him what happened as soon as he finished saying his farewells. But what she sawpletely shook her to the core ¡ª she could not even say anything as Rhs was right in front of her¡­ and Rhys also did not say anything and just went around the truck and retrieved Ippo''s corpse from the driver''s seat.


    Malenia remainedpletely petrified, watching as Rhys just carried Ippo and disappeared into the forest near the shore. It took several minutes for him to get back, but he was now alone¡­ and Malenia was still frozen in ce.


    Rhys did not really say anything to her as he approached the truck. He just nced at her for a few seconds before lifting the truck and then carrying it toward the ocean.


    "High Priestess, is something wrong?" And as Ranni finally noticed that Malenia had been stuck in her ce for more than several minutes now, she could not help but approach her to see how she was doing, "Why¡­ is the Hero throwing the magic carriage to the ocean? Wait¡­ can it also go into the water!?"


    "Ranni¡­"


    "What is it?" Ranni slightly turned her head to Malenia while still focusing on the van, watching it float back up in anticipation when Rhys threw it into the ocean.


    "When you whispered that heroes are not good people¡­" Malenia looked at Rhys''s back, "...Does that mean that they have to be bad people?"


    "I suppose not," Ranni shrugged, "But although the reason is not as important as the result, it still matters. Why? Is there something that bothers you, High Priestess?"


    "No, it is just that¡ªno, I suppose it truly does not matter," Malenia then shook her head as she finally moved.


    As for Rhys, he was really just waiting for Malenia and the other gorgons to approach him before he started walking toward Ayesha.


    "...Is it done?" Ayesha looked at Rhys''s eyes for a few seconds before also proceeding to move.


    "It is," Rhys whispered.


    "I offered to do it," Ayesha could really only sigh as she heard the hesitation in Rhys''s voice, "I had no connection to the man, it wouldn''t have even troubled me for even a single bit."


    "It''s fine, Ayesha," Rhys patted Ayesha on the shoulders, "It needed to be done. Now, where are Kat and the others?"


    "First, I need to exin something while we walk," Ayesha then gestured Rhys to follow her across the shore, moving toward the side of a cliff, "Can¡­ your new groupies crawl here?"


    Rhys looked back to check on Malenia and the others, and Malenia only smiled at her ¡ª the rocks did not seem to be a problem for them at all as they just slithered across the easiest path.


    "They''re fine," Rhys nodded as he lightly hopped over arge rock, "...What did you want to exin?"


    "...You have all of your limbs?" Ayesha finally noticed Rhys''s wooden limbs, "...I guess you can tell me all about thatter. Right¡­ everything was going well when we arrived in the Underworld Corps of Russea.


    There really wasn''t much to do there since it was only a resting point until we found out more about what the heck was going on with the nymphs ¡ª before we could actually do any research, the nymphs started moving again¡­ and as you might have guessed, they ended up just below Nihon''snd area."


    "...And where are they now?"


    "Still down there," Ayesha pointed her thumbs down, "And judging by your reaction, you truly have no idea what''s happening. I thought your nymph guided you ¡ª she should have felt it."


    "Felt what?"


    "Right now, as we speak¡­ the Nihons and the nymphs are practically eating each others'' balls down there ¡ª it''s a siege," Ayesha shook her head, "These people don''t even know that their country is on the verge of being wiped from the face of the. Once the nymphs win, and trust me, they will¡­ they will go up here and kill everyone. They went crazy."


    "No, they didn''t," Rhys shook his head, "The Nihons are currently holding a nymph, and from what Aeng was saying, they are hurting her."


    "...What?" Ayesha''s eyes turned wide as she looked at Rhys, "What the¡ªwhy? No. Forget I asked, I forgot the Nihons are a violent and war-mongering race with all the cat ears and teddy bears. Whatever the reason is that they''re doing this¡­


    ¡­the Doc got hurt because of it."


    "..."


    "You know how she is, right? She''s stupid," Ayesha closed her eyes and sighed before looking up at the walls of the cliff ¡ª or more specifically, an entrance to a cave hanging high up on the walls of the cliff, "When she realized people were dying, she could not help but just go out there and tend to them ¡ª doctor''s doctrine, she said.


    Well, she snuck out one time from the camp and helped the Nihons, but as soon as they saw she was a foreigner¡­


    ¡­they all started attacking her."


    "What¡­?" Rhys''s eyebrows began to lower.


    "Of course, that knocked some sense into the Doc and she started fighting back and killing them, or so she told us," Ayesha breathed out, "But it was probably true, since when Commander Olga rescued her, she apparently saw a lot of dead Nihonsying everywhere before she carried the Doc out of the battlefield."


    "Is¡­ she going to be okay?"


    "Well¡­" Ayesha once again looked at the cave, "...See for yourself. We had to find a ce nearby when as soon as we dug our way to the Surface ¡ª so, I just tore a cave on the walls of the cliff with the help of some Elemental¡ªAnd there he goes."


    And before Ayesha could finish her words, Rhys moved behind her and disappeared into her shadow¡­ and just emerged right inside the cave that Ayesha made ¡ª and it was spacious; with several tentsid everywhere.


    "Rhys!" And as soon as he appeared, Agatha quickly jumped into her arms before just pulling him deeper into the cave, "Everyone, it''s the ckie. He''s back!"


    "Fuhrer, I knew you weren''t dead," Talia smirked as she saw Agatha dragging Rhys into the cave.


    "Bro¡­ you made me lose a bet." As for Dominique, she just shook her head and smiled.


    Agatha seemed to also want to say something, but she just stepped to the side and looked at one of the tents.


    "Rhys¡­" Agatha then continued to drag Rhys toward the tent before just stopping short of entering inside, "... Every one of us has been waiting for you, but I think you need to see her first."


    "Is she¡­" Rhys wanted to ask, but he stopped himself as he just nced at Agatha and the others before nodding and just stepping inside the tent; taking in a very deep breath as he did so, "...Kat?"


    Rhys looked at the bed first, but Katarina was not really lying there at all. And instead, she was standing in front of a table.


    "Rhys¡­!?" And as soon as she heard Rhys''s voice, she quickly turned around ¡ª but she did not, however, leap into her arms like Agatha.


    "Kat¡­" Rhys could really only slowly approach Katarina; his eyes, slightly trembling as he stared at Katarina''s dismembered right arm.


    "Oh¡­ this?" Katarina raised her severed arm before letting out a small chuckle, "We''re¡­ the same now. And you don''t have to worry ¡ª Agatha said that she would get me a new arm after¡ª"


    And before Katarina could finish her words, she felt Rhys wrap his arms around her.


    "Wait¡­" Katarina let out a small confused hum, "...You have both arms?"


    Like Ayesha, Katarina also did not realize at first that Rhys had a wooden arm ¡ª but not because she just didn''t notice, but because she did not see at all¡­


    ¡­because her eyes werepletely covered with bandages.


    "Kat¡­" Rhys let out an almost trembling whisper as he rested his chin on Katarina''s head, "...I''m sorry."


    "My eyes¡­ well¡­" Katarina stuttered; trying her best not to let out even a single whimper or a tear, "...You also don''t have to worry about that. If Maria happens to find Dr. Dhani Raj, I think he might be able to¡­ he might be able¡­"


    Katarina could not really finish her words as her emotions just started rushing out of her ¡ª she was a doctor who had the ability to heal, she knew she was lying to herself. Dr. Dhani Raj could recover even lost limbs¡­ but only if the wound was fresh.


    Unless a miracle happens, her eyesight will never return again. The only thing Katarina could really do was just cry on Rhys''s chest until there was nothing left and she just fell asleep in his arms. Rhys very gently ced Katarina on the bed before just quietly stepping out of the tent.


    "The Nihons who did this¡­"


    No one really spoke or approached Rhys; how could they, when he looked the way he looked?


    "...We are killing them all."

 Chapter 291 Mission Ahead

    "Does anyone have any more questions?"


    Rhys did not waste time presenting the facts he discovered to the rest of the group. There were also other people from Russea inside the cave that Rhys did not recognize at all, but judging by the way they were confidently sitting and looking at Rhys, they were somewhat of importance and of a high ranking.


    "Yes, only one." And one of those important-looking men was the one to raise his hand first,


    "What the fuck did you smoke? Do you really expect us to just trust this intel?"


    "Major!" Olga, of course, did not let that tone of disrespect pass at all as she quickly stood up and pointed at the officer, "You do not disrespect someone of a higher rank than you like that!"


    "I meant no disrespect with my words. But don''t tell me you actually believe what this Amerkan is saying?" The major gestured to Rhys, "He has no evidence to back his intel, and he also brought those snakedies withrge titties with him ¡ª and not to mention all of hisrades are beautiful women! Am I the only one seeing something¡ªWhat the fuck!?"


    And before the major could continue his rant, he and the other Russean officers who had no idea that Rhys actually brought a nymph with him, all jumped from their seats as soon as Aeng crawled from Rhys''s back and sat on his shoulder.


    "That''s¡­ that''s a fucking nymph!" The major and the other officers quickly pointed at Aeng, some of them even putting up their guard and using their abilities as they all screamed and panicked, "There''s a fucking nymph inside the cave! He¡ªGukh!"


    "Would you rx!?"


    The major''s body almost entirely tilted to the side as Commander Olga pped him right on the cheek at Mach speed. Fortunately, the major''s abilities seem to give him a durability greater than most,


    "No, Commander Rhys here did not just bring sexy snakedies," Olga clicked her tongue as she looked at herrades'' faces one by one, "He also brought a nymph that provided him with all the information he told us just now."


    "T¡­then why didn''t he start there!?" The major held his swollen cheek as he pointed at Rhys.


    "You''re asking that with the way you and the others reacted?" Commander Olga raised her voice, "All of you ¡ª report to my tent, now!"


    And as Commander Olga dragged the major by the ear, Ayesha could not help but let out a small chuckle while shaking her head.


    "And I thought only my subordinates were clowns," Ayesha crossed her arms as she stood up from the chair and approached Riley, "...And are you sure that thing won''t bite us?"


    "...She won''t bite anyone. She doesn''t even have teeth," Rhys slightly nced at Aeng, who quickly started flying away as he did so, "Aside from almost killing me and an entire city of gorgons, she''s been harmless and cooperative for the most part."


    "Wow, dude ¡ª that really brings up the confidence around here," Dominique rubbed her palms together as she also approached Rhys while staring at the gorgons, "And wow, you are really tempting me to start liking non-humans, Boss."


    "As you should," Talia joined in, "You don''t look human at all."


    "What the¡ª" Dominique raised an eyebrow at Talia and gasped loudly, "Just because the rest of you are abnormally beautiful, doesn''t mean I''m not a looker! If I start acting like a woman and grow my hair out, I assure you ¡ª lots of men would want to fuck me."


    "Gross," Talia shook her head, "But I am with the Native on this one ¡ª are you sure that thing will not bite us?"


    "She won''t," Rhys sighed before ncing at Katarina''s tent.


    "Stop worrying about the Doc, Recruit," Ayesha shook her head and ced her hand on Rhys''s shoulder, "She''s tougher than you think she is. She wouldn''t have survived her previous job if she wasn''t. And out of all of us¡­ she is actually the best in terms of close-quartersbat, and it''s not even close."


    "Just a pity," Talia grunted, "We could have used her expertize. What was she thinking, an assassin going out into the open battlefield?"


    "She wasn''t," Agatha, who was just rxing on her chair, also joined in on the conversation, "Noblesse Oblige. She''s a doctor, she wanted to help."


    "Exactly. She''s a doctor, she should have been smarter than that," Talia shook her head, "She''s the Fuhrer''s main woman too, it would affect the morale."


    "What do you mean?" Ayesha raised an eyebrow, "Although I''m not one forbels, I think I''m the main woman."


    "You¡­?" Talia scoffed, "The Fuhrer obviously has a preference for big-breasted women ¡ª and can any of you say that your tits are asrge and perky as the doctor''s? No?"


    "W¡­"


    Rhys did not really stay for the conversation, quickly sneaking away before it could turn into something ridiculous. He was initially going to visit Katarina but decided to just let her rest for now.


    And so, he just decided to check on the gorgons to see how they were doing in their tent.


    "Rhys¡­"


    "Malenia."


    But of course, things were still awkward between the two as Malenia had not really talked to Rhys about what she had witnessed him do ¡ª anding from a race that speaks their mind, it was eating her from the inside.


    "...Do you wish to talk about it?"


    "Yes," Malenia did not hesitate at all as soon as Rhys mentioned it, "I was¡­ shocked."


    "It¡­ had to be done."


    "I know," Malenia nodded, "I have discussed what is troubling me with my dearest confidant, and we havee to the same conclusion. The man belonged to the same race as those who are hurting the sacred nymph, we could not risk being exposed with what we are doing ¡ª I, perhaps even more so, should be aware of putting the mission first."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys nodded.


    "But what still troubles me are the feelings inside, Rhys¡­" Malenia approached Rhys and ced her palm on his chest, "...I did not think of this before, but as the Hero, the road ahead of you will be filled with pain. I only saw the glory and the greatness."


    "...Are you afraid of me now?"


    "I am afraid for you," Malenia closed her eyes and shook her head, "Rhys, you wereughing with that man just moments before you wrapped your hands around his neck and took his life from him ¡ª I felt fear at that moment, yes. But also sadness¡­ for you."


    Malenia''s voice started to crack as tears trailed from her eyes, "And now¡­ now I am wishing you''re not the Hero at all so you wouldn''t go through that anymore¡­


    ¡­but we all have a role to y, that is our fate."


    "I''ve killed many more innocent people, Malenia," Rhys shook his head and wiped the tears from Malenia''s face, "I don''t deserve your tears."


    "I shed tears for you and for them," Malenia leaned her head away, "That is the only thing I can do at this moment ¡ª and of course, I also offer my shivens in the brewing war. I assume we are part of the battle n?"


    "I''ll inform you when the timees. It''s¡ª"


    "Commander Rhys."


    And before Rhys could continue his conversation with Malenia, a Russean soldier approached them and saluted Rhys,


    "Sorry to interrupt, but the Commander wants to see you in her tent!"


    "Go¡­" Malenia removed her hand from Rhys''s chest, "...We''ll be here when you need us. The people who did this to the sacred nymph will pay."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys only nodded before proceeding to follow the soldier to Commander Olga''s tent. He thought the major and the others would still be there, but she was the only one inside,


    "Commander Olga, you wished to talk to me about something?"


    "Yes," Olga cleared her throat as she gestured to Rhys to take a seat in front of the desk; her face slightly red, "And¡­ I didn''t call you here to talk about what happened in my quarters back on the ship."


    "I¡­ wasn''t thinking about that at all, Commander," Rhys could really only squint his eyes as he sat down; staring at the 4 filled Hearts above her head.


    "...Really? I mean, that''s good. That''s good," Commander Olga nodded several times, "But¡­ we will discuss thatter. My men and I have thought of a n moving forward."


    "Commander," Rhys sat up straight and nodded.


    "We will be separated into two teams ¡ª we decided to confront the Nihons in the Underworld, of course, to serve as a distraction."


    "...Risk a war with the Nihons?"


    "No ¡ª we have reason to believe that this is an independent military," Olga shook her head, "And as for the second team, we will try to infiltrate wherever they are keeping the abducted nymph.."


    "You will be on the second team?"


    "Of course," Olga nodded as she stood up, "For stealth reasons, and stealth alone. The second team¡­


    ¡­will beposed of only you and me, Commander Rhys."

 Chapter 292 The Right Place

    "Are you guys in position?"


    [We are. Just waiting for your signal.]


    3 days after Rhys''s reunion with the others, he was now once again separated from them; with him and Olga moving incognito across the roads of Nihon. Nothing really happened in between their travels, as Olga was extremely professional, and not to mention very good at her job.


    With most military branches, the highest ranking official would mostly just be in the office and meetings ¡ª but that was not the case at all of the Underworld Corps. Both Ayesha and Commander Olga, if need be, would assign themselves to missions if they deem it to require their expertise.


    And Commander Olga, as a Noble with the blood of Hermes, was almost indispensable when it came to small unit operations ¡ª such as the operation she and Rhys were in now.


    "We are still confirming whether or not the asset really is in the location," Commander Olga squinted her eyes as she looked at the small, humble vige in the distance.


    Aeng led both Rhys and Olga to some sort of secluded and small vige on the outskirts of Nihon, which was probably more than 30 kilometers away from any main roads; because of this, it was easy for Olga and Rhys to just move through the sea of forests that surrounded it ¡ª the two of them, now just rxing on top of arge tree.


    And from both of their recon, the only way in and out of the vige was a small road¡­ which was suspiciously well-developed despite the humble atmosphere the small vige was giving off. But other than that, however¡­


    "This looks like a normal vige," Olga whispered to Rhys as she looked at her binocrs, "There are lots of old people just walking and doing their business. Honestly, I would have said that the nymph was leading us to nowhere¡­


    ¡­if it wasn''t for that weird building."


    And almost out of ce, there was arge building that looked like it clearly did not belong with the other infrastructures and humble houses of the vige.


    "It looks like a typical Nihon school," Olga let out a small hum as she continued to inspect the old building, "But why would there be a school that big in a rural ce like this? And for it to be thiste and for the old people to still be walking around¡­ It is weird."


    "There aren''t any children too," Rhys nodded in agreement as he walked closer to Olga before sitting beside her; not even causing the thick branch they were on to move as he did so, "I could see bicycles that might belong to children, but there''s just old people here."


    "We could argue they have already all moved away since the school building looks abandoned already," Olga nced at Rhys before removing the binocrs from her face, "And you can see all of that with just your eyes from this distance?"


    "Yes¡­" Rhys also nced at Olga before shrugging, "...I have many abilities."


    "I truly wish I could have had someone like you in my life¡ªI¡­ I mean, someone like you in my troops," Olga quickly cleared her throat, "In the Underworld Corps."


    "...You shouldn''t," Rhys let out a small chuckle as he subtly looked at the Hearts floating above Olga''s head, "I bring nothing but trouble."


    "Hm," Olga scoffed before letting out a sigh and shaking her head, "Did you find it hard ¡ª when you lost your limbs trying to protect your Commander? Did you¡­ regret it?"


    "...Not at all," Rhys did not expect the sudden shift in topic, "Ayesha is one of the strongest people I have ever met, match that with her even stronger bravery ¡ª I just thought back then that the world needed her more than me. Of course, I didn''t really need to protect her at all."


    "If¡­ I was your Commander, do you think you would have done the same?"


    "I don''t know you, Ma''am," Rhys said without any hesitation.


    "O¡­ oh."


    "But from what I have seen, and when you tried to run toward me and save me when I fell with the Roc¡­" Rhys looked Olga in the eyes, "...I truly think I would have risked my life for you too."


    "Would¡­ you like to know me more, then?" A small hint of a smile crawled on Olga''s face. It did not evenst a millisecond, however, as she quickly looked away, "But not right now, we have a job to do. This conversation is not even appropriate to be had right now, and I apologize."


    "Yes, Ma''am." Rhys was still confused as to why Olga already had 4 Hearts filled during their first meeting ¡ª but most importantly¡­ She was masturbating using his photo. If only he could actually hear her desire. But s, like with Esme, it waspletely silent.


    There seemed to be a certain point with Nobles where he could no longer hear their desires ¡ª except for Agatha. But he did not really need to hear her desires to know what she wanted. He also couldn''t hear Hannah''s desires as well¡­ does that mean that Hannah might actually secretly be a Noble?


    Judging from her strength, she might actually be hiding her true lineage ¡ª but then again, she is Joseph Hayden''s child, who is still aplete mystery for Rhys.


    "Commander."


    "Hm?" Rhys was woken up from his stupor as Olga tapped him on the arm.


    "There''s some movement in the school," Olga was once again looking through her binocrs, "And these people don''t look like they belong in the vige at all."


    Rhys squinted his eyes to look at the school building, only to see several people stepping out onto the rooftop; all of them, wearing some sort of long white coat.


    "Do they look like doctors to you, Ma''am?" Rhys whispered.


    "Most probably," Olga breathed out as she saw one of them removing a pair of gloves, "I think they came up to the roof to smoke. Can''t you just ask the nym¡ªAeng if she senses any traces of her sister from them?"


    "She''s asleep," Rhys let out a small sigh as he looked at his utility belt, only to see Aeng hanging from therepletely incapacitated, "I don''t think they''re supposed to be awake for long. Should we just blitz the entire building, then?"


    "No," Olga shook her head, "We don''t know how many there are inside, or if they might have any Nobles."


    "Then¡­"


    "One way to find out, then," Olga then raised her radio, "Major, you''re green."


    [Roger that.]


    Rhys and Olga then becamepletely silent as they watched the people on the roof. But even after a minute had passed, they were all still just rxing; smoking while talking to each other ¡ª but finally, after a few more seconds, one of them dropped their cigarette and grabbed what seemed to be a radio from his waist.


    They all then looked at each other, before they all just started to rush back to the door.


    "Commander!"


    "Hm." Rhys then quickly disappeared into the shadows, emerging next to one of the houses in the vige before disappearing again until he finally emerged right in front of the men in white coats above the school building,


    "Good evening, Sirs."


    "What the¡ª!?" The 5 men could not help but just stop in their tracks as they saw a tall man suddenly blocking their path back to the inside of the building, "Who are you!? Where did youe from!?"


    "Tell them we''ll be the ones asking questions and we need it fast."


    "!!!" The men then looked behind them, only to see Olga standing there with an extremely poised stance.


    "We are in a rush," Rhys closed the door before walking very slowly toward the men in coats, "So I will ask questions, and you will answer them. If not, we will kill you."


    "I¡­ don''t understand! They¡­ they said this location was secure!" The men just started talking to each other.


    "They? Who''s they?" Rhys asked calmly.


    "Please! We''re just doing our jobs!" One of them just kneeled there and then, "We don''t¡ª"


    "Oh fuck!" The men could not help but just either flinch or just outright drop butt-first to the floor as they saw Rhys just suddenly pierce his arm right through their kneelingrade.


    "I said I would be asking questions and you will answer them," Rhys then just casually pulled out his arm from the man; not even bothering to wipe the dripping blood as he looked at the remaining men in coats, "Please, just answer it."


    "We¡­ we really don''t know anything, please! It''s¡­ I think it''s the government, but we''re not sure!" All of them raised their hands in the air, "But¡­ but they were being led by a foreigner! I¡­ I won''t forget that! He looked¡­ he had small eyes and he looked¡­ he looked incredibly tired!"


    "Y¡­yes! I¡­ I saw that too! I wouldn''t forget about it because¡­ because it looked like¡­


    ¡­he was actually talking to the nymph!"

 Chapter 293 A Strum

    "We really are in the right ce."


    The blood dripping from Rhys''s arm continued to spatter on the ground; failing to paint it red, however, as it really only just joined with the pool of blood already decorating the rooftop. In the end, Rhys did as he said back in the mission briefing.


    He killed them all even though they tried their best to answer his questions.


    Unfortunately for them, Rhys and Olga were running on very limited time as they were just taking advantage of the short chaos in the Underworld. With the added pressure from Ayesha and the others, whoever was running things here probably feared that the nymphs would find their way here soon.


    "When I interrogated the gorgon who sold the nymph back in the Underworld," Rhys breathed out as he grabbed all the ID Pass from all the corpses, "She told me she sold it to a human with small eyes ¡ª I thought that meant it was someone from the East. But it would seem that someone foreign is involved. What do you think, Ma''am? ¡­Ma''am?"


    Rhys then turned to look at Olga as she had remained quiet the entire time he was questioning the men in coats, only to see her face almostpletely red while staring at his bloody hand; her breaths, slightly stuttering and heavy.


    "...Ma''am?" Rhys then leaned his head down right in front of Olga.


    "Commander!" Olga let out a small gasp as she woke up from her tiny weird stupor; quicklyposing herself and adjusting her clothes and hair, "Good work. We found some crucial intel, but we should probably discuss it while joining in with the chaos."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys nodded as he noticed the noise inside the building getting louder and louder, "...Should we split up?"


    "No," Olga quickly shook her head as she gestured to Rhys to enter the building, "It wouldn''t be wise to split up. This foreigner with small eyes they mentioned, they said he''s also able to talk to the nymph ¡ª the same as you. That means¡­


    ¡­we should assume that he might also be as strong as you, Commander."


    "...I''ll lead the way just in case Aeng wakes up, then," Rhys then carefully entered the building, only to see red shing lights painting the walls and a somewhat loud siren screaming in the air, "This should be a good enough cover for us."


    And with only a nod as their only sign to each other, the two started scouting the building as fast as they could; moving from door to door and floor after floor in no time at all.


    "Ma''am."


    "Hnh¡­" Olga let out a small moan as Rhys suddenly pushed her to the wall; slightly pinning her as they finally saw people running toward a certain room, which looked like it just led to another ordinary ssroom from the outside.


    Of course, Rhys chose to ignore that small moan for now and focus on the mission ¡ª and Olga did the same too, remaining professional as the two of them quietly approached the room everyone seemed to be entering.


    From their count, there were probably at least more than 70 people who entered the room¡­ but as soon as they took a peek, there was no one there ¡ª and there was also no way in the first ce that 70 people could fit in the tiny ssroom that was filled with armchairs that had their own small desks integrated to it.


    "A secret entrance?" Rhys breathed out as the two of them carefully entered the room.


    "Only thing it could be," Olga nodded before just suddenly disappearing from her spot.


    Rhys could feel the sudden sharp wind that surrounded the tiny ssroom; his eyes, barely even keeping up with the streak that was blurring everywhere and across the room. Those with the blood of Hermes are rare, with Olga probably being the first Noble he had met with the blood¡­


    ¡­and it was amazing to watch.


    "Found something," and not even a few secondster, Olga''s silhouette finally stopped in one of the chairs inside the room, "There''s some sort of gap here."


    Rhys approached Olga and inspected the chair ¡ª and there truly was a weird gap on the desk. It just looked like it was a scratch made by a pen, but upon further look, there was a slight glowing out of it.


    Rhys nced at Olga for a few seconds before grabbing the ID Pass he looted from the corpses of the men in coats and proceeding to swipe it on the sharp gap.


    And as soon as he did that, the chair in front of them suddenly lowered through the floor ¡ª opening up stairs leading to some sort of underground hall.


    "Do you think they have ess to the Underworld right here?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "Only one way to find out," Olga once again gestured to Rhys to go first ¡ª Rhys did not mind at all, however, as they were just ying with each others'' strengths. Rhys had some of Ayesha''s durability, already making him one of the most sturdy people in the world ¡ª in short, he was acting as a shield.


    True enough, however, the passage was leading down ¡ª but it did not turn into a Dig at all or cause a gravity shift, as whoever made the passage made sure that the slope down was just at the right angle and width ¡ª that meant that whoever created this, spent a whole lot of money, as the entire passage was covered in polished concrete; with light bulbs seemingly every 5 meters.


    "Do you still think this is not a project of the country?" Rhys nced back at Olga, who was making sure their six was clear.


    "If it is, then they have some deep exining to do to the entire world," Olga scoffed, "To not only think of abducting a nymph, but hurting one? Such an act would put the entire world at risk. You''ve seen the damage a single nymph could do, right?"


    "Hm," Rhys then turned to look at Aeng, who was still dead asleep hanging on his waist like a doll.


    "A hundred of them could potentially wipe out all life in the Surface and the Underworld in the blink of an eye," Olga snapped her fingers, "And the fact that they still haven''t actually run through the Nihons and just killed them outright means that they still have not fully abandoned their kind nature¡­


    ¡­I don''t even want to imagine hundreds of them mad. It is always often the innocent that bes merciless when pushed to their limits,"


    "..." Rhys doesn''t know why, but it felt like Olga was staring right at him while saying that.


    "I believe we are moving in a spiral, Commander Rhys," Olga then halted her steps as she realized, "Judging from the marks on the floor, the people use some sort of vehicle to get to wherever this path is leading ¡ª we have no time to waste so¡­"


    "Hm?" Rhys turned around, only to see Olga with her arms slightly stretched to the side.


    "I''ll carry you," Olga muttered, trying her best to keep a straight face.


    "...Okay," Rhys did not really see any reason to refuse, however, as he stood closer to Olga ¡ª but instead of wrapping himself in her arms, he moved behind her and hugged her behind above her shoulder.


    "Hiii¡­" Olga slightly flinched as she felt Rhys''s warmth. But after a few seconds, she quickly shook her head and kept on a straight face, "...Your¡­ your legs."


    "Oh," Rhys then raised his legs and then wrapped them around Olga''s waist ¡ª suffice it to say, with Rhys towering over Olga, they looked incredibly awkward.


    But of course, the two were professionals and just both kept a straight face as Olga let out a long and very deep breath.


    "Remember to just look forward, Commander."


    "Yes, Commander," Rhys also nodded as he looked forward, and without even warning, he instinctively let out a small gasp as it felt like his organs were being left behind. Fortunately, with Rhys''s increased senses and reflexes, he was still slightly able to catch up to the moving scenery around him ¡ª and very soon, they reached a door.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys casually got off Olga as he looked at the key terminal beside the door. He then looked at Olga, who just nodded her head and gestured to Rhys to insert the ID Pass.


    And he did, with the door opening without anyplications at all¡ªno.


    Theplications came after ¡ª because as soon as they stepped inside, the scent of blood instantly filled their nose. They did not even have to find the source as it was already right in front of them.


    All the people that previously entered the room, massacred; their heads, all bashed in.


    "Hero."


    "Hm?" Rhys slightly leaned back as Aeng finally woke up, quickly climbing up his shirt and then sitting on his shoulder,


    "You should run."


    And as Aeng whispered those words to his ear, the sound of footsteps and a sort of harmonious strum of a guitar harmonized in the air.


    "Commander, it''s him," Olga quickly put up her guard; her arms, vibrating incredibly fast as she looked at the man slowly approaching them, just casually ying a guitar while doing so. And the man in coats was right ¡ª his eyes were incredibly small and seemingly exhausted; his hair, incredibly disheveled, "Is the nymph saying something to you?"


    "Yes," Rhys nodded, "She''s¡­ telling us to run and mentioned a name."


    "A¡­ name?"


    "...The Bard of Tragedy, Orpheus."

 Chapter 294 The Bard of Tragedy

    "The Bard of Tragedy¡­ Orpheus."


    "...Should we know who that is?"


    Both Rhys and Olga did not take their eyes off the disheveled and seemingly exhausted man, Orpheus, even for one second. There was a certain silence permitting in the air, which should not be the case at all as Orpheus was actually ying some sort of tune on his guitar.


    He was ying a sort of joyful tune, which waspletely out of ce as Orpheus was walking over several corpses. He wasn''t really doing anything else ¡ª and even though he was approaching Olga and Rhys, he had not looked at them or acknowledged their existence at all.


    There were a lot ofputers there, andrge screens on the wall. But all of them were either cracked or just showing some sort of blue screen.


    Most importantly, however, Rhys could feel something incredibly sinister crawling across the back of his neck.


    Rhys did not fear death at all, his concept of it disappeared when he jumped from the roof of his high school ¡ª but the abnormal increase in his senses that he received from Arachnea was telling him that the man in front of him was dangerous, incredibly so.


    "Is¡­ the name not familiar to you?" Rhys readied himself to either attack or dodge if the situation called for it.


    "First time I''ve heard of it," Olga shook her head as she also put up her guard, "The nymph clearly knows who it is, ask her."


    "She''s¡­ saying that he was once a friend of the nymphs," Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "...I''m guessing he''s not anymore, then?" Olga let out a small breath as she raised her eyebrow, "What else can¡ª"


    "Duck!"


    And as soon as Rhys said that, Olga did not hesitate at all to do as he said ¡ª and it was a good thing she did, as Olga watched as a few inches of her hair just suddenly split from the rest. She then quickly ran to the side so that she could move behind Orpheus, but then noticed Orpheus actually following her with his eyes.


    And with a strum of his finger, the ground beneath Olga suddenly cracked. If it wasn''t for her quickly lifting her feet and skipping, she would have tripped at Mach speed ¡ª unfortunately for her, more and more of the floor cracked, leaving her no choice but to just run toward the wall and run across it back to Rhys.


    "Rhys¡­" Olga quickly moved behind Rhys and patted him on the shoulder, "...I think we should do as the nymph says and retreat."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the damage that Orpheus had done in a split second. He initially thought that his abilities were like Talia''s ¡ª an invisible de; but no. The way the metal ground cracked made it seem like he also had the ability to control the elements¡­ or perhaps did it have something to do with sound?


    "But the nymph is right there," Rhys then gestured to Olga to look behind Orpheus, only for her to see a nymph sleeping on top of what seemed to be some type of incubator.


    "He''s dangerous, Commander," Olga shook her head, "As the officer leading this mission, I''m calling retreat."


    "...Okay," Rhys stared at Orpheus for a few seconds before nodding, "We¡ª"


    "A descendant of Hermes ¡ª I do not see a lot of you quite often."


    Before the two could actually n their escape, however, Orpheus finally opened his mouth ¡ª and almost as to be expected, his voice was aszy and as tired as he looked. There was, however, a sort of rhythmic cadence in his tone, a hum And even as he spoke, he still kept ying the guitar; this time offering a sort of somber tune.


    "And you, I do not even know what you are ¡ª but you can also converse with them. Hm¡­ peculiar." Orpheus squinted his already small eyes as he stared at Rhys.


    "Who are you and what do you hope to achieve by abducting a nymph?" Rhys pointed at the nymph in the incubator while signaling Olga to grab his hand so they could retreat.


    This subtlety, however, was quickly noticed by Orpheus as he tilted his head to the side to look at Olga holding Rhys''s hand.


    "You n to leave already?" Orpheus slightly hummed as he turned his back on Rhys and Olga before approaching the nymph in the incubator, "I do not know the circumstances that led the two of you here ¡ª but for you to give up already, it would seem that your resolution is not as solid as mine. But¡­


    ¡­I can not let you leave."


    "Rhys!" And as another strum rang in the air, Olga quickly tightened his hold on Rhys and started running to the door ¡ª but before she could even take 3 steps, however, the tunnel that led them there just suddenly copsed, almost instantly. And the weirdest thing about it is that it did not even make any noise¡­ Orpheus''s guitar remains the loudest sound in therge hall.


    "What country are you from and why are you doing this in Nihon territory?" And with nowhere to escape, Olga let go of Rhys''s hand and just fixed her clothes and hair before carefully approaching Orpheus. Rhys blocked her, but Olga shook her head ¡ª leaving Rhys no choice but to just lead the way and also approach Orpheus.


    "They have the technology I needed," And to Olga''s shock, Orpheus let go of his guitar and just ced it beside the pedestal of the incubator before he ced both his palms on the ss, "Or at least I thought so. Apparently, it was not ready yet ¡ª my mistake was not waiting another few centuries."


    "...And what exactly did you need this¡­ technology for?" Olga looked around the hall as she checked the broken screens, hoping to see some sort of clue ¡ª but s, all of them were just that ¡ª broken, "You are risking the lives of millions¡ªno, billions of people by doing what you did."


    "I am doing it for love, Madam," Orpheus then rested his head on the incubator; almost hugging it with a smile on his face, "My Eurydice."


    "...Love?" Olga raised an eyebrow before ncing at Rhys and then at Aeng.


    Rhys also squinted his eyes before ncing at Aeng who was sitting on his shoulder.


    "It is useless to ask her," Orpheus shook his head, "They know things, but at the same time, they do not ¡ª they live and share their thoughts in dreams, after all ¡ª and what are dreams, but soon to be forgotten? She knows me, but at the same time, she does not."


    "...Are you saying you are doing all of this because you love that¡ªEurydice?" Olga looked at the sleeping nymph again.


    "You would not understand," Orpheus shook his head while still resting it on the incubator, "Because you have not truly loved before. The nymphs are powerful beings, that is themon tale about them ¡ª they are beautiful, especially my Eurydice ¡ª but all thates with a price. A lifespan akin to a firefly."


    "A firefly?" Rhys once again nced at Aeng, "Nymphs live for thousands of years, or more than."


    "They dream for thousands of years," Orpheus took in a very long and deep breath, "The time they spend awake, however, is but a blink of an eye; a short whisper that would fade away all so soon ¡ª for if they open their eyes for too long, then their lives are to be short."


    "Then are you saying that the Nihon developed some sort of technology to¡­ lengthen a nymph''s lifespan?" Olga squinted her eyes.


    "We started it 20 years ago," Orpheus once again sighed and closed his eyes, "And yet when the time came, they told me it did not work at all. My Eurydice and I, even after thousands of years, still can not be togethe¡ªStop."


    "Kh!" A loud pulse then suddenly exploded around Orpheus, blowing away Olga who was actually using the chance to run and rush toward Orpheus in hopes of getting his guitar ¡ª unfortunately, it would seem he did not need the guitar at all.


    "Commander," Rhys quickly ran to catch Olga before she could hit the wall.


    "Why?" Orpheus then let out a very long and disappointed sigh as he leaned away from the incubator and once again grabbed his guitar, "Why would you ask for a tale and not let me finish it? If you were not interested, then you should not have listened at all."


    "You¡­ say you''ve been alive for thousands of years," Rhys gently let go of Olga and once again stood in front of her, "Then¡­ are you saying that you''re a god?"


    "A god?" Orpheus smiled, "I am far from it ¡ª I do not even share the blood of gods unlike all of you ¡ª I, Orpheus, am merely a human in search of love. And if the two of you will get in the way of that¡­


    ¡­then I shall sing you yourst song."

 Chapter 295 Uh Oh

    "I, Orpheus, am merely a human in search of love. And if the two of you will get in the way of that¡­


    ¡­then I shall sing you yourst song."


    "Commander¡­" Rhys backed away and whispered to Olga, "...We need to retrieve and take Eurydice away from him."


    "Agreed. Let''s¡ª!!!"


    "Zeus decided to climb¡­"


    And with that as their only n, a trickle of lightning started to spark right in front of Olga as Orpheus seemingly started to sing and hum. Olga did not really waste any time, as she just brashly grabbed Rhys by the head and back before just running while pushing him.


    "Tch¡­" Olga nced back, only to see the lightning rapidly extend; cracking the air as it separated into numerous paths as it chased her to the other end of the hall; fortunately, it chased her no further.


    "Hmn¡­" Rhys slightly cleared his throat as he did not expect to just suddenly be dragged away. He knew that the danger was approaching and he was actually ready to doge the lightning before it even happened due to his increased reflex and senses, but Olga beat him to it ¡ª before the two could even rx, however, the bard started to sing again.


    "...but he fell down, again, again."


    Rhys and Olga felt the ground beneath them tremble, causing the two of them to just split up ¡ª fortunately before the floor caved in and swallowed them.


    "The Titans, they pull him down~" Orpheus strummed his guitar, causing a pair of hands to emerge from the hole he made; a pair of hands that immediately tried to grab Rhys and Olga. Olga was able to easily escape¡­


    ¡­Rhys, however, was pped by therge hand straight through the ground. Orpheus did not seem to care, however, as he just continued to sing and y his guitar ¡ª he wasn''t even looking at Olga at all and yet each time he opened his mouth, Olga had to just evade something random.


    Just what sort of ability does Orpheus have, exactly? For the very surrounding itself to bend in his will just by his voice ¡ª can this not be considered an act of god?


    Olga did not really have much time to think, however, as she saw Rhys slowly emerging from the shadows behind the incubator where Eurydice was being kept. And so, Olga just continued to run; this time rushing toward Orpheus; tilting her entire torso back as soon as she felt a sharp pain on the topmost upper surface of her skin.


    And it was a good thing she did so, as Orpheus let out another invisible attack. It did not feel like a de at all; Olga was fast enough to dodge a bullet even if its tip had already touched her skin, and she had felt all sorts of projectiles and weapons barely miss her ¡ª and from how it felt, it wasn''t an invisible de like Talia but a moremon ability.


    Wind.


    Olga squinted her eyes as she was now only a meter away from Orpheus. Orpheus was not bedding reality with his will at all; everything he has been doing¡­ was controlling the elements, all of it.


    Olga then retrieved two serrated knives from her waist; vibrating them at an insane speed and then swung both of them at the same time at Orpheus, cutting through him like he was smoke. That was supposed to happen; after all, Olga had already cut several monsters and people just like so and they offered little to no resistance to her des.


    What is not supposed to happen, however, was Orpheus truly turning into smoke before flying toward the back of the incubator where Rhys was about to get Eurydice.


    "Well, ''tis a fine effort," Orpheus let out a soft and rhythmic chuckle, "But do you really think that one such as you would thwart the pure love between Eurydice and¡ª"


    And before Orpheus could finish his words, the veins around Rhys''s eyes protruded and his eyes started to glow; gritting his teeth as he red at Orpheus''s head.


    Orpheus''s cheek cracked as it turned gray ¡ª but with just a single hum escaping his curling lips; his face that was turning into stone justpletely turned to normal.


    "You are very, very surprising," Orpheus continued to hum, "But you can not curse someone who has already been cursed. It is¡ª"


    Rhys did not allow himself to get surprised as he just suddenly pulled his arm and did not let Orpheus finish his words again ¡ª causing the threads he had actuallyid beforehand to all just fly around and wrap themselves onto Orpheus''s ankles; pulling him back and causing him to fall. This was meant to justpletely shatter Orpheus once he was turned into stone ¡ª but tripping him would do.


    But like with Olga''s attempt, Orpheus just suddenly turned into mist before he could actually fall to the ground. But as soon as he did so, however, Rhys gritted his teeth, stretching his arms to the side before pping as hard as he could ¡ª a technique he learned from Ayesha.


    The shockwave from his p was loud enough to cause the entire hall to tremble, unfortunately, it was also strong enough to destroy the wooden hand that Aeng gifted to him.


    But fortunately, it seemed to have worked as intended as the cloud that Orpheus turned into scattered back. Rhys did not waste any time at all in carefully breaking the incubator and grabbing Eurydice before handing her to Aeng, who was tightly hanging from his belt.


    Aeng then quickly flew away, quickly covering her and Eurydice in a ball of earth;pressing it until it waspletely smooth. And then, it fell with a heavy thud that was enough to crack the floor.


    "No!" Orpheus let out a harmonious scream as soon as he was whole again. And without even heeding Olga and Rhys and mind anymore, he started strumming his guitar wildly; causing the heavy ball to bounce and tremble ¡ª but aside from a few scratches, Orpheus was not able to break the ball at all.


    "Hey, hey. It''s alright," Rhys raised his remaining palm as he very carefully approached the frenzied Orpheus. Olga tried to stop him, but Rhys shook his head and just continued, "She is safe, okay? Safe ¡ª we''re not going to do anything to Eurydice, we are just taking her somece else. Because the rest of the nymphs might already be on their way here, and then all of us will die."


    "I could just end you," Orpheus turned to look at Rhys.


    "You could. We could fight," Rhys shook his head, "You might even win against us. You are very strong ¡ª but if you kill me, Aeng will never let Eurydice go. She only listens to me."


    "Listen to you¡­?" Orpheus looked Rhys in the eyes with his dead eyes, "Why would they listen to you when you yourself do not listen to anyone? You interrupted my son, even though I have already told you that the love Eurydice and I have for each other is true ¡ª it surpasses this pantheon and all of its tragedy and curses."


    "W¡ª"


    "Begone!"


    Orpheus strummed his guitar again, causing the ground beneath him to turn into hundreds of circr saws which all crawled toward Rhys and Olga. Olga was about to dodge, but Rhys just clicked his tongue and then mmed his fist on the ground;pletely crushing it and just obliterating the saw.


    But as he did so, however, Orpheus strummed his guitar again ¡ª and this time, the circr saws surrounded the entire hall.


    "We''re just going to tire each other out ¡ª I don''t get tired," Rhys shook his head.


    "I too, do not get tired," Orpheus smirked, "A bard must sing all day, every day ¡ª but thedy by your side, however, clearly has her limits."


    "You do not have to worry about me, Commander," Olga shook her head, "I am not familiar with a battle of attrition."


    "No," Rhys whispered, "Since we already got Eurydice¡­ I am going to try and open a path down to the Underworld; it''s possible. And then you¡­ take them down there.


    "...I''m not going to leave you here, Commander," Olga shook her head, "And I am still in charge of this mission. And what you are doing is suicide, that man is already strong enough to deal with us at the same time ¡ª how will you deal with him with your back turned against him?"


    "That is why your safety is the priority, Commander," Rhys nced back.


    "Your n is not going to work," Olga shook her head again, "In the first ce, someone needs to distract him."


    "If it''s a distraction¡­" Rhys nced at Olga, "...Then I might just have the right woman for the job."


    "Huh?"


    "Do you see how I am not interrupting the two of you?" Orpheus then stretched his arms to the side, "That is called proper etiquette."


    "Thank you," Rhys raised his foot, "I''m doing it now."


    Rhys was about to m his foot on the ground, but before he could do so, the heavy ball where Aeng sealed herself and Eurydice started to shake. Rhys, Olga, and Orpheus all turned to look at the ball¡­ only to see a small crack crawl on the surface of the ball.


    And soon, this small crack scattered like a web until the ball just withered and crumbled like sand.


    And there, Aeng was still holding Eurydice¡­ but Eurydice was also holding her now; both of her arms, pierced through Aeng''s chest.


    "Oh¡­" Olga blinked a couple of times as she watched as Eurydice just pulled her arms away before calmly flying toward Orpheus. She wanted to run and just kill her there and then ¡ª but she found her feetpletely bound to the ground. And judging by the way Eurydice was ring at her, she was the one who did it,


    "...I think we''re fucked."

 Chapter 296 Hello

    "I¡­ think we''re fucked. Forgive me for mynguage."


    Rhys could not really care less for Olga''snguage. His eyes werepletely focused on Eurydice as she flew and made her way to Orpheus, and Orpheus weed her with a hand to stand on right in front of him.


    And without even any care for anyone else, Eurydice wrapped her arms around Orpheus''s cheek and ced her lips upon his.


    He truly was not expecting this at all. Aeng had already told him that nymphs were not capable of love at all, or at least the romantic love that one creature would have for another ¡ª they were not capable of it, as they were made that way to not procreate. They did not have the necessary organs at all.


    And so, Rhys thought that Orpheus was just delusional.


    But to think that Eurydice actually truly reciprocated his feelings ¡ª and not only that, she seemed even more in love than him with the way she was holding him and not letting him go at all.


    "No¡­" Rhys''s thoughts were cut short as he remembered the other nymph. He quickly turned to look at Aeng, only to see her trembling and crawling on the floor; trying to fly but did not have the energy or the tolerance for the pain to do so.


    "Aeng¡­" Rhys then carefully approached Aeng while his eyes were focused on the two star-crossed lovers. Fortunately for him, the two were busy with themselves and he was able to move to her side with no trouble at all.


    "Hero¡­" Aeng let out a very short but deep breath as Rhys very gently turned her around and rested her on his palm, "...Use it."


    "Use¡ª" Rhys squinted as Aeng pointed her finger at his eyes. But before he could ask what she meant, he realized what Aeng wanted her to do, "Okay."


    Rhys''s eyes started to glow, and as soon as it did so, Aeng quickly lowered her hand and rxed her posture while her entire body soon turned into stone ¡ªpletely freezing her¡­ and effectively stopping her from bleeding to death.


    "Olga¡­" Rhys then once again focused on Orpheus and Eurydice, and the two were still making out, allowing Rhys to just go back to Olga''s side like nothing happened and handed her the petrified Aeng,


    "...Please, keep her safe."


    "...Do we have any other ns?" Olga squinted her eyes as Rhys started breaking and scraping the ground that was locking Olga''s feet in.


    "Only one," Rhys closed his eyes and sighed.


    "My Eurydice, please ¡ª go back to your dreams." And finally, after what seemed like an entire minute, the two stopped eating each other''s faces, with Euridyce''s entire head filled with Orpheus''s saliva.


    "I care only for my dreams when they have you in it, my love¡­" Eurydice shook her head as she grabbed Orpheus''s finger and rested her face there, "...but even though I wish it were not so, even dreams of you are not enough ¡ª I wish for your presence with me."


    "But your life withers away as we sing of our love," Orpheus stretched his arm to get away from Eurydice as he covered his face; Eurydice, however, shook her head again and just started walking across his arm to get closer to him.


    "I do not care for my own for my life is you, Orpheus," Eurydice stood on Orpheus''s shoulder and bumped her forehead with his, "If my own must wither to be with you, then let my ashes rest with you."


    "No, my love¡­ no!" Orpheus raised his voice, "Just a few more, and we will be together. Technology is advancing as we speak, we need only a hundred more years."


    "...Then what about them?" Eurydice then finally turned to look at Rhys and Olga.


    "Hindrances," Orpheus closed his eyes, "This is not the first time our love has been questioned ¡ª even the gods have tried to separate us, but failed. Please, just go back to sleep ¡ª and once you wake up, all of this will be gone and we will be together again."


    "No¡­" Eurydice shook her head, "...I can feel something from the tall gent ¡ª although you may seem to be stronger now, if in any case you are not sessful in eradicating him, he will be a problem for us in the future."


    "Him?" Orpheus looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "Yes," Eurydice nodded, "And therefore before I slumber and dream of you¡­


    ¡­I will help you get rid of them, my love."


    "What¡­ what are they saying?" Olga looked at Rhys as they were both looking at him, "Why is the nymph pointing at you, Commander?"


    "...We should have tried to interrupt them, Commander," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh while shaking his head, "The nymph is joining the fight."


    "Then we are dead," Olga closed her eyes as she stood closer to Rhys, "Orpheus, before you kill us ¡ª I wish to confess something to the man beside me!"


    "..." Orpheus squinted as he looked back and forth between Rhys and Olga. And after a few seconds, a small smile crawled on his face, "Who am I to interrupt love''s wish? Please."


    "Commander?"


    "Rhys¡­" Olga took in a small gulp as she stood in front of Rhys and looked him in the eyes, "...I have been watching you ever since you first appeared on TV. And¡­ and¡ª"


    "Arachnea!"


    "...Arachnea?" Olga could really only blink a couple of times as Rhys just suddenly screamed. She then turned to look at Orpheus and Eurydice, who seemed just as confused as her, "Why did you¡ª"


    And before Olga could finish her words, she felt hair on the back of her neck just dance; her pores, opening up as she noticed a dark shadow suddenly towering over her. She then very slowly looked up, only for a trickle of blood to drop on her cheek.


    And instinctively, she quickly ran behind Rhys, getting a better view of the sudden entity that found itself in the hall.


    "That''s¡­" Olga''s eyes turned wide as she saw Arachnea; her mouth still fresh from having eaten something as blood continued to drip from her lips. Judging from her wide eyes, however, she seemed to be as surprised and shocked as her.


    "Oh¡­?" And finally, Arachnea blinked and noticed Rhys, "You summon me, Descendant of Eros?"


    "Arachnea," Rhys raised his hand, "Hello."


    "My, my, my¡­" Arachnea then wiped the blood from her chin as she leaned down closer to Rhys, "...You remember thest time we met? What I told you if we see each other again?"


    "...You told me you would eat me," Rhys nodded.


    "And yet you summon me, hmn?" Arachnea let out a sultry hum as she wiped the blood on her hand on her breasts, twirling her fingers around her teats, "You must truly either wish for death, or just desperate."


    Arachnea then turned to look at Olga, causing her to just quickly put up her guard.


    "A new one ¡ª I like her," Arachnea let out a small giggle as she leaned away, "W¡ª"


    Before she could finish her words, however, she suddenly swung her arm; causing a loud bang to just thunder through the air as she deflected Orpheus''s sharp st of wind. A sharp st of wind strong enough to justpletely cleave through a metal wall.


    "Hn?" Arachnea then finally acknowledged the existence of Orpheus and Eurydice, "A nymph and a human¡­? Ha¡­ could it be?"


    A wide smile started to crawl on Arachnea''s face as she gasped and covered her mouth, "Orpheus and Eurydice."


    "...Arachnea," Orpheus gripped his guitar tight.


    "The man gifted with the power of nymphs," Arachnea chuckled as she looked Orpheus in the eyes, "Thest time I saw you was when you went through the depths of Tartarus to rescue the lovely nymph ¡ª what a tale. What a tale."


    "And you hindered me then ¡ª are you hindering me now as well?"


    "Ah, I am offended by that," Arachnea let out a long and deep sigh, "I only wanted to eat you, little bard ¡ª and it would seem that I would once again get the chance to do so¡­


    ¡­with a little snack on the side too."


    "You darey your eyes upon her, monster!?" Orpheus quickly turned to the side to hide Eurydice from Arachnea''s sight.


    "Hm¡­" Arachnea raised an eyebrow before ncing back at Rhys, "...But sadly, I am currently full right now. Such a shame ¡ª I would have liked to have devoured all of you here. And Descendant of Eros, it is rude to just summon me without notice."


    "...How can I even do that?" Rhys was still careful; his eyes looking back and forth between Arachnea and Orpheus.


    "Oh my, have I not given you my socials yet, Child of Eros?"


    "...Socials?"


    "Yes," Arachnea then started patting her waist several times before just letting out a sigh, "Sadly, you could not summon my phone with me, still have a lot to learn, hmn?"


    "...You have a phone?"


    "Oh my¡­ you think me Ancient? Of course, I do."


    "What¡­" Olga blinked a couple of times as she just instinctively held onto Rhys,


    "...What is happening right now?"

 Chapter 297 Run Down

    "You do not need to bother, I would add you ¡ª I''ve actually been meaning to. But¡­ you do have to pay for my phone, Descendant of Eros because I know it is already forever lost once you summoned me here."


    Olga waspletely confused as to what was happening ¡ª she could not really understand what Rhys and Arachnea were talking about, but why was she feeling sort of jealous? It wasn''t right, not right at all.


    They were currently on a mission to retreat, and the sudden appearance of the Arachnea was a wee distraction for the enemies, or at least it should be. But right now, Olga was the one finding Arachneapletely distracting with the way she seemed to be talking to Rhys while being filled with familiarity.


    "What¡­ what is she saying to you, Commander?" Olga whispered, "And I do not know if I am recalling it properly, but you called her name right before she appeared right in front of us ¡ª could it be you also have the ability to summon monsters? No¡­ Arachnea is a god."


    "She''s¡­ asking me to pay for her phone."


    "...What? Is¡­ that some sort of metaphor?"


    "No."


    "Well, as I said ¡ª all of you are really lucky that I just had my fill," Arachnea then let out a short but very deep sigh while looking around the metal hall, "How about this then, Descendant of Eros ¡ª I help you out in your very desperate situation, and in return, you do something for me?"


    "I can pay you back for the phone," Rhys quickly said.


    "Oh my, it is not your ce to haggle," Arachnea covered her lips and softly giggled, "Paying me back for my lost phone is already a given. I wille to you, Rhys ¡ª and you will do as I ask. And trust me, when the timees¡­ you will have no choice but to agree."


    "W¡ª" And before Rhys could even say another word, Arachnea suddenly pointed her hands toward the floor and the ceiling ¡ª and then with a smile on her face, several threads were released from her fingers and shot toward the floor and the ceiling, piercing through them like they were nothing.


    "Well then¡­" Arachnea smiled at Rhys, "...Off you go."


    Arachnea then waved her hand and pulled her hands together, and as she did so, the gravity within the metal hall started to go amok as a hole through the surface was made ¡ª but it was not exactly aplete Hole, but rather a Dig.


    And with Orpheus and his men digging a spiral from the surface and all the way down, the gravity within the metal hall becamepletely erratic¡­ causing all the earth and debris to just move almost in a cycle ¡ª there was also the fact that Arachnea seemed to have dug down and was slowly reaching the Underworld with her threads, adding to the debris.


    Orpheus just started strumming his guitar to get rid of all the debris that was moving toward him and Eurydice, all the while protecting her at the same time.


    As for Rhys, he did not really have the time to be gentle as he just carried Olga like a princess, who also immediately wrapped her arms around his neck tight. How could she not, when Rhys just started leaping from debris to debris up to the Surface?"


    "We''ll see each other again very, very soon, Descendant of Eros," Rhys could hear Arachnea''s voice fade away as she slowly returned to the Underworld; her giggles, however, seemed to be following him even as he tried his best to jump up toward the Surface.


    "..." Rhys did not even bother to look down to see what Orpheus was doing ¡ª he was sure, however, that he would survive this. He and Olga did not really try to fight Orpheus to the best of their abilities ¡ª he might have been able to win, but he was sure that one of them would be gravely wounded, perhaps even dead.


    No, they made the right decision to tread very carefully ¡ª because even if they did manage to subdue Orpheus, in the end, Eurydice would have killed them since they wouldn''t know that she was actually truly on his side.


    "Commander, please hold onto Aeng tight."


    "Don''t worry, I''ve got her," Olga made sure that Aeng was safely tucked between her and Rhys so that her petrified body would not fall or be hit by any of the debris as Rhys started punching his way through all the rocks and dirt.


    And finally, after what seemed like forever for the two of them, Rhys managed to jump to the Surface; slightly losing his bnce due to the weird gravity shift. But Rhys did not stop moving as he leaped through the window, which he found was actually tempered ss as it broke the wall it was attached to with it.


    Rhys did not heed it any mind at all, however, as he just continued to rush to get away from the school and be as far away as he could as possible ¡ª even climbing up into the hills that surrounded the humble vige.


    And as soon as he was sure they were already at a safe distance, he finally let out a sigh of relief; turning around and letting go of Olga as he looked at the school.


    "Commander."


    "What is it?" Olga turned to look at Rhys as he called for her.


    "...You can let go now."


    "O¡­oh, right," Olga, whose arms were actually still wrapped around Rhys''s neck, cleared her throat and finally let go of him; being extra careful so as not to drop Aeng, "Wh¡ª!!!"


    Before Olga could make an excuse or say what she wanted, however, he and Rhys watched as the entire school just exploded as a colossal tree emerged from the ground¡ªno. It wasn''t only the school that was destroyed¡­


    ¡­the entire vige was swallowed up by the tree that almost covered the sky.


    "...The elderly were still¡ª"


    And all of a sudden, the leaves of the colossal tree started glowing ¡ª gold, almost as if replicating a setting sun as it veiled the entire forest and hills with its brilliance.


    "It''s¡­ it''s beautiful," Olga could not help but whisper out.


    "It is."


    "We¡ª" Olga turned to look at Rhys, only to see him actually looking at her, "W¡­wha¡­uh¡­"


    Only stutters could escape Olga''s lips as she found herself suddenly lost in Rhys''s silver eyes; his silver eyes which also reflected the gold leaves veiling over them. Her eyes then very slowly strayed toward Rhys''s lips, only for her head to also very slowly lean closer to him.


    "Commander."


    "!!!" Olga''s eyes widened as she quickly leaned her head away, "I¡ªI didn''t know why I was¡ªI thought we were going to die there, so my emotions are a little¡ª"


    Before she could finish her words, Rhys very gently grabbed her by the back of her head and leaned in closer. Rhys did not ce his lips upon hers, however, as Olga was the one to do that and just kissed Rhys.


    But of course, she was extremely careful not to drop Aeng at all; her lips and tongue, however, were theplete opposite; the only thing she wasn''t doing was literally eating Rhys''s mouth.


    [C¡­Commander! Commander!]


    Unfortunately, their moment was cut short as someone began calling her on her radio.


    "W¡­ what is it!?" Olga quickly pulled away from Rhys, handing him Aeng as she answered the radio.


    [Retreat! Run! Get¡ªRecruit!? You need to get as far away from there as possible¡ªno¡­ get out of the country if you can!]


    "...Ayesha? What is¡ª"


    "!!!"


    And before Rhys could even ask, the ground started to quake violently; causing the glowing golden leaves to start to shower from the heavens. And very soon, Rhys and Olga watched as the ground from the distance copsed into a perfect circle¡­ creating a Hole.


    And without even letting them breathe, another Hole opened up¡­ and then another, and another.


    "Oh no¡­" Olga''s eyes widened, "...That''s not¡­ that''s not Arachnea''s doing, is it?"


    "That¡­" Rhys''s eyebrows started to lower.


    [Recruit! Drag your balls out of there now!] Ayesha continued to scream on the radio, [It''s the freaking nymphs! They all suddenly appeared out of nowhere and just started killing everyone! We managed to get out, but the Nihons weren''t as lucky. Recruit, wherever you are ¡ª get away from there as fast as possible because they are on their way there.]


    "No¡­" Rhys shook his head as he saw extremely small silhouettesing out of the Holes, "...They''re already here."


    [What!?]


    "They''re opening up Holes, Ayesha¡­" Rhys whispered as he looked at the more than a dozen Holes that formed across the horizon, "...I don''t think the Nihons would be able to close them anytime soon."


    [That''s¡­]


    "Men," Olga then spoke to the radio with her eyes closed, "We''ll rendezvous back in the base¡­


    ¡­Mission failed."


    Olga then turned to look at the glowing tree, and then back to the Holes that were now scattered everywhere,


    "This ce¡­


    ¡­it''s going to be run down by monsters soon."

 Chapter 298 The Banquest of the Strongest

    "Who are they ming?"


    "Nobody."


    Several days after the incident in rural Nihon, news of the multiple holes opening up have scattered throughout the entire world like wildfire ¡ª they could not really hide it even if they wished to, and why would they?


    Rhys and the others were able to sessfully flee the country with no problems at all and travel to Russea. It couldn''t even be called difficult as the entire country was in a state of panic, and not to mention cmity ¡ª literally.


    Nihon dered a state of cmity and have evacuated all of their poption as far away as possible from the Holes; right now, more than half of the people in the country are on the edge of the ind.


    Conscription was also extended to all Explorers, no exemptions ¡ª be they women or people of a certain age.


    Suffice it to say, the Nihon were treating this as a sort ofst stand against the annihtion of their entire country ¡ª and the other nations were inclined to agree. And therefore¡­


    "They are asking for our help too," Olga exined to everyone. Rhys and the others were currently gathered in the Embassy of Amerka in Moscalf, Capital of Russea, "No, they are asking help from everyone ¡ª all the countries they could."


    "They¡­ didn''t know we were there?" Agatha raised an eyebrow as she looked at everyone else.


    "They did," Olga breathed out, "The Prime Minister told them all about our mission the other day."


    "So we hid our balls for nothing?" Ayesha scoffed while cing her feet on the table in front of her as she leaned back on her chair, "And what did the Nihons say about that?"


    "They¡­ apologized for the inconvenience and danger they have brought," Olga closed her eyes and sighed, "They gave their word that they did not approve of any operation like that at all."


    "Ha! As if you can believe them," Talia, who had her back against the wall let out a loud raspy breath as she shook her head, "The Nihons were even worse than us during the war."


    "Oh,e on. They''ve changed," Dominique argued, "And that was almost a hundred years ago."


    "Yet they refused to acknowledge the things they have done," Talia harrumphed.


    "Enough, enough. We''re not here to gut the Nihons'' balls," Ayesha waved her hand, "What does Russea n to do, Commander?"


    "We respond, of course," Olga nodded, "If the country bes overrun by monsters, it is not only Nihon that would suffer, but the entire Surface ¡ª there is also the fact that the nymphs are there too. All of them might be slumbering now, but once they wake up, we would have no idea how to deal with them¡­


    ¡­and I assume the General has also called you?"


    "Hm," Ayesha sighed and nodded, "The old man called to scream at me about how the mission failed. I do not really want to go to the specifics of what he said, but¡­


    ¡­They are also calling for the World Rankers. And that includes you, Recruit."


    Everyone then turned their attention to Rhys, who was sitting beside the gorgons, and Katarina while holding her hand.


    "I am not interested in helping them," Rhys quickly refused as he nced at Katarina, looking at her eyes which were covered in bandages. Surprisingly, almost as if she knew that Rhys was staring at her, Katarina also turned her head toward him.


    "Help them, Rhys," Katarina shook her head, "You heard it yourself, the ones who did these belong to some sort of private contractor ¡ª it''s not the people''s fault. If you want someone to me¡­ then me me for being stupid."


    "I do me you for being stupid, Kat."


    "Oh¡­ ouch," Katarina could really only awkwardly chuckle at Rhys''s words, "I guess I deserve that. But Rhys¡­ please, help them. Stop being such a child and just do it ¡ª the innocent don''t deserve it at all. And also¡­


    ¡­There might be a chance that Dr. Dhani Raj is there."


    "Dr. Dhani Raj, is he really¡ª"


    "K is right."


    "What the fuck!?" Dominique could not help but just jump from her seat as Maria suddenly emerged from her shadows, "Why mine!?"


    Sadly for Dominique, she waspletely ignored by Maria and just proceeded to approach Rhys and Katarina; not even exining how she was there, and when she actually got there.


    "I have reason to believe that Dr. Dhani Raj will be attending the call," Maria said before letting out a small hum as she looked at Katarina''s eyes and missing limb, "It suits you, K. Your breasts were toorge so the gods finally decided to get rid of some parts."


    "It is nice that you find some humor in my suffering," if Katarina still had eyes, she would most probably be rolling them, "And I guess you were useless since Dr. Dhani Raj would be attending the call in the first ce, there was no need for you to find him at all."


    "On the contrary, I am the one who made it possible for the Explorer Association to contact the healer," Maria scoffed.


    "Tch."


    "You should go, my Fuhter," Talia interrupted the two ex-secret agents before they could argue, "This is your chance to establish yourself as a world power, rather than a celebrity and a mascot of the World Rankers."


    "I agree," Agatha raised her hand, "The Ennd royal family will support you in this matter ¡ª if you do not, then we also see no reason to help them."


    "Fuck yeah," Dominique nodded several times, "Go show them who''s boss, Boss.


    "Bring your monsters too," Talia added as she looked at Malenia and the other gorgons, as well as Prince Dubhai, "That one who seems to be the leader of the snakedies, and also the cenleon ¡ª not that one, but the warrioress back in the HQ. It would help solidify your position as an important figure."


    "They are actually also asking for you, Talia," Ayesha smirked as she looked at Talia.


    "Not going," Talia scoffed, "I have already worked with the Nihons before ¡ª I am going home to the HQ to¡­ limate the monsters and bring them into our ranks."


    "They won''t even understand you."


    "Oh, trust me ¡ª I have certain skills that would make even barbarians learn."


    "You know¡­" Dominique squinted her eyes, "...You''re still lowkey very racist."


    "So, what about it, Commander?" Olga then finally spoke again as she looked at Rhys,


    "If you are willing to go, then let us go together since my presence was also requested ¡ª it is also nearer to go from here."


    "..." Rhys nced at Katarina for a few seconds, and once again, she seemed to know that he was looking at her as she nodded, "Hm¡­


    ¡­Very well."


    ***


    Several dayster, Nihon had built an entire warehouse a few kilometers away from where the colossal golden tree and the Holes emerged ¡ª and in it, were probably the world''s strongest people.


    The warehouse did not seem to need any lights at all, as most of the people gathered there were Nobles; their hair, almost igniting the entire room with color.


    Almost all of them were sizing each other up, some forming groups while snickering here and there ¡ª they all, however, had onemon topic.


    "Where''s you know who?"


    "Maybe the rumors weren''t true after all. I was told it was just propaganda to stop the discrimination of Lowborns in Amerka."


    "Pft. Like Amerka is the only country hating on the Lowborns. And Ayesha is also not here too, maybe she isn''t¡ª"


    "Don''t be fucking stupid. I''ve seen Ayesha before, you do not want to mess with her."


    Most of the people who were talking and chatting did not belong to the World Rankers at all¡ªno. Those who responded from the Top 15 were extremely quiet.


    Esme Jordan of Amerka was one of them, smirking as she kept hearing everyone talking in English.


    "These guys have no idea what''s in store for them," Esme whispered to herself while shaking her head. No one really wanted to approach her, since they were all somewhat intimidated by the 2nd Strongest Explorer in the entire world.


    Very soon, however, everyone turned quiet as the Strongest Explorer in the world entered the warehouse. He did not really say anything at all as he just lit up the entire warehouse, literally.


    His white hair almost blinded everyone there ¡ª very soon, however, the light calmed down and he started walking inside; not even minding the others as he just went straight to Esme.


    "Sorokin Valeryevich in the flesh," Esme smirked as soon as she saw Valeryevich standing next to her. And since Sorokin was wearing a suit and styled his hair extremely neat, he almost looked like a bodyguard with the way he was standing with his hands in front of him,


    "To what do I owe this pleasure?"


    "I think you know," Sorokin breathed out, "Have you thought of my proposal?"


    "I am not going to get married to you," Esme rolled her eyes while shaking her head, "You''re pretty handsome, but I am just not interested."


    "That is a shame, then," Sorokin grunted, "Maybe next year, I ask again."


    "Not going to change," Esme scoffed, "And also ¡ª I was made aware that you were with him?"


    "I was," Sorokin then turned around to look at the door ¡ª and as he did so, everyone turned quiet as a certain tall man with ck hair entered the warehouse.


    Most of the people outside the World Rankers all snickered.


    Those who belonged to the Top 15, however¡­ were allpletely quiet as soon as they saw him.


    "That man¡­" Sorokin squinted his eyes, "...Very dangerous."

 Chapter 299 Not Peaceful At All

    "He¡­ is a very dangerous man."


    There was a sense of sudden weight inside the warehouse as Rhys stepped inside; enough to reach the high ceilings as everyone just stopped what they were doing and stared at him. Most of them were just judging Rhys and looking at him from head to toe, but those in the top 15 knew.


    It wasn''t only Sorokin, everyone who was present from the World Rankers could feel it ¡ª Rhys Wilder is strong.


    Only half of the World Rankers actually responded to Nihon''s call for help, the rest were not interested at all or were stopped by their countries from flying to Nihon and providing aid for some reason ¡ª but all those who were present were also staring at Rhys.


    Esme Jordan was just smirking, but not at Rhys, but at the rest of the World Rankers who were staring at him like he was some sort of prey. After all, out of everyone here, she was one of the few who knew just how capable Rhys was¡­ or at least she thought so. Their friendly duel was not that long ago¡­ and yet she could already feel something different from Rhys.


    Sorokin Valeryevich just knew instinctively that Rhys deserved his spot in the World Rankers the very first time he saw him with Olga.


    Lance Aquino was also there ¡ª his country actually refused to give Nihon any aid, but since his girlfriend would be here, he did not care at all and just went. His girlfriend, Larissa Jokic, ranked 12th in the World Rankers.


    Larissa towered over Lance, but the two did not seem to mind the dynamic at all as they couldn''t actually get their hands off of each other; leaving those near them quite awkward with how affectionate they were. In Lance''s defense, however, Larissa actually towered over most of the people in the warehouse.


    Hanamichi Rukawa, the 9th Ranker, was of course already a given since this was his country.


    Adam Armstrong, the current guild master of the Cerberus guild was also present being the 10th Ranker.


    And finally¡­


    ¡­Ranked 8th as the Strongest Explorer in the world despite already being inactive for years, Dr. Dhani Raj ¡ª the only reason why Rhys was actually even present here. But of course¡­


    ¡­Rhys wasn''t actually alone.


    "Who does he fucking think he is for being sote?"


    "Late? What do you mean? No one set up a time, we were just told to gather here."


    "...What? But I was told to get here early! You mean we¡ªWait, are those monsters!?"


    "...Why is Rhys so good-looking? It''s not even a joke. Like what¡­"


    This time, no one was subtle with their gasps as they saw two monsters following behind Rhys ¡ª Malenia and Edissa.


    "Did¡­ did this guy really just bring monsters here¡­ when we''re supposed to be getting rid of them?"


    "Are you fucking stupid? Those aren''t monsters, they''re people."


    "What do you mean people? One of those will eat us the first chance they get! That''s a cenleon!"


    The opinions were halved. But one thing was for sure ¡ª none of them really expected for something like this to happen.


    "Why¡­ the fuck are they so beautiful?"


    "Who does this Rhys guy think he is bringing in¡ª"


    And before anyone couldin further, Ayesha and Olga both stepped inside the warehouse and walked beside Rhys.


    "Wh¡ªNow, he''s just showing off."


    Everyone was just silent after that. The only thing they could really do was stare at Rhys as he continued to walk across the warehouse with an entourage of beautiful women all different from each other.


    Just what sort of luck did he actually have? ¡ª All of them thought.


    "Where¡­ is he going?"


    And right when they thought that Rhys was going to join them, he and his entourage continued to walk deeper into the warehouse until they reached the raised tform and stepped up on it.


    "Wait¡­ don''t tell me¡­ Rhys Wilder is leading this shit?"


    No one really needed to answer that, however, as Olga stepped forward and stood behind the podium.


    [Everyone,] Olga tapped the mic a few times as she spoke, [My name is Olga Ivanovna, Commander of the Underworld Corps of Russea and I will be the one briefing all of you about the situation.]


    "What the¡­ why her and not the Nihons¡­?"


    "Sshh! Why do you have so manyments? Shut the fuck up."


    [I am sure a lot of you have questions,] Olga continued to speak as she nced at Rhys, [The truth is, Rhys Wilder and I were there when the Golden Tree spawned from the ground and the Holes started to appear.]


    "W¡­what!?"


    Olga then started exining the situation to everyone ¡ª revealing everything they needed to know. About the nymphs, about the secret mission, about Orpheus, and the Nihons involvement with all of it. Of course, Olga skipped the part where they escaped thanks to Rhys summoning Arachnea out of nowhere.


    Everyone was in disbelief, and some found it hard to believe what Olga was saying ¡ª but since she was showing images of what happened in therge backdrop behind her, the only thing they could really do was believe her.


    And as soon as she was done, everyone was now staring at the Nihons, or more specifically, at Hanamichi Rukawa.


    "If it''s true, then aren''t they just getting what''sing to them?"


    "This country is done for. Fuck this, I''m out. Just let them all die or something."


    "What did you say?" And as a matter of course, Rukawa could not really help himself anymore from all the nastyments his country was receiving and approached the one who was making the most noise, "What are you yapping on about?"


    Rukawa was holding a pen, but he was holding it in a way that felt like he was going to stab someone at any given moment.


    "Hey, I''m just saying¡­" The person he approached only raised both his hands in surrender while giving out an awkward chuckle, "...With all the secret experiments. Whether or not your government was involved, you guys still fucked around and found out."


    "Why don''t you attack me and fuck around and find out?" Rukawa stepped closer to the man and looked him right in the eyes, "Let''s go outside, how about that?"


    "Pft!" And while the air in the warehouse became even heavier, Ayesha just suddenly started bursting out in a fit ofughter as she watched everything unfold, "The entire country''s in a state of crisis and here you areparing the sizes of your small balls¡­


    ¡­and I can''t even see any of it."


    "...Want to find out, then?" Rukawa''s lips twitched as he pushed the other man away and proceeded to stomp his way toward Ayesha while ring her in the eyes.


    "Ooh, scary," Ayesha just smirked, not moving at all and just standing there while Rukawa was approaching her hastily, "Well,e on then, Big Boy. What are you gonna do?"


    "Enough." Before anything could actually happen between the two, Sorokin blocked Rukawa''s path and stood between them, "This is not the time to be fighting against each other."


    "Tch¡­ Yes," Rukawa quickly backed away and bowed at Sorokin.


    "Scared?" Ayesha, however, still did not move at all.


    "No," Rukawa scoffed, "I just value the opinions and orders of those stronger than me."


    "You should be kissing my feet, then."


    "You''re not stronger than me," Rukawa looked Ayesha in the eyes, "I am not interested in people like you."


    "Of course, you''re not," Ayesha crossed her arms, "I heard you like them small¡­


    ¡­and young. A friend of mine told me, Princess Victoria, was it?"


    "You¡­"


    "Sadly, you''re not her type ¡ª Rhys, on the other hand¡­ the only thing she hasn''t done is kiss his feet. Or maybe she already has¡­ I can''t tell since they''re usually alone in a room together."


    "You dare¡ª"


    And before Rukawa could finish his words, everyone became quiet as Rhys stepped down the tform and started approaching them.


    "What?" Rukawa let out a tiny scoff as he red at Rhys, "Come here to save your woman? Don''t think that I will be impressed with what you¡ª"


    Contrary to Rukawa, however, Rhys just passed them by ¡ª not even giving him a nce at all as he wasn''t the one Rhys was approaching, no. The one he wanted to talk to was Dr. Dhani Raj, who was just quietly sitting by himself next to the table of food.


    "Hm?" Dhani just slowly turned his head up to look at Rhys, "Did you need something from me, young man?"


    "Yes," Rhys nodded before just stepping to the side and gesturing to Malenia to approach, and Malenia did so, and she was carrying a cloth with her which Rhys very carefully unfolded.


    "!!!"


    And as soon as he did so, everyone there just quickly put up their guard. How could they not, when even though it was petrified and turned into stone, it was easily recognizable as a nymph?


    "Oh¡­?" Dhani quickly stood up and looked at the petrified Aeng, quickly noticing the two holes in her torso, "She''s¡­ wounded?"


    "Yes," Rhys nodded,


    "...Can you heal her?"

 Chapter 300 A Favor

    "Can you heal her?"


    Everyone''s breaths just created an orchestra of intense pressure as they all just stared at Rhys, or more specifically, at the petrified nymph the gorgon beside him was carrying in her arms.


    Some of them had even summoned the elements they controlled or outright wanted to attack there and then, but Ayesha, Olga, and Edissa quickly moved to Rhys''s side and red at everyone who even dared to raise their hands; with Edissa even snarling at them.


    Rhys did not seem to care at all about what was happening around him, however, as he just looked Dr. Dhani in the eyes.


    "Hm¡­" Dr. Dhani also did not seem to care about themotion, as he just stood up and started examining the nymph, "...Let us go to a clear ce. I believe they have set up a tent for us."


    "Okay."


    "Wait!"


    Before Rhys and Dhani could actually move away from the conference, Rukawa suddenly moved in front of them and blocked their path.


    "What do you think you are doing?" Rukawa stared at the nymph before ring at Rhys, "You bring the enemy to our doorstep?"


    "She is not an enemy," Rhys shook his head, "And we''re already inside your country, Sir."


    "...You think that after you showed us that nymph, we''re actually just going to let you keep it here?" Rukawa let out a small scoff before brushing his glowing orange hair back, "The Commander of the Russean Underworld Corps just told us that the nymphs are the ones responsible for what is happening now ¡ª and you expect me to just let this pass?"


    "Yes," Rhys blinked a couple of times as he nced at Olga, "And therefore this nymph, Aeng, would be able to provide us with more information that will be highly valuable in this operation, Sir. I hope you understand that."


    "Then give it to us instead," Rukawa then approached Malenia, but Malenia''s eyes quickly started to glow as he did so, "This monster¡ª"


    "It''s just a difference in cultures," Rhys stood in front of Malenia, "The nymphs are sacred beings, even more so for the gorgons ¡ª I hope you understand."


    "No¡­" Rukawa shook his head before looking at the guards who were keeping watch in the warehouse, "...I think we need to confiscate that thing from you."


    "Very well," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he covered Aeng again, causing Rukawa to smirk as Rhys followed his orders. But s, contrary to his expectations, Rhys did not hand Aeng to him at all and just started walking away,


    "I wille and find you when this is over, Dr. Dhani ¡ª the nymph really needs your help."


    "...I am obliged to help," Dr. Dhani squinted his eyes and ced his hand on his chin, "Where are you going?"


    "Returning to my country," Rhys whispered.


    "Very well, I wille and find you," Dr. Dhani Raj then just returned to his seat.


    "Ayesha, let''s go."


    "Alright then," Ayesha just shrugged before shaking her head, "Remember, we still have to get some of that authentic wasabi. The Doll''s still kinda pissed at us for leaving her behind."


    "...Right," Rhys then gestured to Edissa and Malenia before walking away.


    "What the¡­" Rukawa could really only widen his eyes as Rhys and Ayesha started leaving. He was about to say something, but then also saw Esme following behind them, "Where¡­ where are you going, Madam Esme!?"


    "Back to my country," Esme shrugged as she walked past Rukawa, "If you really think I am doing this without the brute force of Ayesha behind my back, think again. So¡­ right, ain''t gonna happen."


    "W¡­ what?" Rukawa could not help but just stutter as he watched the 2nd Strongest Explorer just casually walking out of the warehouse, "Wait, wait!"


    Rukawa could really only grit his teeth as he blocked Rhys''s and the others'' path, "Wait! I¡­ I made a mistake. I made a mistake! Please¡­"


    Rukawa closed his eyes and bowed his head, "...My country needs your help. I''m¡­ sorry."


    "...I can feel your frustration, Sir," Rhys let out a small sigh as he ced his broken wooden wrist on Rukawa''s shoulder, "But you have to remember¡­


    ¡­your country asked us for help. We''re not your soldiers."


    "That¡­" Rukawa''s lips slightly twitched. But after a few seconds, he let out a very long and deep sigh, "...You''re right. I hope all of us can start over."


    Rukawa then turned to look at the other people too, bowing his head at them to apologize.


    "Ayesha''s at fault too for trying to rile you up," Rhys also sighed as he nced at Ayesha, who just shrugged in response.


    "Right¡­ please," Rukawa then gestured to Rhys and the others to return to the warehouse. And almost instantly, the mood inside the warehouse changedpletely ¡ª no one was trying to insult or start something with any of the Nihons.


    "Well, so much for that," Esme rolled her lips as they all walked back to the warehouse, "ck''s right, though ¡ª why are you trying to get the Nihon mad?"


    "...You''re not aware of his crimes?" Ayesha whispered at Rhys and Esme.


    "Liking little girls?" Esme squinted her arms, "That''s fucked up and all, but that ain''t really a crime if he doesn''t¡ªno. For real?"


    "Uh huh," Ayesha nodded as she subtly nced at Rukawa who was walking toward back to the other Nihons.


    "I''ve heard rumors, but ¡ª what''s your source on this?"


    "Maria."


    "...What''s that supposed to be?"


    "Oh¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Ayesha, "...It must be true then."


    "What¡­? No way," Esme''s eyes turned wide as she looked back and forth between Rhys and Ayesha.


    "Don''t tell anyone," Ayesha shook her head, "Apparently their government''s trying to hide it."


    "For sure," Esme shook her head, "I''ll just tell Sorokin and no one else."


    "Wh¡ª"


    "Sorokin!" Esme then just suddenly ran toward Sorokin.


    "I just told you not to tell¡ª"


    "It is not right to gossip."


    "!!!" Ayesha could not help but almost leap to the side as Dr. Dhani Raj suddenly appeared right between her and Rhys, or more specifically, in front of Malenia who was holding Aeng.


    "But I suppose the young truly like to talk about other people," Dr. Dhani Raj then unfolded the cloth covering Aeng, and Malenia did not really try to stop him as she already understood the situation from Rhys,


    "Come then ¡ª I already know where my tent is¡­


    ¡­I can try my best to heal her."


    ***


    "Here?"


    Dr. Dhani asked Rhys to ce Aeng on the bed, before very gently turning her body to see the extension of the wound.


    "The incision is very crude, and it did not seem to hit any vital organs," Dr. Dhani whispered to himself before writing on a piece of notebook he got from his bag.


    "...You know about Nymph anatomy?" Rhys did not really want to bother or disturb Dhani, but he could not help but be curious about what he was saying.


    "Of course," Dr. Dhani nodded as he very gently returned Aeng to a morefortable position, "This is not the first time I have healed a nymph, boy."


    "Oh¡­ wow."


    Dr. Dhani''s age is evident by the wrinkles and dark spots on his already dark skin ¡ª even then, however, the way he moved showed no signs of his supposed age at all. From all the info he gathered, Dhani was already active 60 years ago, and he really only stepped down from the limelight 10 years ago due to the passing of his wife¡­ who Katarina assassinated.


    It¡­ was a weird dynamic.


    "I think I''ve seen what I needed to see," Dr. Dhani then nodded as he looked at Rhys, "You can release her petrification now and I will just follow the flow."


    "...Okay," Rhys then gestured to Malenia to unfreeze Aeng.


    "Are¡­ we sure, Rhys?" Malenia''s breath slightly stuttered. But she did not really wait for Rhys to answer as she already trusted him enough to release Aeng''s petrification.


    And as soon as she did so, Dr. Dhani raised his hands in the air; releasing strands of light from his fingers that quickly crawled around Aeng''s body before quickly moving toward her wounds as soon as they turned to flesh.


    "!!!" Aeng''s eyes opened wide, causing the entire warehouse¡ªno, causing the entire ground around them to quake. But it did notst long, however, as very soon, Aeng''s wounds started to close¡ªno, they closed almost instantly; not even a scar to remind anyone.


    "Hero¡­" Aeng whispered as she looked at Rhys, "...I''m going to sleep for a bit."


    "...d to have you back, Aeng," Rhys very gently patted Aeng''s head with his finger.


    "You truly do have a connection with them," Dr. Dhani quicklymented as he let out a long and deep breath, "This gorgon, and then the cenleon outside ¡ª times are truly changing."


    "Dr. Dhani¡­" Rhys no longer hesitated, "...After all of this is over, can I ask you for a favor?"


    "You seem to be asking for a lot of favors from someone you just met, boy," Dr. Dhani let out a small chuckle while shaking his head.


    "I need you to please heal someone else, two of them," Rhys breathed out, "In exchange¡­


    ¡­I will tell you who killed your wife."

 Chapter 301 Lets Do This

    "Evacuate them! Damn it, why are there still people here!?"


    200 miles.


    It had only been a week, and yet there were already monsters appearing 200 miles from where the Holes emerged. Of course, in any other case, that would have just been a normal urrence since most monsters would actually go unnoticed when they roam across a Danger Zone.


    But the Holes did not appear in the Danger Zone of Nihon at all¡ªno. And it wasn''t only one or two monsters, there were hundreds and hundreds of them that had already reached as far as 200 miles away from the Hole.


    Of course, this was already expected¡­ as the number of Holes that have opened up in rural Nihon all at the same time was 30, and all close to each other. If it wasn''t for the fact that some of the monsters were actually fighting and intimidating each other, then it would have been worse.


    ording to the data and simtion they have run, taking into consideration the number of Holes and the rate the monsters are emerging ¡ª if they do not stop this as soon as they can, in less than a month¡­


    "...Nihon will belong to the monsters!"


    Rukawa was currently in arge military helicopter, standing on the edge as he spoke through the speakers to address the people he was with,


    "If that happens, my country will be bombed in hopes that the Holes will close and the monsters will all die¡­ 80 million people will lose their homes. So, I am asking all of you¡­


    ¡­please do not let them down."


    And with those words, Rukawa just let himself fall down the helicopter. As for the other people inside, they all just looked at each other before also leaping out of the helicopter either one at a time or at the same time ¡ª all of them, carrying smiles on their faces.


    This team and several others were tasked to eliminate the monsters that had already crawled far into the country ¡ª and the only one left on therge helicopter was Dr. Dhani Raj¡­ as well as Rhys.


    "Are you not going down, boy?"


    "I joined this division to protect you, Doctor," Rhys remained seated on his bench with his arms crossed; his wooden arm, restored and fixed by Aeng.


    "And here I thought you joined this division to protect the people¡­" Dr. Dhani then turned to look at Malenia and Edissa, who were also standing next to Rhys,


    "...And you may not know this, but out of all the so-called World Rankers, I am the one that needs the least protection."


    "Perhaps," Rhys shrugged.


    "That means you do not need to worry about me dying and reneging on our deal," Dr. Dhani let out a small but very deep sigh as he gestured to Rhys to just jump out of the helicopter, "Go help some people, Mr. Rhys Wilder ¡ª I see it as fair, you are asking me a favor to help someone, I am asking you a favor to help someone."


    "...Alright," Rhys nodded as he stood up. And as soon as he did so, Edissa also stood up. As for Malenia, well, she was just trying her best not to fall down because she felt like she would just slide out of the helicopter due to her lower snake body. Thunders were already starting to erupt from below, perhaps signaling the start of the battle.


    "Edissa, you areing with me. Malenia, stay here to protect the doctor."


    "Hm," Edissa squinted her eyes. Even until now, only 4 of the 5 Hearts above her head were filled. Rhys had been trying to read Edissa''s desires, but all she could really hear was how she wanted a baby¡­


    ¡­that wasn''t really something Rhys could fulfill at the moment, or if he could actually even impregnate Edissa in the first ce.


    "Perhaps I should stay with the doctor?" A small smirk crawled onto Edissa''s face as she nced at Malenia, whose hands were tightly holding onto a handle, "The gorgon seems extremely afraid, Master Rhys."


    "Afraid¡­?" Malenia''s eye twitched as she heard Edissa''s words. It was obvious she was trying to taunt her, since Edissa could have actually just spoken in her ownnguage and not in amon Underworldnguage that Malenia could understand, "Who¡­ says I am afraid?"


    "You are," Edissa once again smirked as she looked at Malenia''s trembling hands, "It is alright, I was like you once ¡ª but then again, I have 6 limbs, when you only have two."


    "You think that an insult, Cat?" Malenia then let go of the handle as she straightened her back, "You were granted more limbs than I due to your inferior brain, I know that much is true."


    "Ho¡­?" Edissa''s ws very slowly protruded. Malenia also did not back down at all as her eyes started to glow.


    "...Can the two of you rx?" And as soon as Rhys said that, the two just let out a small breath and looked away from each other, "Malenia, are you going to be okay here?"


    "Yes," Malenia nodded without any hesitation, "I would also not be of much help to you down there ¡ª at the very least, I can offer support from¡­ from above." She did, however, hesitate as soon as she tried to take a peek at the ground thousands and thousands of feet below.


    "Very well," Rhys then nodded at Edissa before just leaping from the helicopter, with Edissa following suit without any hesitation at all. Edissa then contorted her body to make her descend faster and fall beside Rhys,


    "Remember, Edissa ¡ª your priority is your own life. Escape when you think you''re in danger¡­ you are the most important thing to me on this battlefield."


    "My life onlyes after yours, Master Rhys," Edissa shook her head before tucking in her feline ears, "May your ws be forever sharp."


    A few seconds before Rhys decided to join in, Rukawa was just letting himself free fall down from the sky; his eyes, staring at the army of monsters on the ground.


    It was weird ¡ª once you go to the Underworld, one would actually barely see the monsters gathering together in one ce. In fact, one could even say they made themselves scarce and even needed to be hunted down by Explorers.


    And yet, a certain phenomenon happens whenever a Hole to the Surface is created; it''s as if the monsters are just attracted to them like moths toward a fire ¡ª and they just appear out of nowhere. This time, the monsters that gathered were called Rions; they were meat-eating horses the size of elephants and with long necks simr to those of a giraffe.


    This made the stampede even worse, as Rions are already known to group up even in the Underworld ¡ª and right now, they were moving in a wide freeway and on their way to an urban city.


    But either way, one or a hundred, it didn''t matter for Rukawa.


    Rukawa then grabbed a pen from his pocket. And as he took in a deep breath, the pen started to light up and give out a harsh white glow.


    "One or a hundred¡­" Rukawa let out a small scoff as he once again looked at the army of monsters, "...All of you will die."


    And with those words, Rukawa threw down the pen ¡ª causing a p of thunder to erupt across the air as a skirt of wind formed around the pen when it shot down at supersonic speed straight toward the ground.


    And as it reached the ground, it did not really hit anything but the earth itself, even being hit by the monsters'' legs and thrown around. But soon, however, a small click whispered from the pen.


    And in an instant, light stretched from the pen, cracking the very space itself as trickles of lightning justpletely crawled across the surrounding ground and obliterated all the monsters it could reach.


    Rukawa had two identifiable Olympian gods flowing through his veins ¡ª Zeus, as obvious by the lightning that obliterated the monsters, and Apollo; which makes anything he touches to effectively turn into a projectile¡­ which elerates into supersonic speeds after he throws them.


    Unfortunately, he was not given Apollo''s aim and he had to train for that ¡ª but it did not matter at all, as the lightning that scattered for several meters was enough to make up for theck of uracy.


    And so, Rukawa once again grabbed several pens from his pocket, throwing them again to the ground.


    "What the¡ª!?"


    To his surprise, however, Rhys just suddenly emerged right in the middle of the monster army ¡ª right where one of his pensnded.


    "Get out of there, you fucking idiot! What are you even¡ª"


    And before Rukawa could finish his words, Rhys suddenly picked up the pen and threw it farther away. He then rushed toward the next pen that embedded itself to the ground, also grabbing it and throwing it farther away ¡ª and Rhys did so with all of the pens he threw.


    And then, when his pens started to click¡­


    ¡­they all erupted on a much wider scale than they would have initially; almost like a thatpletely killed all the rions it covered.


    And before the other Nobles could evennd on the ground ¡ª more than a 4th of the monsters were already dead.


    "You¡­" Rukawa just stared at Rhys as soon as his feetnded on the ground. But after a few seconds, Rukawa bowed his head at Rhys before just running away to eliminate the remaining monsters in their area.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys also nodded back before turning to the other side of the monster wave, "Well then¡­


    ¡­let''s do this."

 Chapter 302 Emergency Response

    "We¡­ couldn''t even do anything."


    Most of the people who responded to the call of Nihon were Nobles, and everyone already knew that Nobles, very much the same as other people, were not equal to each other as some would be stronger and some would be weaker.


    But right now, they have just been shown just how much different World Rankers were. It is as they said, the other people couldn''t even do anything at all as the army of rampaging Rions were almost cleared out before they could evennd on the ground ¡ª and when they didnd, Rukawa and Rhys seemed to have taken it upon themselves to just eradicate all that was left.


    No ¡ª in fact, it wasn''t even Rukawa or Rhys who had the most kills. It was Rhys''spanion, the cenleon. Edissa seemed to know a lot about the patterns of the way the Rions'' move, even knowing where they were going to run and all she had to do was wait and just start swinging her ws straight toward their necks ¡ª even decapitating 3 or 4 heads in a single swing.


    Since the Rions'' necks were simr to that of a giraffe''s, Edissa did not really have to worry at all about missing, and she did this several times. But of course, it was already a given for her to know how they move¡­


    ¡­as Rions are among the cenleons'' favorite prey. One could feed the entire vige for weeks with a single horde of them.


    "Good work, Edissa," Rhys brushed Edissa''s back, making her lower her head and nudge it with his. He then turned to look at all the carcasses scattered everywhere, "I take it that most of these corpses are mine, Sir?"


    "...What would you even do with them?" Rukawa blinked a couple of times as he looked at Rhys, "But¡­ I guess. That is thew of Explorers ¡ª Nihon would still get something either way."


    "Hm, then you can just have everything," Rhys shrugged before walking away toward where the helicopter wasnding.


    "...You''re not going to get anything?" Rukawa blinked a couple of times as Rhys just waved his hand.


    "I''m not here as an Explorer, Sir," Rhys just nced back, "I''m here to he¡ª"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, a loud scream thatpletely drowned the sound the sounds of the helicopter''s des came from the helicopter ¡ª everyone turned to look to see who it was, only to see the pilot waving his hand.


    "Team Yellow is asking for assistance!"


    "Yellow¡­?" Rukawa and the others who were trying to catch their breaths also all rushed toward the helicopter to meet it as soon as itnded, "That''s the team assigned to clear Hansai city ¡ª there¡­ shouldn''t be a lot of monsters there."


    "Hm?" Rhys nced at Rukawa, who practically leaped into the helicopter before it evennded on the ground and quickly grabbed the headphones of the radio, "What''s happening!? W¡­ what? What do you mean¡­? Shit¡­ shit."


    "What''s he saying?" The other Nobles from the other countries could not help but look at each other as they couldn''t understand. Rhys, on the other hand, just quickly approached the pilot and told him to go.


    "Go, we don''t have any time to waste," Rhys said, patting the pilot several times to make him rush before he returned to his seat right in front of Dr. Dhani, who immediately gestured to Rhys to wear his headphones.


    "It would seem I was unneeded here," Dr. Dhani looked at the Explorers who did not even have a single scratch on them before looking at Lucian from head to toe, "And you do not seem to be even tired at all¡ªno. Your breathing isn''t even fluctuating, like you never even left in front of me¡­ I would say, you have a very interesting ability, Mr. Rhys. I suppose I could say that you are full of¡­ Mr. Rhys.


    Do you get it? Mysteries, Mr. Rhys?"


    "...I got it the first time, Doctor," Rhys could really only let out a sigh. Did Dr. Dhani just tell him to wear the headphones so he could tell that joke?


    "What are they saying?" Dr. Dhani then looked at Rukawa, who was still talking to someone on the radio.


    "...Team Yellow has been wiped out," Rhys also looked at Rukawa and sighed, "The only survivor is the one asking for help, and it would seem there are still civilians there and most of the people haven''t been evacuated."


    "What¡­!? They didn''t leave!?" The other Nobles all looked at each other in disbelief, "I thought they already evacuated all the people in the nearby cities!?


    "...Hansai is filled with old people," the only other Nihon in the team closed his eyes and let out a loud sigh, "Most of them probably didn''t want to be evacuated since that has been their home for a long time ¡ª what''s worse is that they are probably there with their families too."


    "That still doesn''t exin how Team Yellow was wiped out¡­"


    "Don''t tell me¡­ that all those Nobles died just for the Commoners?"


    "You wouldn''t do the same? It''s our obligation to help those weaker than us."


    "...Why are you talking like we''re heroes?"


    "Aren''t we? We are¡ª"


    "Threat Level 8."


    And before everyone could continue their conversation, Rukawa finished talking to the person on the other line and returned to his seat,


    "There are 3 Threat Level 8 monsters in Hansai."


    "...What!? How did that even go unnoticed!? Won''t creatures that big¡ª"


    "mbydis," Rukawa closed his eyes and sighed, "It''s a trio of mbydis."


    "...Are we supposed to know what those are?"


    "Bipedal goat monsters," Dr. Dhani Raj was the one to answer as he crossed his arms, "They are very dangerous ¡ª I would need to fight in the front line."


    "Bipedal goat¡ªthen can''t Rhys Wilder just talk to them!?"


    Everyone then turned to look at Rhys ¡ª and in truth, he was actually also thinking the same.


    "Do you know what mbydis are?" Rhys then turned to look at Edissa and Malenia, who also just looked at each other trying to gauge if one of them knew the answer ¡ª but since no one was answering, Malenia just shook her head.


    "Perhaps if you have a photo, Master Rhys?" Edissamented.


    "Wait¡­" Rhys quickly grabbed his phone from his bag and searched for a photo of a mbydis, but the inte only has illustrations of it and a photo of it already dead, "...Here."


    "That''s¡ª"


    "Luchan. My people call them Luchan."


    Edissa could not even say another word before Malenia answered for her, "The Luchans¡ªthe mbydis are not really intelligent creatures, Rhys. Even less than the cenleons."


    "You truly are pushing your luck, Snake," Edissa''s ws once again very slowly protruded, but she just quickly calmed herself down, "They are monsters, Master Rhys. I believe if we are to make aparison ¡ª if the Satyrs are humans, then the mbydis arerge violent monkeys. Not apes, but monkeys¡­


    ¡­I suppose the Snake does not know what I am talking about. But that is alright, most creaturesck culture."


    "Such words from people that do not even wear clothing."


    "And we are proud of it ¡ª your people wear clothing, but wear so little which makes me wonder why you even bother."


    Rhys could really only let out a sigh as he adjusted his headphones so that he couldpletely ignore the two before their conversation turned for the worse.


    "No," he then finally answered everyone''s curiosity, "It would seem the mbydis are mindless creatures like the harpies."


    "Wait¡­ so you mean¡­ we can''t form a rtionship with harpies? Oh, man¡­ I wanted to¡ª"


    "Stop being freaky."


    "If Rhys could do it, why can''t we!?"


    "Are you Rhys Wilder? I bet your dick isn''t even half asrge as his."


    "...How do you know about the dude''s dick size? Bro¡­ you gay?"


    And while some of the people inside the helicopter started joking with each other, the look on some of them turned incredibly serious and they were extremely quiet ¡ª those who have already experienced what a Threat Level 8 actually means.


    It means that they would no longer find any signs of life on Hansai. They were radioed because they were the closest to Team Yellow, but there was probably no one to rescue them anymore once they reached the ce.


    One could already level entire buildings and could destroy entire cities if let be ¡ª and there are three of them? The only reason why there was probably still a city is because of their size, they weren''t that much bigger than humans.


    The others also felt Rukawa and the others'' seriousness and soon quieted down, and they remained like so until they finally caught a glimpse of the view of the city.


    "Shit¡­" One of them quicklymented as they saw all the fires and smoke, with some of the buildings evenpletely trashed and destroyed, "Can anyone see where those damn mons¡ªWhat''s that?"


    "!!!" Rhys''s eyes turned wide as he just suddenly stood up from his chair and quickly kicked the door of the helicopter ¡ª he then just hung outside for a few moments before leaping away hard, causing the entire helicopter to be pushed and lose control.


    "What the fuck is he¡ª"


    "No, look!" Everyone then turned to look to where Rhys was shooting toward¡­


    ¡­only to see arge rock actually flying toward them.

 Chapter 303 Rhys Vs. A Weird Demon Goat in Steroids

    "What the¡­!?"


    Everyone unbuckled themselves from their seats and stood up as they realized arge boulder was heading toward the helicopter at a speed that would surely obliterate the entire aircraft.


    Rukawa leaned out of the helicopter, grabbing a pen and storing lightning into it as he stared at therge rock. He was, however, also staring at Rhys who seemed like he was flying toward the boulder; even controlling his trajectory to the center of the rock.


    And before Rukawa could even do anything, a loud explosion erupted as a skirt of wind formed around Rhys, using his wind control to further and further increase the rate at which he was falling toward therge rock.


    That wasn''t really hard to do at all, and most who can manipte the wind could do it. After all, it''s just pushing yourself again and again ¡ª however, no one would actually attempt to do it due to the fact that most people want to keep their lives and their bodies intact. After all, who wants to identally hit something at supersonic speed straight toward a hurling boulder?


    "Is¡­ is he fucking crazy?" One of the team members forced out a chuckle as they saw that.


    "Fucking Zeus¡­"


    "I''ve heard he''s insane, but this is next fucking level crazy."


    "This human of yours is very interesting," Dr. Dhani also could not help but express his curiosity as he talked to Malenia and Edissa, who just nced at him as they didn''t understand what they were saying.


    "W¡ª"


    And before anyone else could react, Rhys finally made contact with the boulder; mming his fist straight through it.


    "That¡ª"


    But s, contrary to everyone''s expectations, the boulder did not explode into smithereens at all and Rhys''s arm actually just pierced through it.


    "Oh¡­" Rhys actually also expected the boulder to just fracture like in the movies.


    "Tch," Rukawa once again stored lightning in the pen since the boulder was about to hit them, but as he was getting ready to throw it, the boulder began to split in two.


    Rhys no longer decided to punch it, but just dug his arms through andpletely pried and forced it open ¡ª and as soon as it cracked, Rhys was able to finally to split it in half. He did not actually need to do that, since he had already negated some of the force of the boulder and it wouldn''t actually hit the helicopter anymore.


    "Hm¡­" And while everyone was impressed with what Rhys had done, Dr. Dhani just let out a sigh and returned to his seat,


    "...Why didn''t we just move the helicopter away? We had ample time."


    And as he said that, everyone turned to look at the old doctor, most of them shaking their heads in disagreement.


    "You''re right¡­


    ¡­but it wouldn''t be as cool."


    Everyone then watched as Rhys just let himself fall straight to the ground,nding right at the very center of the city.


    "Find a safe ce tond in the city," Rukawa said to his pilot before also just leaping off the helicopter. And as he did that, everyone else just let out a sigh and also jumped.


    "Does no one really want to wait for this thing tond first? I know we can all survive the fall, but¡­" One of themined before jumping off. As for Malenia and Edissa, they remained on the helicopter as they were given only one task ¡ª protect Dr. Dhani.


    "I may be a senior citizen, but I do not need protection," Dr. Dhani could really only sigh as he saw the two just looking at him; anticipating whether he was also going to jump like the others. He was not, of course.


    As for Rhys, hended on the soles of his foot and his knee ¡ª right in front of one of the three so-called mbydis, the one who threw therge boulder at them. Or at least, it might be the one.


    It looked a little different from the photos he had seen on the inte. It still stood on two hooves, head of a goat, and its torso was simr to that of a gori¡­ an insanely muscr gori, that is. The monster in front of him now was¡­ more muscr and taller than even him by perhaps 3 feet, unlike the records which showed that they should only be as tall as Rhys.


    "Meeeh!" And it did not even wait for Rhys to stand up before rushing toward him, ramming through a truck left on the streets before just pushing it with his arm and throwing it to the side like it was made of styrofoam; itsrge thick horns that curved into a spiral, threatening topletely obliterate Rhys.


    The creature in front of him right now was at the same level as the Cyclops Barbarian he had faced during his stay in the Underworld Corps, which Ayesha ordered him to fight¡­


    ¡­and Rhys remembered absolutely being hammered and not even able to fight back. Considering the mbydis in front of him was much smaller than the Cyclops and yet at the same threat level, it means that it was strong¡­ abnormally so.


    But of course, so was Rhys now. He couldn''t even bepared to before he was able to receive Ayesha''s abilities, which is arguably still his main and favorite choice of attack ¡ª it was simple, very much so.


    Ayesha went toe-to-toe with the Barbarian Cyclops, beating it while barely even working up a sweat. And even though Rhys only has parts of her strength, it should be more than enough since he has other abilities.


    "Let''s go then¡­" Rhys did not move away at all and just casually stood up; raising his arms and getting ready to catch the mbydis'' horns, "...Let''s see what you are¡ª"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, the mbydis suddenly disappeared from his sight, before being followed by a thunder as soon as it appeared right in front of Rhys with its horns already only just an inch away from hitting him.


    "!!!" Rhys quickly grabbed the horns¡­ only for him to be violently blown away in the blink of an eye; his entire body, just spinning in the air as it shot toward the building meters behind him ¡ª but he did not stop as he hit it, not at all, he continued just going through the entire building and onto the next one, and the next before he finally stopped and found himself inside some sort of office,


    "W¡­what the¡­"


    Rhys coughed up almost an oz of blood while he picked himself up from the floor; pushing away the desks due to him being slightly dizzy; wheezing breaths, violently escaping his lips as his chest was almost caved in.


    "A¡­ Arise¡­" Rhys whispered so he could at leastpletely collect himself. But before he could do anything else, he quickly moved to the side as the mbydis just suddenly emerged from the floor.


    And this time, Rhys let go of any thoughts that he was stronger than his enemy; he just quickly released threads from his fingers and quickly wrapped them around the mbydis'' head and neck while it was still going up from the floor.


    And without even giving it a chance tond, Rhys gritted his teeth and swung the threads upward ¡ª practically destroying the ceiling as the mbydis'' body made contact with it.


    But Rhys was not done, however, as he just continued to swing the threads, hoping to just snap the mbydis'' neck apart. Rhys did not let up at all, even starting to run through the building ¡ª mming the mbydis on the walls before leaping out of the building; adding all the momentum as he spun in the air with the demon goat like a yoyo.


    And as soon as they were near the ground, Rhys let out a loud breath and mmed the goat on the cold hard pavement at full force ¡ªpletely shattering the road and shooting straight down into the culverts of the city.


    "Ha¡­" Rhys quickly breathed out, raising his arm as the road above continued to copse around him.


    "!!!"


    And all of a sudden, the mbydis just shot out from the rubble and once again just ran toward Rhys like it was not even affected by what Rhys did at all.


    "Huh¡­" Rhys just shook his head before raising his arm ¡ª controlling the little bits of water in the culvert to try and pierce the mbydis'' feet with them; it did not pierce the mbydis'' thick hide at all, however. But still, it managed to slow the mbydis down and even almost caused it to trip.


    "Mieeeh¡­!!!" But of course, the demon goat knew nothing else but to kill as it just once again rushed toward Rhys, only to find that it was no longer in front of him ¡ª but behind. It quickly turned around, only for one of its eyes to be stabbed by a scalpel.


    Rhys was going to stab his other eye too¡­


    ¡­but the goat was able to grab both of his wrists. Its remaining eye, quickly ring at him while its nose started letting out fumes ¡ª in short, it was starting to get angry.


    "Oh¡­" Rhys whispered,


    "...I might be in trouble."

 Chapter 304 Onto The Main Mission

    "Ho¡­"


    Never in his life did Rhys think that he would be having a stare-off with a goat, but here he was. And it was obvious from the goat''s breath and the fumes escaping hisrge nostrils that it was seething in anger ¡ª after all, with its strength, its equal was hard to find.


    And now, this creature that was only asrge as a normal mbydis just threw him around like a kid, that was highly uneptable.


    As for Rhys, now this his wrist was being tightly held by the demon goat, the only thing he could really do wasment in trying to fight his opponent head-on ¡ª he had all sorts of arsenal, and yet he chose to challenge the demon goat with brute force. Katarina always told him that he doesn''t think¡­ perhaps there was more truth to that than he would like.


    "Oh, well¡­" Rhys then let out a very long and deep sigh as he saw the demon goat''s head very slowly leaning away along with his upper body ¡ª most probably preparing to obliterate Rhys''s head by smashing its horns onto him. But very soon, however, Rhys''s eyes started to glow.


    The mbydis did not seem to care at all, however, and it just snapped its neck and spine like a slingshot and mmed its horns straight onto Rhys''s head.


    "Kh¡­"


    Rhys''s head instantly swung back along with his entire torso as the horns rammed into his face. The demon goat expected Rhys''s face to bepletely caved in and mangled by now, but the only damage painting Rhys''s face was the blood profusely dripping from his nose¡­ which made the smile on his face even more prevalent.


    "Meeghh!?"


    And without even feeling it or knowing why, the demon goat watched as hisrge horns just casually dropped to the ground; giving out a loud thud that echoed throughout the culvert due to how heavy it was; parts of it, crumbling as they looked simr to all the debris around them.


    Rhys did not try to petrify the goat''s entire horn since he did not really have time to do so¡ªno. What he did petrify, however, was the base of its horns which caused it topletely snap without any resistance at all.


    "You don''t know, do you¡­?" Rhys let out a small whisper before sighing.


    "Meeh¡­?" The demon goat then let go of Rhys''s wrists; slightly confused as to why it was suddenly weakening by the second. It doesn''t even realize¡­ that the entire top of his head was already cracked open; its small brains, nowpletely exposed.


    The petrification ability that Rhys received from Malenia might be much weaker than the original''s, but with proper aim and utilization¡­ it might now be Rhys''s strongest ability, especially when partnered with his herculean strength.


    "Arise¡­" Rhys whispered while shaking his head, making sure he waspletely lucid as he approached the slightly panicking demon goat. He stared at the mbydis for a few seconds before just spinning into the air, kicking the top of its head and smashing the demon goat''s brains right inside its thick, hard skull as soon as its chin hit the ground.


    "You don''t know that you''re already dead."


    A quaint, mushy sound whispered in the air as Rhys retrieved his foot from the mbydis'' skull. Rhys then stared at the twitching corpse for a few seconds before letting out a very long and deep sigh.


    It''s good that he wants to fight head-on as much as possible, but in some cases, he truly shouldn''t ¡ª this is one of those cases. If Ayesha was here, she would definitely be shaking her head in disappointment at him.


    "...I''ll take this, then," Rhys then grabbed therge pair of horns that fell to the ground, "Ayesha might like it. I wonder how the others are¡ªHm?"


    Rhys was about to jump up back onto the road, but before he could do so, he started hearing all sorts of noisesing from one side of the culvert. The sound was rhythmic, almost like a high-pitched thumping of a drum¡­


    ¡­hundreds of drums.


    "Just what¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes at the darkness ¡ª and very soon, yellow-glowing eyes started appearing from the distance. Rhys then quickly looked at the other side of the culvert, which led deeper into the city. If all of them were to scatter across the underground, then this city was as good as gone.


    Rhys then looked at the pair of horns in his hands before dropping them back to the ground ¡ª the horns, however, did not reach the ground at all and just hung in the air¡­ as Rhys attached threads on its ends.


    And with a smile on his face, Rhys started swinging both the horns at his side; spinning them like yoyo.


    "Well then¡­" Rhys then stepped toward the hundreds of pairs of eyes; a smile, very slowly crawling on his face. And without even knowing what these creatures could be, he just ran toward them, "...This should be fun!"


    ***


    "S¡­shit. It¡­ it''s finally dead!"


    "T¡­thank you, Rukawa. We¡­ we thought we were gonners. Just¡­ how strong are these motherfuckers?"


    "You¡­ were able to defeat one on your own?"


    Somewhere in the city, Rukawa and the other Nobles were trying to catch their breaths; a mbydis'' corpse, lying right at the center of the road; its skinpletely fried.


    "Shit¡­ it killed Barney," one of the Explorers sighed deeply as he looked at their fallenrade, whose upper body waspletely gone due to the demon goat''s horns.


    "No wonder¡­ no wonder Team Yellow got wiped out. These goats are¡­ fucking insane. There''s¡­ there''s supposed to be three of them right? Where¡ª"


    "What''s that!?"


    And before the group could continue their conversation, the rubbles on the ground started to bounce as the entire road started to quake. They all quickly put up their guard as a mbydis might be rushing toward them from one of the buildings ¡ª but even after several seconds had passed, the quake just continued.


    "I think¡­" One of the Explorers looked down, "I think it''sing from¡ª!!!"


    And before he could finish his words, they saw a demon goat''s horn shoot out from the ground ¡ª except that was it, only the horns without the rest of the mbydis. They all then watched as Rhys just shot out from the ground; his bodypletely covered in some sort of white liquid.


    "Oh¡­" Rhys''s eyes then quicklynded on Rukawa before his feet were on the ground, "...Good, you''re here."


    "Is that¡­ a mbydis'' horn?" Rukawa looked at the two horns swinging on Rhys''s side, "Just what¡ª"


    "No time to talk," Rhys quickly ran past Rukawa, "It''s your turn."


    "What do you¡ª" And before Rukawa could even finish his words¡­ hundreds of giant cockroaches shot out from the ground. Rukawa''s eyes widened for a couple of milliseconds, before he just quickly charged a pen and then threw it toward the insects before they could fly and scatter.


    "There''s thousands of them!"


    And as Rhys said that, Rukawa did not hesitate at all to just charge another pen and threw it at the cockroaches ¡ª scattering his lightning all the way down through the culvert and killing each and every cockroach inside.


    "What the¡­" Rukawa could really only let out a breath as he saw all the fried cockroaches dropping like flies on the ground, "Where¡­ where did they evene from¡­?"


    "The culvert leading outside the city," Rhys breathed out as he stood beside Rukawa.


    "Then¡ª"


    "I already destroyed it," Rhys shook his head, "I also didn''t see any more monsters heading this way. The roads and the highways are clear."


    "...Right," Rukawa nced at Rhys, very subtly stepping away from him as his entire body was filled with the cockroaches'' blood.


    "And we also found all the civilians."


    "Doctor," Rukawa bowed his head as Dr. Dhani approached them. Malenia and Edissa were beside him, both quickly moving toward Rhys as soon as they saw him, "Are they safe?"


    "...I do not really know how to answer that," Dr. Dhani sighed, "But most of them are alive, I believe."


    "What¡­ do you mean?" Rukawa squinted his eyes, "Where are they?"


    "It''s best for you to see it for yourself," Dr. Dhani then gestured to Rukawa to follow him, "The others can go back to the helicopter and wait for me to tend to them, wended on the East side of the city, you children won''t miss it."


    The other Explorers all just nodded their heads as they left for the helicopter. As for Rhys, he just followed behind the two.


    "...What''s wrong?" Rhys asked as he noticed that both Malenia and Edissa werepletely silent, both of their heads almost just looking at the ground.


    "That¡­" Edissa was the first to open her mouth, but she could not really answer Rhys at all.


    "What we saw scares me so, Rhys," Malenia breathed out as she ced her hand on her chest.


    "...Were they massacred by the mbydis?"


    "...No," Malenia shook her head, "Perhaps it is best if we do not follow them inside, Rhys ¡ª I do not wish to see the sight again."


    The two did not really say anything else after that, just slithering and walking along until they reached arge building which seemed to be the city hall. Dr. Dhani, however, led them to the building beside that which looked like arge sports center.


    "I would warn you, Mr. Rukawa¡­" Dr. Dhani then opened the door, "...It is not a pretty sight."


    "Just what is¡ª" And before Rukawa could finish his words, his mouth and his feet all stopped moving; his legs refusing to enter the hall. As for Rhys, he just calmly entered the sports center, which was filled with whimpers and sniffles before ncing back at Dr. Dhani.


    "...How many?"


    "More than a hundred," Dr. Dhani shook closed his eyes, "A fourth of that being children, who were probably forced to do it. Fortunately, most did not follow their lead."


    "What''s¡­ fortunate here?" Rukawa breathed out before just turning around and walking away,pletely refusing to enter the hall, "They¡­ they should have just evacuated."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then once again looked around the sports center,


    "...Let''s just get them down for now. Edissa, cut the ropes."


    ***


    A few dayster, the efforts of the military and the joint forces were showing results in clearing out all the monsters ¡ª to the point that they were ready to hand everything to the military and focus on the main goal of the coalition¡­


    ¡­Attacking the Colossal Golden Tree.

 Chapter 305 Opinions Of the Nobles

    "...Didn''t we just kill like a million of them already?"


    "Just¡­ how many fucking monsters are nning toe out?"


    Even 10 miles away into the horizon, the colossal golden tree could still be seen standing from the distance, unwavering¡ªno, unrelenting. Even from far away, one could see the monsters flying around it and seemingly trying to make it their nest.


    The Nihon once again created a temporary base that was even closer to the Colossal Golden tree, courtesy of those who were able to manipte rock and earth ¡ª they were high up from the ground so that they would be able to see and spot any changes.


    If anything, it looked like a fortress since there were a lot of lookouts, where most of the Nobles were idling and standing by while talking to each other.


    "Those are¡­ Blood Wyverns?"


    "Hundreds of them."


    "A hundred flying threat level 6, just great. Are they sure they don''t want to just bomb this ce already?"


    "That''s true ¡ª we''ve already cleared the monsters outside, so¡­ they''re just free to bomb this space, no?"


    "Ssh, don''t let the Nihons hear you. And besides, if they bomb it ¡ª there''s a risk that most of these monsters would feel it and just decide to flee everywhere."


    "Why¡­ are they not even fighting each other?"


    There were all sorts of different monsters surrounding the tree, some even known to kill each other on sight. But right now, they were all living peacefully around the tree; not a single one of them wanting to leave or forcing anyone out.


    "Maybe¡­ we should just let this thing be? Just create a wall around it and consider it a Danger Zone?"


    "Yes, because that is easier than just trying to eliminate them all."


    "...Isn''t it? At least then, the loss of life would be minimal."


    "And what if these seemingly peaceful monsters decide to just suddenly start moving while the Nihons are building their wall? What do you think the loss of life would be then?"


    "But I don''t think trying to eliminate them is also the best option¡­ because of that."


    And perhaps even more so than the monsters surrounding it, or even the colossal golden tree itself ¡ª everyone''s eyes were looking at the thing that was wrapped around the tree.


    It was a snake. A colossal green snake.


    "The Verdant Python. Just¡­ what exactly is it suddenly doing here? Don''t tell me there''s more than 1 of them?"


    "No, that''s the very same snake that was spotted near the Underworld of Goryeo. Look at therge mark it has near its head."


    "That''s¡­ a scar?"


    "That was done by Sorokin himself."


    "Sorokin!? And it''s still alive!?"


    "Apparently, that''s just the surface of its scales ¡ª Sorokin was not even able to pierce its flesh before he was smashed by its tail and just flew across the Underworld¡­ even almost hitting Helios."


    ''S¡­ shit¡­ no one''s tried to kill it?"


    "Because it''s not dangerous. The Verdant Python doesn''t really attack anything and just moves around and sleeps ¡ª and it''s not even territorial at all."


    "...So, why did Sorokin attack it?"


    "That was when they thought it was still aggressive. But apparently, very much like the Wardens, it just moves around without a care about anything. Still, it destroys anything in its path since its like more than half a mile long."


    "More than half a mile long!?"


    "Isn''t it obvious just by looking at it?"


    "...Who even are you? Why do you know a lot of things?"


    "Wait, you say it''s not territorial. But¡­ why is it coiling around the tree, then?"


    "And that''s why we''re still not making a move. Sorokin and the others are afraid that the Verdant Python might have had a change of heart ¡ª if that thing goes on a rampage, well¡­


    ¡­Nihon is done for."


    "F¡­ fuck¡­ Imagine that just moving around the country."


    "Not only that ¡ª it can easily create Holes if it wants to."


    "S¡­ shit¡­ no wonder we''re just idling here. W¡ª"


    "Look, it''s him!"


    And all of a sudden, the endless conversation of all the Nobles halted as soon as a particr group showed itself in the lookout ¡ª Rhys''s group.


    "I¡­ heard he soloed a mbydis."


    "What the fuck is that?"


    "It''s a Threat level 8, you moron."


    "...Why are you all so surprised? He is part of the World Rankers for a reason ¡ª all of them are Threat Level 8 and above themselves if you turn them into monsters."


    "Still ¡ª he''s a Lowborn."


    "Right, you''re Amerkan ¡ª Lowborns are actual people in my country."


    "Nah, he has a point. He is a Lowborn¡­ so how exactly is he that strong? You think he''s just dying his hair?"


    "That''s illegal."


    "World Rankers are exempt from thew, you fool. And besides, all of you are focusing on the wrong thing¡­


    ¡­look at all those beautiful women around him."


    "How does he even manage to surround himself with them!?"


    "Are you seriously even asking that¡­? Look at him. 6''8", body of a god, and a face that fucking puts celebrities to shame."


    "I wonder what his skincare routine is?"


    "Right ¡ª how the fuck can a man look like that? He''s so manly, and yet his face¡­ what the fuck. Look at that jawline."


    "Mog god."


    "Man¡­ everyone around him is so hot, even the monsters."


    "Don''t call them monsters, call them demi-humans. You fucking racist."


    And all of a sudden, no one was talking about the Colossal tree anymore as everyone was just staring at Rhys; the whispers of his name almost as loud as the harsh wind hitting their fortress.


    "Everyone''s just grabbing your balls, Recruit." And the one who seemed most amused with that was Ayesha, who was looking at everyone who was looking at them, "The world''s strongest Explorer is here, and yet everyone''s talking about you."


    "That''s¡­ already a given," Rhys could really only sigh as he scanned the Colossal Golden Tree, "It''s been an entire day ¡ª there''s still no changes?"


    "No," Commander Olga was also with him instead of Sorokin; her hair, stillpletely neat even with the wind blowing across her face, "And that is what''s worrying ¡ª just a day ago, the monsters were rampaging across thends and now they''re all just¡­ there."


    "So, I take it they are going with the second n?" Ayesha scoffed.


    "That is the most likely oue," Olga nodded.


    "It''s a gamble," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh while shaking his head, "If it goes wrong, then we will be put in a very dangerous spot ¡ª but if it works, well¡­ we are still going to be put in a very dangerous spot."


    "It''s not a gamble, it''s suicide," Ayesha smirked as she crossed her arms, "Just walk into their territory and hope that they don''t attack us too ¡ª that''s a fucking stupid n. If it wasn''t for the nymph, even I wouldn''t have agreed with it."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys turned to look at Aeng, who was hanging on his waist, dead asleep, "...I just hope she''s right."


    "A nymph that could control monsters," Olga squinted her eyes as she focused on the Colossal Golden Tree, "Besides hoping that Aeng is right, we should also hope that she could actually convince the nymph to control the monsters and return them all back to the ground."


    "If she''s wrong, well ¡ª I guess we''ll just find ourselves surrounded by thousands of monsters all wanting to kill us," Rhys shrugged, "Suicide Squad''s calling me back, it would seem."


    "Psh, we''re all insane," Ayeshas then turned around and started walking away, "Anyway, wake me up when there''s action ¡ª I''m going to sleep."


    "...I guess we should rest too," Rhys let out a small sigh as she looked at Edissa and Malenia, "Let''s¡ª"


    "Can I speak with you for a moment, Commander?" Before Rhys could follow Ayesha back, Olga very subtly grabbed his arm.


    "..." Rhys stared at Olga''s face for a few seconds before once again looking at Edissa and Malenia, "The two of you return to the Doctor for now."


    "Of course, Master Rhys," Edissa bowed her head, "I could smell the woman''s scent ¡ª she is expecting you to mate with her."


    "That''s not¡ª"


    "It is true, Rhys," Malenia nodded, "I can feel a strong desire from her, she wants to taste your flesh and eat it ¡ª I would do the same, but my dutyes first."


    "Right¡­" Rhys could really only squint his eyes as he watched his two demi-human walk and slither away,


    "What¡­ did you want to speak about, Commander?"


    "That¡­ It is not proper to talk about it here," Olga looked at all the prying eyes surrounding them, "We¡­ should talk in my quarters about¡­ well¡­


    ¡­about the kiss we shared."


    "Oh¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times.


    "There¡­ is a chance that we will die here, Commander," Olga breathed out, "So, I would truly hate it if I do not get to know you more."


    "That¡­" Rhys turned to look at the Hearts floating above Olga''s head,


    "...I feel the same."

 Chapter 306 Episode Olga

    "It is ridiculous how casual all of this is, no? They even got us drinks. It sort of makes me feel like we are back in the middle ages."


    "I see that."


    Olga was right. The way they set up the fortress made it seem like they were on a medieval tower made for royalty, or at least that is what they imagined it was like back then ¡ª everyone had their own rooms, even those who did not belong to the World Rankers.


    There was, however, quite a contrast in the way they were treating the World Rankers, and by extension, Commander Olga. Even though she wasn''t a World Ranker at all, she was still their lead person for this entire operation.


    "I have heard the others'' quarters are not like this at all, only me, you, and the other World Rankers," Olga then approached the drinks that were prepared for her, which were being chilled on an entire block of ice that was just sitting casually on a stone table at the corner of the wall, "You must have really done a number on them when you almost walked out, Commander Rhys."


    "Well, since you are practically leading the entire operation next to the Nihons ¡ª they should be treating you better even more," Rhys just shook his head as Olga handed him a bottle of beer, "And from what I''ve seen, I think if you were an Explorer, you''d also be in the World Rankers."


    "You¡­ overestimate my abilities," Olga, on the other hand, did not have Rhys''s reservations and just opened a bottle and started drinking, "And this is not unprofessional ¡ª we are technically not on duty yet."


    "I wasn''t saying anything," Rhys let out a small chuckle as he followed Olga when she walked away and gestured to him to sit on the bed ¡ª of course, there was no meaning to that since there was no sofa in the room and they could only sitfortably on the bed. Rhys could probably grab the chair at the desk, but¡­


    ¡­he wasn''t going to do that.


    "You look like you want to say¡ªGods, this is strong," Olga''s eyes widened as she sat on the bed; her eyes, staring at the bottle in her hand, "I¡­ don''t think this is beer."


    "You already opened it, so¡­"


    "I am going to finish hit, Commander¡ªno. Can I call you Rhys?" Olga subtly tucked her short glowing pink hair behind her ears, some of the strands just fluttering across her face as she did so ¡ª almost as if they were trying to fan her slightly blushing face.


    "Only if you allow me to call you Olga," Rhys nodded as he sat down on the bed; his bodypletely straight.


    "Done deal, Rhys," Olga reached out her hand, and Rhys just casually shook it with a smile on his face, "See? We are already getting to know each other."


    "With just our names?"


    "Take it slow there, Cowboy," Olga smiled before just cringing at what she just said, "Gosh, that was so bad. I feel like we''re on a blind date and I''m just making it so awkward."


    "I think it''s a little toote to call it a blind date because¡­" Rhys then looked at Olga''s slightly wet lips, "...You know."


    "Right, right¡­" Olga forced out a small chuckle before trying to hide her nervousness by chugging the bottle, but failing all the same to do so, "...Gosh, why am I so nervous? Actually, I''ve never really been on a date before so¡­ and you''re actually the first boy¡­ man I''ve ever kissed."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys couldn''t really say the same.


    "Since we''re here to get to know each other, I''ll start first because I actually¡­ somewhat already know about you, at least what''s on the surface," Olga then let out a very long and deep breath; the smell of alcohol escaping her lips,


    "...My family was poor. Mom was an Explorer, but the business isn''t like what it is in your country. It''s¡­ I guess you could say seasonal? The government and military deal with the Holes 90% of the time."


    "I see¡­"


    "And my Mom¡­" Olga then let out a sigh as she grabbed the bottle with both hands while looking at nowhere in particr, "...Well, she was a very¡­ romanticdy."


    "Romantic as in¡ª"


    "5 children, 5 different fathers," Olga closed her eyes, "And to quote her, she got lucky with the 5th one ¡ª a Noble."


    "Your father."


    "Hmhm," Olga nodded several times, "My father, who just left her like the rest. This time, however, he left me with her¡­


    ¡­I was my mother''s lottery ticket. I wasn''t the first, she treated all her children like an insurance policy, an investment."


    "Hm¡­"


    "Oh, I''m sorry¡­ I didn''t mean to talk about my parents when you¡ª"


    "Olga, it''s fine," Rhys shook his head, "An investment¡­ I''ve heard of parents like that ¡ª Aquino told me there''s a lot in Luzviminda."


    "Aquino¡­ Lance Aquino? The previous World Ranker?" Olga blinked a couple of times as she looked at Rhys, "I didn''t know you were close?"


    "We''re not," Rhys once again shook his head, "But he¡­ is very friendly. Have you met him?"


    "He¡­ did try talking to me several times. I didn''t want to respond because his girlfriend was staring at me the entire time and, truthfully¡­ I find her quite scary," Olga covered her mouth and giggled.


    "The 12th Strongest Explorer in the world," Rhys also smiled while shaking his head, "And¡­? What happened to your mother?"


    "She made my older brothers and sister hate me," the smile on Olga''s face turned wry, "She practically put all of her money into raising me ¡ª putting me in a good school, a private tutor, even teaching me etiquette¡­ I was 6 then, if I remember. Sit up straight, always act like someone is watching, fix your hair and not a single strand should be seen, stand up straight, do this¡­ do that."


    Olga then chugged the bottle she was holding, just letting out a hard breath after doing so before staring at Rhys and pointing at him,


    "She asked me to run, faster, and faster¡­ and faster. Run away from your brothers and sisters, run away from friends, run away from childhood memories that I deserve, just run, run, and run¡­ and I run like a fucking idiot and¡­ and¡­"


    Olga''s breaths started to turn heavy; gritting her teeth to just try and stop them but falling all the same. And very soon, her lips started to quiver and her eyes turned red ¡ª she could not even open her mouth anymore as she was afraid that she might just cry there and then.


    The only thing she could do was massage her own forehead while shaking her head.


    "...And then when I came of age, it was the first time we celebrated," Olga forced herself to smile, "I remember being so happy that day, but by the end of it she left me in front of a military camp and told me to sign up."


    "That''s¡­" Rhys did not really have any words to say.


    "Funny, right?" Olga''s forced smile turned into a chuckle as she wiped the tears that dared to drop from her eyes, "In a way, it was the best thing she had ever done for me ¡ª in the military, oddly enough¡­


    ¡­I was free. I was more free in the military than with my mother."


    "Hm¡­"


    "I didn''t even care that she was getting money from my bank and using all of my pay," Olga closed her eyes again, "Well, Iined once and¡­ it didn''t really turn out well as you''d expect. She even told me that it was only her right to use my money as she wished because she gave birth to me and took care of me. And after that, I just did what she trained me to do¡­


    ¡­I ran away from herpletely and made no contact ever since."


    "You went through a lot, Olga."


    "Not as much as you," Olga shook her head.


    "You went through a lot," Rhys just repeated his words as he looked Olga in the eyes, "And, for what it''s worth¡­


    ¡­I think you did a good job."


    "Hh¡­" Olga''s entire body just shook as soon as she heard those wordsing out from Rhys''s lips. She then bit her lip to stop herself from just leaping and hugging Rhys there and then, "I¡­ I was just trying to live and survive. That is¡­ that is¡­


    ¡­until I met you, Rhys."


    "Me¡­?" Rhys squinted his eyes, "But there wasn''t anything special during our first meeting in¡ª"


    "That wasn''t our first meeting," Olga shook her head several times, "I am breaking thew by saying this and putting my country in jeopardy, but¡­


    ¡­I was in the Underworld territory of Amerka a year ago or so with a team."


    "You were there when I was still assigned there? Did¡­ you meet with Commander Ayesha?"


    "No," Olga once again shook her head, "I shaved my head as a disguise¡­


    ¡­and we infiltrated the Underworld Corps of Amerka as spies. That is when I first met you, Rhys."

 Chapter 307 Conquering The Speedster (R18 but Wholesome)

    "You¡­ were in the Underworld Corps of Amerka?"


    "Yes, me and 6 others."


    "...But you''re the Commander."


    "I like to do things by my own hands."


    "I''ve¡­ noticed."


    "Wh¡ªplease stop thinking about the time you caught me touching myself with your photo!"


    "...I wasn''t thinking about that at all."


    "Oh¡­ uh¡­"


    "...And what was your mission in Amerka?"


    Rhys cleared his throat as he tried his best topletely ignore the awkward atmosphere that suddenly surrounded the room. Fortunately, Olga was already slightly drunk and could just ignore the atmosphere entirely.


    "I was there to find out where all of your outposts were, what type of weapons you use, what sort of missions you do," Olga let out a small but very deep sigh as she moved away from the bed to grab another bottle of alcohol, "In short, we were just there to gather information."


    "...But that information is readily avable on the inte," Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "And I discovered that too," Olga blinked a couple of times as she returned to the bed, cing the bottle of alcohol on the floor and removing her shoes and socks; her feet, filled with scars that were obviously from blisters.


    She then let out a long and very deep sigh as she grabbed her bottle, adjusting herself on the bed to face Rhys before lifting her feet and cing it on the bed; curling her toes so that the sheets would slightly hide them.


    "Who knew that the Underworld Corps of Amerka would be so transparent to the public," Olga could not help but hug her legs and rest her cheek on her knees.


    "Ayesha¡­ has a weird way of doing things," Rhys smiled while shaking his head.


    "We were about to abort the mission¡­


    ¡­and then you came," Olga deeply breathed out before looking at Rhys while resting her chin on her knee, "A Lowborn with an unusual strength. I ordered the others to go home, and I stayed because I got curious about you ¡ª who wouldn''t be?"


    "Hm¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as he tried to recall if he had ever seen Olga there.


    "I started watching you then, Rhys Wilder," Olga closed her eyes and smiled, "A person that''s theplete opposite of me. A person who defied the very nature of nature itself. You didn''t join the military, the Underworld Corps to run¡­ you went there with the intention to thrive."


    "You¡­ seem to have a very grandiose image of me, Olga," Rhys shook his head.


    "That''s all I have of you. Can you me me?" Olga giggled before looking Rhys in the eyes, "And then when you went on that mission and then came back without all of your limbs because you protected Commander Ayesha¡­ it just¡­ wow."


    "Huh¡­"


    "And then when I returned to Russea, I just found myself just¡­ thinking about you day in and day out," Olga looked away, "At first, it wasn''t really anything that¡­ serious. But then one day, I saw you on the news and¡­ that''s when I started actively searching for anything rted to you on the inte. First I was just typing your name on the inte whenever I remember you¡­


    ¡­and then it became daily, and then I don''t know when it happened, but I just started searching several times in a single hour. I watch your streams whenever I eat, and¡­ and I¡­ was one of the very first people to subscribe to your channel when you started streaming, believe it or not."


    "Really¡­?" Rhys looked at Olga not knowing how to respond.


    "Yes, Sir¡­" Olga chuckled before covering her face in shame, "My username was¡­ CommanderXSergeant."


    "W¡­what?" Rhys also let out a small chuckle before his face just suddenly froze, "Wait¡­ I recognize that."


    "You should¡­" Olga then pouted as she pointed at Rhys''s face, "...I''m your number 1 donator. Well, I¡­ I was¡­ but that PrincessBitch69 donated a million dors andpletely kicked me off the spot."


    "That''s¡­ Agatha," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head, "Don''t¡­ even bother taking the No. 1 spot from her, she has¡­ well, I think she has unlimited money."


    "Oh god, no¡­ oh¡­?" Olga once again chuckled while shaking her head. But as she did so, however, she felt herself be extremely lightheaded; her body just falling to the soft confines of the mattress. She then let out a somewhat loud chuckle before just lying on her back and then looking at Rhys, "Rhys¡­ I am¡­


    ¡­I am so obsessed with you."


    "Olga¡­" Rhys stared at Olga''s eyes for a few seconds. He was about to lean closer to her, but then just closed his eyes and stood up from the bed, "...I don''t deserve that. I don''t deserve any of your emotions. I''m¡­


    ¡­I''m not the man that''s in your head. I am¡­ extremely wed and sick in the head."


    "You are," Olga just smiled while shaking her head ¡ª and very soon, she started unbuttoning her shirt while letting out a long, and obviously stuttering deep breath, "And your ws make you human¡­


    ¡­and that means I can actually be with you."


    "I¡­" Rhys nced at Olga, "...I''m already with other women."


    "I don''t care," Olga sucked in her breath as she lifted up her hips and removed her pants; leaving only herced pink underwear which barely even covered anything. Her thighs were thick and plump in the right ces, and Rhys did not really notice it¡­ but her ass wasrge.


    And as Olga noticed Rhys staring at all of her, she very slowly opened up her legs before her violently trembling hand pulled her panties to the side; revealing her plump lower lips; wet, and already dripping, "Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­I want you to take my virginity."


    "!!!" Rhys''s breath just suddenly halted there and then as he felt a surge of power rushing into him. He then quickly turned to look at the Hearts floating above Olga''s head, only to see they had already merged and turned into one Large Gray Heart.


    "Olga¡­" Rhys whispered out. But after a few more breaths, he very slowly approached the bed; cing his knee on it before just getting down on Olga.


    "R¡­ Rhys? What are you¡ªHn!?" Olga quickly covered her mouth; her back arching as she did not expect Rhys to just suddenly touch his lips on her lower lips. His tongue, just very gently moving licking her clit while opening her up ¡ª and not even 3 secondster, a surge of electricity rushed throughout her entire body as she felt her legs losing all of their strength,


    "I¡­ I already¡­ came? I¡ªR¡­ Rhys, wait¡­ wait, It''s¡­ uhn¡­ it''s¡­ sensitive¡­"


    Olga could really only bite her lip; trying to stop her moans escaping from them. Rhys was now only kissing her thighs, but she felt it everywhere on her body. And very soon, Rhys''s lips started climbing up to her navel, and onto her breasts which he also very gently kissed.


    "Hn¡­" Olga turned her head up as Rhys''s lips reached her neck; her hands, now trapped in his. And very soon, she was looking at Rhys''s silver eyes again.


    "Are¡­ you sure?" Rhys whispered.


    "Hn¡­!!!" Olga couldn''t really talk ¡ª because as soon as she heard Rhys''s deep voice whispering into her ears¡­ she couldn''t help her body from reacting and just cumming again with just his words. It took all of her effort to just nod her head several times.


    "Okay¡­" Rhys then moved away to remove his pants. Olga was about to remove her panties too, but as soon as she caught a glimpse of the thing between Rhys''s thighs, she just¡­ froze.


    "That¡­ You''re¡­ you''re going to put that inside me?" Olga blinked a couple of times as she just sat there with her eyes wide open, "Wh¡­"


    Olga could feel her heart just violently wanting toe out of her chest. But after a few breaths to calm herself down, her still trembling hands were finally able to remove her panties.


    "It¡­ it won''t hurt?" Olga asked as her head also started to quiver.


    "It¡­ will at first," Rhys then returned to the bed as Olga leaned back and rested her back on the mattress.


    "W¡­ wait¡­" Olga then leaned her head up to once again look at Rhys''s cock, before just very slowly grabbing it¡­ almost as ifparing it with the size of her arm, "Oh¡­ god¡­ oh my god¡­ that''s¡­ this thing is going inside me."


    "Are you sure you really¡ª"


    "Yes¡­" And before Rhys could finish his words, Olga just noticed and ced the tip of his cock onto her lower lips, "Yes, Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­I do."


    ***


    "Everyone!" A few hourster, Olga was now standing in front of the Nobles; once again standing straight with her posture as kempt as her pink hair,


    "There have been no changes for the past few hours in the Golden Tree, and that means¡­


    ¡­It''s time for us to go there ourselves."


    "No changes, huh?" Ayesha whispered and squinted her eyes as she looked at Olga''s legs. Others might not notice it, but with her eyes ¡ª she could see that she was trembling,


    "...That''s not true at all."

 Chapter 308 Duck

    "This is stupid, this is a stupid n."


    "Ho¡­? Did we really need to bring these other muppets with us? I can smell their balls sweating from all the way here ¡ª and believe me, if I could smell your fear, the monsters can too."


    "Because it''s a bad idea!"


    "Ssh!"


    As a matter of course, Olga did not really bring all the Nobles to infiltrate the Golden Tree ¡ª after all, if the worst-case scenario happened, they needed people to pull them out¡­ or at least try their best to fend off the monsters that would want to once again roam around the country of Nihon.


    And right now, their infiltration team consists of 7 people, 2 demi-humans, and a nymph.


    Commander Olga, Ayesha, Rhys, Dr. Dhani, Rukawa, Sorokin, and Remy, a Noble from Frankia that has the ability to hide himself and others from the monsters. The only problem was, however, was that Remy was quite the nervous individual.


    "I''ve¡­ I''ve never tried to hide from these many monsters before," Remy''s breaths stuttered as they just passed by a group of Wingless Gryphon¡­ one of which was only just a foot away from him.


    "Zeus¡­ If you don''t shut your trap, we won''t need to hide soon," Ayesha''s eyes twitched as she nced at Remy, "Where did you even find this guy, Recruit?"


    "Maria gave me information about all the Nobles who answered Nihon''s call for help," Rhys also nced at Remy, whose glowing red hair was slightly flickering due to his nerves, "He''s useful, that''s all we need to know about him."


    "You run background check on us, Amerkan?" Sorokin let out a small grunt; his ent, a lot thicker than Olga''s but still very much fluent.


    "Yes," Rhys did not really hesitate to answer, "I''m sorry if you feel a little wronged with it."


    "No, not at all," a smirk crawled on Sorokin''s face, "I would have done the same if I was in your position. But these demi-humans of yours, I think they are more useful than the French ¡ª look at them instinctively avoiding areas with monsters."


    The path to the Golden Tree was riddled with all sorts of obstacles ¡ª ranging from the thick groves and the roots of the colossal tree itself, to the monsters that were just resting everywhere. And instinctively, Edissa was able to avoid all of them ¡ª and Malenia was able to find them the best path as she actually had the ability to feel vibrations on the ground using her snake-like lower body.


    And with Ang sitting on Edissa''s shoulder, they were able to navigate easily as they headed toward the nymph who could supposedly be able to control the Verdant Python.


    "I believe even if the French deactivates his skill, the monsters¡­


    ¡­they will not attack us at all."


    "Sorokin!? Stay in formation!"" Olga''s eyes widened as Sorokin just stepped out of their formation and approached a Giant Shadow Kameleontched onto the walls of the giant root. And without even any hesitation at all, everyone watched as Sorokin ced his palm on the Kameleon''s head and started caressing it.


    Giant Shadow Kameleons are the size of a small truck ¡ª considered to be Threat Level 7 due to their ability to disappear into the darkness. They were nocturnal monsters that were capable of wiping out an entire city, and not be seen even once; their tongues that could extend up to 20 meters long could shoot out as fast as the speed of sound¡­ and without making any noise at all.


    They are solitary monsters, but right now, there are more than a dozen of them just resting on the roots. None of them, however, heeded Sorokin any mind at all.


    "Being this close to them and not having to kill them¡­" Sorokin breathed out and smiled as he continued to caress the Kameleon''s head, "...It truly gives you a different perspective, does it not?"


    "Great, our Ace is having a mid-life crisis. Champ, time to go!" Ayesha just rolled her eyes and gestured to Sorokin to return. Sorokin, however, nced at the monsters for a few more seconds before finally returning to the group.


    And while everyone just shook their heads and continued with their trail, Rhys actually noticed Sorokin ncing from time to time at the body camera that was attached on Rukawa''s chest. Rhys slightly slowed down his pace to walk beside Sorokin, ncing at him before nodding his head.


    "I''ve heard about your engagement with Esme," Rhys then asked subtly with his head just facing forward, "I''ve read in her file that she actually likes animals and hates killing monsters if she doesn''t need to."


    "There is no engagement," Sorokin shook his head, "But yes, I have been courting her for years now. Unlike you, Wilder, we are not blessed with the face and charm of a god ¡ª we have to work if we want to marry a woman."


    "That''s¡­"


    "Nothing to be ashamed of," Sorokin shook his head again, "The gods have given you this gift ¡ª it is no fault of your own for using it¡­ even with the Commander."


    Ayesha was the first to nce at Sorokin as she heard that, but then noticed him actually looking at Olga instead¡­ whose eyes were incredibly wide and her face turning red.


    "That''s not¨C"


    "There is no use denying it," Sorokin shook his head as his breaths turned heavy, "My room was beside the Commander''s, and I heard everything. It was a temporary base, the walls are incredibly thin."


    Olga''s eyes turned even wider with those words ¡ª but as they were currently working right now, she ignored the urge to just run away there and then. Unfortunately for her, Ayesha wasn''t going to let it go.


    "Ho¡­" Ayesha started walking beside Olga. Olga tried hastening her pace to the point of almost catching up to Edissa and Malenia, but Ayesha just stuck close to her while letting out an obvious teasing chuckle, "...I was wondering what that familiar scent was that I was smelling from you, Commander Olga ¡ª so, it was the Recruit."


    "That''s not what¡ª"


    "It''s obvious to everyone that you have something for him, Commander Olga," Ayesha smirked, "Only blind people wouldn''t be able to see it. You''ve been looking at him like he''s some fine meat¡­


    ¡­even before when you infiltrated Amerka."


    "R¡­Rhys told you!?"


    "Told me?" Ayesha raised an eyebrow, "You really think that I wouldn''t notice you back then? You do know that I can smell people from a mile away, right?"


    "That¡­" Olga could really only look away, "...This is not the right time to talk about this ¡ª let us focus on our mission."


    "What else are we going to talk about while surrounded by monsters that could potentially jump on us at any given moment?" Ayesha let out a small snicker as she continued to tease Olga.


    "These children¡­" As for Dr. Dhani who had just been keeping quiet since the start, the only thing he could really do was sigh and shake his head, "...The new generation sure isx."


    "The only new generation here is him," Rukawa, who was walking beside Dr. Dhani, subtly pointed his head at Rhys.


    "Of course," Dr. Dhani scratched his gray stubble, "But out of everyone here, Mr. Hanamichi¡­


    ¡­even more so than the monsters surrounding us, the one you need to watch your back from the most is him."


    "Watch¡­ my back?" Rukawa squinted his already small eyes, "...Why do you think so?"


    "Nothing at all," Dr. Dhani shrugged, "Just call it an old man''s intuition."


    "Are you saying that¡ª"


    "We''re here."


    Everyone''s conversations came to a halt as Rhys raised his fist and moved ahead of the group, approaching Edissa and Malenia who also stopped moving when Aeng looked back at Rhys.


    "Here¡­?" Remy looked around, and aside from the path being blocked by a giant wall of root, there was absolutely nothing there¡ªeven monsters were nowhere to be seen in the sudden de, "There''s¡­ nothing here. Wait, you said¡­ there''s also this Orpheus dude, right? Shouldn''t¡­ we also be on the lookout for him?"


    "Orpheus is inside the Golden Tree," Rhys then said as Aeng flew to his shoulder, "Aeng believes that all of this¡­ is just to keep him from running away with Eurydice."


    "I don''t really get it," Remy started gesturing with his hand as he talked, "You said that this Eurydice is Orpheus''s mon coeur ¡ª why can''t they just let them be? Love, after all, should know no boundaries."


    "Their so-called love is going to cost me my country," Rukawa grunted as he red at Remy, "Our mission''s clear. We find the nymph that controls these monsters and forces her to make them return to the Underworld ¡ª and if what Ms. Aeng is saying is true, then that means this Orpheus guy will surely show himself as soon as the Verdant Python is gone¡­


    ¡­we kill him then and secure the nymph and return her to her kind."


    "But from what I heard, the nymph also wants to stay with the human," Dr. Raj ced his hand on his chin, "She might not want to return to her own kind at all."


    "...Then we kill them both," Rhys breathed out as he looked at Aeng, "If Aeng could convince the other nymphs that Eurydice does not want toe back to them, then we will have that option. But first¡­


    ¡­I think we need to do something about that."


    "What¡­ the fuck is that?" Remy''s eyes widened as a human emerged from the ground¡ªno, not exactly.


    It was shaped like a human, but it seemed more akin to an ant standing on two legs if anything. Its face, however, looked simr to that of a nymph''s.


    "...A Nymph''s Nightmare," Rhys said as Aeng whispered to him,


    "It protects a slumbering nymph that thinks it is vulnerable. And¡­ I think Aeng is saying that it''s a physical representation of their¡­ powers?"


    "What does that even¡ª"


    "Duck!" Rhys let out a roar as he just suddenly crouched, and when he did so, everyone else also pulled themselves down to the ground¡­


    ¡­except Remy.


    "Huh¡­?"

 Chapter 309 Condition

    "Duck!"


    There wasn''t really anything that happened after Rhys shouted that and everyone but Remy stayed low to the ground. In fact, it was eerily quiet, very much so ¡ª and the only one that really made a sound was Remy.


    "Guys¡­?" He first turned to look at Rhys and the others who were crouched on the ground, wondering why they were all there, only to see Rukawa closing his eyes and looking away as their eyes met. Remy then turned to look at the Nymph''s Nightmare, only to see it no longer where it was, and the only thing left from its position was a deep, but very small crevice formed by its two-toed feet,


    "Where¡­?"


    Remy then turned around, but as he did so, however, he felt himself falling to the ground¡­ well, half of him, at least. His waist down to his legs still managed to remain standing.


    "W¡­ what?" And the only thing Remy could really do was look at his lower body as his face hit the ground. His eyes then very slowlynded on the Nymph''s Nightmare, which was now actually standing behind their group ¡ª its arms which were previously just simr to that of humans, now a pair of des that seemed like they were two meters long each.


    "H¡­"


    Remy wanted to say something, but all that escaped his lips was a short and raspy breath that sang the end of his life. And just like that, Remy, a man who wanted nothing but to help a foreign country survive; traveling thousands of miles away from his family¡­


    ¡­took hisst breath. Or so he thought.


    "Ghuh¡­!?" Remy''s eyes opened as wide as they could as he sat up before just quickly lifting himself up and standing. He then quickly looked around, only to be right on time to see Ayesha just ripping the Nymph''s Nightmare in half; pinning down its waist on the ground and just casually pulling it by its head.


    Of course, nothing was really registering in Remy''s mind ¡ª he was supposed to be dead, after all. He shouldn''t be thinking at all, much less even moving.


    "How do you feel, Boy?"


    "H¡­huh?" Remy blinked a couple of times; his breath still slurred as he looked at Dr. Raj, who was holding his wrist and checking his pulse.


    "Aside from your heart rate being extremely elevated, you''re fine," Dr. Raj answered his own question as he let go of Remy''s wrist.


    "You¡­" Remy whispered, "...You brought me back from the dead?"


    "I am not a god," Dr. Raj smiled and shook his head, "And you were not dead, you were on the brink of death ¡ª I merely asked Commander Olga to quickly put your parts together before your life withers away from you and then I healed you."


    "You¡­ you saved my life," Remy breathed out as he grabbed Dr. Raj by the shoulders, "Thank you, thank¡ª"


    "Do not thank me yet, Boy," Dr. Raj gently pushed Remy away before looking back at the center of the de ¡ª and there¡­


    ¡­10 more Nymph''s Nightmares started emerging from the ground.


    "It would seem the nymph doesn''t want to be disturbed with her sleep," Rukawa grabbed a pen from his bag, "We¡ª"


    And before Rukawa even started charging the pens, Rhys suddenly ran toward the emerging Nymph''s Nightmares¡­ and just started slicing whatever parts were already exposed with his sharp scalpels.


    He did not even let them fully emerge from the ground.


    "Hm¡­" Dr. Raj smirked, "...Prevention is better than cure, as they say."


    "Ew, I can''t believe you just said that," Ayesha returned to the group and shook her head at Dr. Raj''s words, "But I do agree ¡ª efficiency is key."


    "Why¡­ are we just dishing out one-liners?" Remy could not help but just look at Rhys and the other members of the team. He knew that there was a huge disparity between the World Rankers and the rest of the Top Explorers, but these people were just killing the thing that sliced his body in half like it was nothing.


    "Do not be so dismayed," Sorokin approached Remy as he saw his expression, "Rhys Wilder just decided to get rid of the problem before they truly be a problem ¡ª these so-called Nightmares are strong, and that is why Rhys chose to just attack them while he still could, I would have done the same if I was a bit faster. And speaking of being fast¡­


    ¡­was he that fast before?"


    "Rhys Wilder is known to copy abilities," Rukawa breathed out, "He probably copied Commander Olga''s ¡ª but truthfully, he should have copied mine, it would make his life easier."


    "Ho¡­" Ayesha smirked before looking at Olga, "...The Recruit needs to do something special before he can copy someone''s abilities."


    "...What is it?" Everyone just turned their attention to Ayesha. Ayesha, however, was just staring at Olga still.


    "Well¡­" The smile on Ayesha''s face became wider, "...I wonder what it is."


    Olga squinted her eyes for a few seconds as she noticed Ayesha staring at her ¡ª but soon, Olga''s eyes turned wide as her face once again reddened.


    "Let''s just focus on the mission," Olga cleared her throat, "We can all talk freely as much as we want once it is done ¡ª and this is far from done."


    Everyone''s eyes then started straying everywhere¡­ as more Nymph''s Nightmares started emerging from the ground, more than they could count.


    "This nymph really doesn''t want to be disturbed," Rukawa breathed out as he once again started to charge his pens,


    "Let''s do it, then."


    The Nymph''s Nightmares came in hordes ¡ª more than a hundred emerging all at once, and a hundred emerging again; not even waiting for thest batch to finishing out¡­


    ¡­but it didn''t matter.


    Remy has front seats to watch the world''s strongest people fighting ¡ª and it was extremely one-sided.


    Rhys did what he did earlier ¡ª cutting down the Nightmares before they could emerge. And those he couldn''t finish on time were defeated by his demi-humans.


    Ayesha, on the other hand, pulled them out of the ground instead before just punching a hole straight through their heads.


    Rukawa was not even letting a single one get close to him, killing them all before they could even approach a single millimeter.


    Commander Olga, well¡­ Remy couldn''t even see her ¡ª the only thing he could see was the severed and cut-up corpses she left behind.


    Dr. Dhani Raj did not really join the fight. As for Sorokin, well ¡ª- he also just stood there without joining at all¡­ because he did not need to.


    Soon, the Nightmares finally stopped emerging from the ground.


    "There''s only one left," Rukawa very slowly removed his charge on the pen he was holding as he noticed thest Nymph''s Nightmare just running away ¡ª not even looking at them anymore as it just ran to the end of the de, to a part of the base of the Golden Tree where two roots meet.


    And without even a care for its own life, it crouched and curled on the ground as if trying to protect something.


    "...I assume the nymph''s sleeping there?" Rukawa squinted his eyes, "These nymphs ¡ª how powerful are they, really? If they are sleeping, and they are capable of summoning creatures that could cut up a Noble in half in the hundreds¡­


    ¡­just how much stronger are they if they''re awake?"


    Rukawa then looked at Aeng, who was flying toward Rhys''s shoulder.


    "They have been considered as Threat Level 10 now," Sorokin crossed his arms, "Is that not the reason your country called for our help?"


    "...That''s true," Rukawa then turned to look at Rhys, who was approaching the remaining Nightmare; pulling it up before just taking off its head, "So, why does it feel like we''re the viins here?"


    "Because we are," Dr. Raj answered as he also started approaching Rhys ¡ª and there, as Rhys dug through the ground, everyone saw a nymph just peacefully sleeping; covered in dirt and thick branches as its bed.


    Aeng then quickly leaped from Rhys''s shoulder;nding right on top of the sleeping nymph. She then started talking as she tapped the sleeping nymph''s forehead several times.


    "!!!" A small quake erupted as the nymph opened its eyes only to see humans looking at it.


    "S¡­ shit," Remy''s eyes also widened at the same time as the colossal Verdant Python started to move ever-so-slightly. But before it could actually start uncoiling itself, Aeng grabbed the nymph''s face and started shouting at her ¡ª none of them really understood what she was saying, but they knew she was reprimanding the nymph.


    And very soon, the nymph turned to look at Rhys.


    "My sister says that you and these humans are here to help us¡­" The nymph then clumsily floated out of the roots and the dirt; her voice, even more high-pitched and child-like than Aeng, "...Is that the truth?"


    "Yes," Rhys answered without any hesitation.


    "What¡­ is she saying?" Remy looked back and forth between Rhys and the nymph. And it wasn''t only him, everyone else was anticipating and waiting for Rhys to say something to them. Especially Rukawa, since he noticed that the nymph was ncing at him from time to time for some reason.


    And after what seemed like an entire minute, Rhys finally faced Ayesha and the others.


    "Congrattions, Sir," Rhys looked at Rukawa first, "Calypse has agreed to take the monsters back to the Underworld¡­


    ¡­but only after we sessfully deal with Orpheus and Eurydice. She will try to open a way straight to them."


    "That¡ª"


    "And she also asked me to stay here for¡­ insurance."

 Chapter 310 Interesting Information

    "She asked you to stay here¡­ like a hostage?"


    Olga was the first to react as she just looked Rhys in the eyes, almost as if wanting to say more than she already had. Ayesha also reacted, but she only squinted and lowered her eyebrows as she nced back and forth between Calypse and Rhys.


    "Yes," Rhys just nodded, "She says she will tell the Verdant Python to move so she can open up a path for you ¡ª Orpheus and Eurydice are trapped inside, you''ll meet them immediately as soon as you enter the Golden Tree¡­ But since Calypse doesn''t fully trust us, she''s asking me to stay here."


    "That is understandable," Sorokin let out a small grunt as he looked around, "We also need a lookout to notify both teams in case the monsters here start acting up. You have the radio?"


    "Yes," Rhys just once again nodded as he pointed at his trusty utility belt, "I will notify Esme and the others of any changes."


    "You still should not be out here alone, Commander," Olga loudly breathed out as she looked at Ayesha, "If the monsters do start to act or if Calypse just has a change of heart ¡ª you''ll be trapped here alone with a nymph. I can''t stay since aside from you, I am the only one who has faced Orpheus before."


    "Pass," Ayesha quickly said as she noticed Olga looking at her, "My expertise would be better for beating the balls of the Orpheus guy."


    "I''ll stay here with him," Remy raised his hand while sighing, "I¡­ don''t think I would be much of a use against Orpheus, I might only get in the way. At least here, I can try and repel the monsters to give us more time in case something happens."


    "I will have Malenia and Edissa with me too," Rhys pointed at his two demi-humans.


    "Oh, they are noting with me inside?" Dr. Dhani let out a small chuckle as he scratched his patchy gray beard, "I would say I am starting to miss thepany already."


    "Ayesha and the others are there," Rhys also smiled, "I think that would be all the protection you need."


    "Well, since it''s decided¡ª"


    "I think I will stay behind too."


    And before Olga could signal Rhys, Rukawa suddenly raised his hand at the final second.


    "My ability is more on causing damage over a wide area," Rukawa let out a short but very deep sigh while shaking his head and pointing at the Golden Tree, "I might actually do more harm than good now that I know we will be fighting it in an enclosed space ¡ª we should have brought Adam Armstrong instead."


    "No, I believe this team is enough," Sorokin just once again grunted before looking at Olga, "The four of us are enough."


    "Very well," Olga nodded as Dr. Dhani, Ayesha, and Sorokin stood beside her, "Commander Rhys."


    "Alright¡­" Rhys then let out a small breath as he looked at Calypse and said something; she looked a little confused at first as she looked at the other people, but after a few seconds, she flew into the air and started singing.


    "Hm¡­" Sorokin closed his eyes, letting out a small breath as he listened to the powerful but slightly sorrowful voice of the nymph.


    For the strongest person in the entire world, one would think that Sorokin would be stuck-up or be unfriendly, but not at all ¡ª he talks to everyone and treats everyone with respect; he could be a little arrogant, but one could say not enough considering he has the right to be.


    Rhys had already read his file, but to see it in person was quite different.


    And very soon, the song was reced by a low humming rumble; the Golden Tree, now whispering loudly and without end as its leaves started to fall and dance in the air ¡ª hundreds of thousands, justpletely veiling everything in gold.


    But of course, no one really had any moment to cherish this ethereal view as they all were focusing on the colossal Verdant Python as it started to move and uncoil itself from the Golden Tree ¡ª and with its head now leaning away from the tree, one could not help but just open one''s mouth from the sheer size of the python.


    It almost felt like they were drowning as they stared at it. The Verdant Python, however, waspletely oblivious of all the stares it was getting as it just very slowly continued to uncoil itself, slithering away from Golden Tree, causing all the other creatures to just move out of the way and bow down to its glory.


    "It''s¡­ massive," Remy gulped as he watched the Verdant Python, "You¡­ were able to fight that, Mr. Sorokin?"


    "Calling it a fight would be wrong," Sorokin breathed out and shook his head, "It had no interest in me at all."


    "...But if you truly fight with it, do you think you can win?"


    "Let''s leave the useless questions forter," Ayesha stepped forward as she pointed at the small crevice forming on the Golden Tree, opening up a pathway for them to go through, "Rhys, just run if something happens."


    "Godspeed to you, Commander Rhys," Olga saluted to Rhys before just walking away.


    "Hm," Rhys nodded as he looked at Ayesha, Olga, Dr. Dhani, and then Sorokin, "Be careful, he''s not going to be an easy opponent."


    "That''s why I''m here," Sorokin smiled and nodded before following behind Olga and Ayesha. As for Dr. Dhani, he just looked at Rhys for a few seconds, and then nced at Rukawa before following the others.


    And as the four stepped into the Golden Tree, Ayesha raised her fist, slightly ncing back at Rhys before the opening closed.


    "There they go," Remy let out a long and very deep sigh, "World''s mightiest heroes. Seriously, just¡­ how are you people so strong?"


    "I''m a Noble," Rukawa just crossed his arms.


    "...I''m a Noble too, and considered to be one of the strongest. But the World Rankers are¡­" Remy could really only breathe out in disbelief, "And him¡­"


    Remy then turned to look at Rhys, who was talking with Malenia, Edissa, and the two nymphs.


    "...Just where did he suddenly pop out from?" Remy squinted his eyes, "I mean this in a non-discriminatory way, but he''s a Lowborn. He shouldn''t have the strength that he has."


    "There are a lot of things we don''t know in this world," Rukawa just nced at Rhys; his eyes, also squinting as he noticed that Calypse was looking at him from time to time, "That''s¡­ just how it is."


    "Yeah, no¡ªI understand that. It''s¡ª!!!"


    And before Remy could finish his words, the ground suddenly quaked violently; the leaves of the Golden Tree, once again dancing in the air, almost as if in tune with the endless quake.


    "I¡­ guess they are starting," Remy nced at the colossal Golden Tree. He was about to say something, but another violent shockwave almost tore off his face as another crevice was formed on the tree ¡ª this time, not a pathway at all but just arge scar created from the inside,


    "Is that¡­" Remy quickly caressed his face, "...Sorokin?"


    "Or Ayesha, could be either way," Rukawa let out a small hum as he looked at the giant crevice, "But since Ayesha doesn''t really use weapons that could make that kind of cut, then it''s probably Sorokin."


    "...Sorokin the Thousand des," Remy gulped as the noise and shockwaves from the inside started seeping out of the crevice, "They say he could turn anything into a weapon, but I haven''t exactly seen it¡­ just how powerful is he?"


    "He''s from the line of the Valeryevich ¡ª all of them are monsters," Rukawa softly groaned while shaking his head, "They specifically breed their people. And Sorokin, well¡­ the blood of Athena and Ares runs through his veins."


    "...I''ve also heard that his younger sister currently holds the highest purity in the world?"


    "Hm¡­" Rukawa shrugged, "...Just overall, not a family to be messed with."


    "I''d say all of you are not to be messed with," Remy then turned to look at Rhys again as he started to approach them, "What is the nymph saying, Mr. Wilder?"


    "Nothing much," Rhys sighed and shook his head, "Aeng and I are just trying to exin to her the entire situation about Orpheus and Eurydice, and she told us she would walk in her dreams to tell their other sisters."


    "Then¡­ I guess Nihon is safe now?" Remy let out a loud breath of relief, "Just¡­ wow. The ability to talk to the creatures of the Underworld is just¡­ wow."


    "I did hear something else interesting, though¡­" The tone of Rhys''s voice suddenly changed as he looked at the Golden Tree.


    "Oh, what is it?" Remy asked in excitement.


    "Well¡­" Rhys sighed, "...When Maria started digging for everyone''s information, she actually also investigated several other things. In particr thisnd, or specifically the school that was here before the Golden Tree demolished it¡­


    ¡­its owned by the Nihon government."

 Chapter 311 Revenge

    "Owned¡­ by the government?"


    Perhaps even more so than the thundering sts echoing from the Golden Tree, Remy''s ears were filled with Rhys''s words echoing through his mind over and over again. He didn''t really think much of it at the first second, but as more breaths escaped his lips, the heavier they got as he realized what that meant.


    "But¡­" Remy squinted his eyes as he very slowly took a step back while staring at Rukawa, "...Nihon had already publicly stated that they were absolutely not involved in this. That the thing with the nymph and Orpheus werepletely done by a private sector."


    "We''re not involved in this," Rukawa sighed and quickly shook his head, "Whoever your source is, they''re wrong. And why are you even opening this up now, Mr. Wilder?"


    "Maria hasn''t been wrong before, and besides¡­" Rhys then grabbed something from his coat ¡ª it was a copy of a deed and a photo of the school, "...She also managed to dig up the deed, and it''s named after a politician ¡ª the very same who happens to be always by your side when we were at the warehouse, and then on the lookout tower."


    Rukawa did not look at the paper at all; Remy, on the other hand, was staring at it while also ncing back and forth at Rukawa.


    "Wait¡­" Remy''s eyebrows began to lower, "...We''re cleaning up after your people''s mess? This is¡ª"


    And before Remy could finish his words, Rukawa started speaking in his ownnguage while finally facing Rhys,


    "Wilder-san, koko de nani o tassei shitai to omotte imasu ka?" Rukawa looked Rhys in the eyes as he asked him what he was hoping to achieve by doing what he was doing, "...What are you nning?"


    "I am here to do what I set out to do," Rhys also spoke in Rukawa''snguage as he returned his re, "Make those responsible for hurting Katarina pay for what they have done to her ¡ª I thought they were all already dead and only Orpheus and Eurydice were left¡­


    ¡­but it turns out there are still a lot more of you out there."


    "What¡­ what are you guys talking about?" Remy could really only blink as he looked back and forth between the two, "Wilder¡­ what''s happening?"


    "Are you sure you really want to do this, Mr. Wilder?" Rukawa''s already small eyes became even smaller as his eyebrows began to lower, "Right here, and now ¡ª you are going to start something?"


    "I am not starting anything or did I start anything," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head, "As I told you, I am just finishing what I set out here to do."


    "...To make us pay?"


    "To kill all of you," Rhys did not really change his expression at all so that Remy would not understand his intentions at all. He then very subtly moved his arm ¡ª and as soon as he did so, Rukawa quickly charged a pen and threw it straight at him without any hesitation.


    Rhys, of course, was able to dodge not only because of his insane reflexes¡­ but because he baited Rukawa to attack in the first ce so that he wouldn''t be seen as the aggressor by Remy ¡ª he even dodged toward Remy as the lightning began to scatter, grabbing him by the arm and pretending to push him away from the violent attack.


    "Wh¡ªMr. Hanamichi!?" Remy''s eyes turned wide as he just red at Rukawa after Rhys pushed him away, "What are you¡ªno¡­ You really are involved in all of this! Rhys, what do we¡ª"


    "Remy," Rhys then handed Remy his radio as he started to speak in hisnguage so that Rukawa wouldn''t understand what he was saying at all, "Leave and return to Esme and the others¡­


    ¡­tell them that Rukawa and the Nihons have betrayed us."


    "But what about¡ª"


    "Go! I have Esme connected on a private channel at No. 6, contact her immediately!" Rhys did not let Remy finish his words at all as he pushed him away. Remy only nced at Rhys and Rukawa for a few seconds before quickly running away as fast as he could ¡ª and since he was still a Noble, he was immediately able to gain arge distance.


    "!!!" Remy then quickly leaped forward into the air as he saw a pen suddenly embedded next to his feet ¡ª he did not really wait for the pen to explode, not even looking back at all and just continued to run away while trying to search the radio for Esme''s private channel.


    But perhaps if he looked back, he would actually notice that the pen truly did not explode at all¡­


    ¡­because Rhys was the one who threw it.


    "What¡­ are you trying to do¡­?" Rukawa''s eyebrows lowered even further as he saw Rhys do that; even grabbing his own pen from his utility belt, "Did¡­ you already nned all of this from the start? Wait¡­


    ¡­did the nymph even tell you to stay here?"


    Rukawa then turned to look at where the nymph was, only to see Malenia and Edissa just standing by there ring at him; doing nothing even though he and Rhys were already obviously fighting.


    "...And now you have me all alone," Rukawa let out a small scoff as he looked Rhys in the eyes, "Let me guess, if I did not volunteer to stay, you would have asked me to, wouldn''t you?"


    "What are you even talking about, Rukawa?" Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh while shaking his head, "...Why would you attack me and Remy like that? I just wanted to know the truth."


    "W¡­What? What are you saying!?"


    Rhys was sticking to the script in his head, of course ¡ª if there was a chance that Rukawa was recording their conversation, then he needed to be as careful as possible. But of course, it was more likely that there wasn''t since they all prepared in the same room, but it couldn''t hurt to be too careful.


    "You leave me no choice, then¡­" Rhys once again let out a small sigh; the expression on his face, however, was almost too stoic as he just looked Rukawa in the eyes.


    And as Rukawa saw this, he could not help but just grit his teeth and grab several pens from his pockets.


    "You are going to regret this, Lo¡ªKh!?"


    And before Rukawa could even charge even a single one of his pens, a cracking pain suddenly surrounded both of his wrists before he justpletely lost feeling in both of his hands.


    "W¡­" He then quickly raised both his hands up to see what was wrong, only to see both of thempletely turned into stone, "What did¡ª"


    And once again, Rukawa was not even able to finish his words before Rhys just appeared right in front of him and grabbed his petrified fists ¡ª and without even any hesitation, he crushed them into powder.


    "Grah!" Rukawa could really only scream; trickles of lightning, crawling out of his eyes and severed hands ¡ª but before anything could really happen, Rhys mmed his head hard on the ground, almostpletely knocking him out there and then.


    Rukawa struggled to get up, but Rhys justpletely pinned him down with his knee before just cutting through the back of his ankles ¡ª Rhys''s scalpels were actually not sharp enough to cut through Rukawa''s skin, but with Olga''s speed and technique she had already shown Rhys ¡ª the scalpel became more akin to a saw than a de as he just vibrated his hands in an insane speed.


    Of course, the shrapnels that came out of the scalpels dug through and were left in the wounds that Rhys created, causing Rukawa to just grit his teeth due to the grinding pain crawling through his body.


    "You¡­ are you going to kill me¡­?" Rukawa''s voice shivered as he still red at Rhys, "You really think¡­ you really think you''re going to do something by killing me? Are you going to kill the politicians next!?"


    Rhys did not really answer him at all and just returned his res. But after a few seconds, Rhys crouched and leaned down; cing his lips next to Rukawa''s ear.


    "You do not really have to worry who dies next, you won''t be alive then¡­" Rhys whispered quietly, "...but if you really want to know, then the only thing I could tell you is that millions of people are about to die. After all...


    ...it''s just not my people you hurt."


    "What are you¡ª"


    And before Rukawa could once again finish his words, his eyes suddenly widened as he felt the earth starting to quake ¡ª his eyes then very slowly started to stray away from Rhys¡­ until they saw the Verdant Python very slowly starting to move,


    "What did¡­ what did you¡­?"


    "It is going to be a tragedy what happens here," Rhys let out a small but very cold sigh that caused Rukawa''s entire body to freeze, "But you do not have to worry, millions more will survive¡­


    ¡­knowing that you and their own government did this to them."

 Chapter 312 Rhys The One Dimensional Villain

    "Gah!"


    Rukawa let out a scream, a visceral scream that scratched the air ¡ª but s, the only thing that could hear his voice was the dust of cloud; the dust of cloud being blown away by his seething breath as his facey there on the ground.


    "L¡­ let me go!"


    "That''s not going to happen."


    "Why¡­ why would you do this!?" Rukawa was stillpletely pinned on the ground, struggling to get up, but was not even able to lift himself up for even an inch. The only thing he could really do was watch as the colossal Verdant Python continued to move. It was¡­ a surreal sight.


    The Verdant Python was two, or three times longer than the tallest building Rukawa had ever seen, and with its scales also being several times harder than steel ¡ª it could practically destroy anything in its path.


    And with Rukawa''s head on the ground, it was almost as if he was drowning just by looking at the python; even though it wasn''t even heading toward him and slithering away, it felt like it could swallow him at any moment¡­


    ¡­and this thing was starting to move through their country?


    "Stop this!" Rukawa once again screamed, "Just¡­ The¡­ I''ll make sure the government apologizes to the people in public! And I¡­ I really didn''t know they were involved in this, I already knew the other day when they told me! But if you also want me to apologize in public, I will! Just¡­ just stop this!"


    "I already told you that''s not going to happen," Rhys just let out a small but very deep sigh as he stood up; but of course, he was still pinning Rukawa to the ground, "It is not me you should convince to stop this, but them."


    Rukawa looked to where Rhys was pointing, only to see several more nymphs gathering near Aengele and Calypse ¡ª their eyes, almost glowing as they all just stared at him.


    "How¡ªYou''re the only one who can talk to them!"


    "You don''t seem to understand what''s really happening here¡­" Rhys shook his head, "...The nymphs are angry ¡ª that is the main reason they are doing this in the first ce."


    And finally, Rhys removed his foot from Rukawa, allowing him to at least struggle his way out of the situation. Even with his ankle cut, he would still be able to escape here due to his strength¡ªor so he thought.


    "W¡­what?" Rukawa then nced at his body, only to see threadspletely wrapping around him and sealing all of his movements, "When did you¡­"


    "We need something to appease the anger of the nymphs, Rukawa," Rhys then once again breathed out as he grabbed Rukawa by the shoulder and started dragging him toward the nymph, "For this peaceful and innocent race to just start killing people and destroying things means that they are really, really angry. But nymphs aren''t dangerous creatures¡­


    ¡­it''s their anger that''s dangerous. And if we don''t do something about that, their anger will just continue on beyond Nihon ¡ª it needs to end here. After all, what''s tens of millions of lives versus a billion, right?"


    "F¡­ fuck you!" Rukawa gritted his teeth, "They¡­ they didn''t need to know! You could have saved my people too! You¡­ do you just want us gone from the map!?"


    "Now, where did thate from?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Rukawa, "These are just the consequences of your actions, Rukawa."


    "My entire country doesn''t have to fucking pay for it!" Rukawa once again struggled to get away; lightning started to crawl across his entire body ¡ª but before anything could actually happen, Rhys pped him and almost knocked him out again.


    "I agree that they don''t," Rhys shook his head, "But it is going to happen, so¡­"


    "You¡­ you''re a fucking monster!" Rukawa screamed as soon as he became lucid again, "If¡­ if people find out what you''ve done here, you¡ª"


    "I already told you that I haven''t done anything. But if the world sees it that way then¡­" Rhys then let go of Rukawa, crouching down as he once again whispered into his ear,


    "...they were always meant to go in the first ce."


    "W¡­what?" Rukawa''s eyes turned wide as he just saw thepletely nk look in Rhys''s silver eyes. Rukawa was wrong ¡ª he was wrong from the start. The Verdant Python wasn''t the thing he was scared of, it also wasn''t the thing that was going to destroy their country.


    It was Rhys.


    "Your country just happens to be the first one to go¡­" Rhys whispered, "...It''s not because I hate you more than most, trust me¡­ I hate all of you equally. It''s just because you hurt one of the people I love."


    "You''re¡­ you''re fucking crazy¡­" Rukawa gritted his teeth, "Are you¡­ are you saying that you''re going to kill all of us? What¡­ what would you have left then? You fucking¡­ you fucking one-dimensional viin!"


    "I would have Katarina and the others, Sir¡­" Rhys let out a sigh, "...And once everyone else is gone, we can finally start anew and recreate the world¡­


    ¡­with my children."


    "You''re insane¡­" Rukawa breathed out, "You''repletely fucking¡ª"


    And before Rukawa could finish his words, Rhys then threw him right in front of the nymphs, who were all looking at him with their eyebrowspletely knotted and lowered. And before he could even let out another word, the nymphs all just flew toward him and started tearing him from limb to limb ¡ª he was able to let out a final st of electricity, but one of the nymphs just ate it.


    Rhys really only just watched as the life in Rukawa''s eyes faded away, almost making him remember the time Lex was eaten in front of him¡­ and also the time that his mother was helplessly tortured and murdered.


    He was not happy with this, of course ¡ª he was not happy that millions would probably die. But it has to be done. This world¡­


    ¡­it needs a reset.


    "To think that they would do something that would threaten the lives of their entire people¡­" Malenia then slithered next to Rhys, letting out a sigh as she rested her head on his arm, "...I wish to believe that I am saddened by this, but every folly has its price.


    And to offend the sacred nymphs is one of the biggest crimes one could have against the world itself ¡ª and now their people are going to pay for it."


    "They hurt the Master''s main mate," Edissa shook her head, "They already sealed their fate with that."


    "No¡­" Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he shook his head, "...I''m still going to fulfill my mission ¡ª let''s go save a grateful Nihon."


    Rhys then approached Aeng and the other nymphs, whose bodies were almostpletely covered by Rukawa''s blood ¡ª and as soon as he stood in front of them, they all grew smiles on their faces.


    "We thank you for trying to right what is wrong, Hero," Aeng flew in front of Rhys, "The others are pleased, once this unholy ground is cleansed, we will return to our homes and dream of life once more."


    "Tell them it''s not over yet," Rhys shook his head, "I am going inside the Golden Tree to help finish this ¡ª why don''t all of you join?"


    "Despite what Eurydice did to me, we will never attack our own kind," Aeng shook her head, "To do so would leave us dreaming of an eternal nightmare."


    "...But Eurydice attacked you."


    "And perhaps the love of the human is worth it for her," one of the other nymphs, one whose hair glowed more violent than the others, joined the conversation, "Some of us know of Orpheus and his deeds, he fought Hades himself to prove himself worthy of Eurydice''s love ¡ª but perhaps along the way, the two of them were corrupted by that love. One, after all¡­


    ¡­does not challenge the gods and expect to just get away."


    "I¡­ see," Rhys could not help but just squint his eyes as he noticed the rest of the nymphs slightly bowing their heads at the nymph who just spoke.


    "My name is Margryth," the nymph, Margryth, stretched her wings as she curtsied and introduced herself, "I am the Mother of most of the nymphs you see here¡­


    ¡­and also the mother of the creature you call the Verdant Python."


    "You¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he heard that.


    "We were pre-ordained to meet earlier, but the Sisters of Fate, it would seem, did not allow it so¡­


    ¡­Descendant of Eros."


    Margryth smiled ¡ª and she did so, Rhys could not help but think of how human she looked¡ªno. She was beautiful, almost reminding him of Arachnea''s beauty ¡ª but Arachnea''s beauty was cold; Margryth''s was yful, and perhaps her bright pink hair was a testament to that.


    "We¡­ were supposed to meet?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he nced at Aeng, who only shrugged her shoulders in response, "What do you¡ª"


    "A conversation to be hadter," Margryth then turned to look at the Golden Tree, "Your kind truly has progressed ¡ª to defeat a man blessed by Nature itself."


    "Hm?" Rhys then turned to look to where Margryth was looking, only to see Ayesha and the others stepping out from the opening of the Golden Tree¡­


    ¡­with Ayesha holding Orpheus''s head, and Eurydice hugging it tight.


    "What¡­?" Olga blinked a couple of times as she saw Rhys surrounded by the nymphs, "Where¡­ are Rukawa and Remy?"


    The expression on Rhys''s facepletely changed; his eyebrows lowered and the tone of his voice became meek,


    "Rukawa¡­ betrayed us," Rhys whispered; his voice filled withment, "He tried to kill Remy."


    "What!?"


    "He also attacked Calypse...


    ...and the Verdant Python was identally released."

 Chapter 313 Nihons Conclusion

    "It¡­ just broke through the ice wall."


    25,000 feet above ground, and yet the Verdant Python is still as imposing as it has ever been¡ªno. Looking at it from this distance, Esme felt that it was even more of a colossal monstrosity because one could actually see the damage it was doing to thends just by existing.


    And it did not help that it just casually rammed through the Ice Wall she created, which was a quarter of a mile ofpressed and incredibly thick ice, like it was nothing. Esme and the others on the helicopter just watched the wall crumble ¡ª the other people from the dozens of helicopters flying away watched it too.


    Nihon¡­ has been abandoned.


    As soon as Remy returned to Esme and the others who were supposed to keep the monsters in check in case something happened, he immediately told them about Rukawa and the Nihon Government''s direct involvement with Orpheus ¡ª and as a matter of course, the majority of the Nobles quickly turned their back on the country.


    Even the World Rankers shook their heads and called it quits. Perhaps, if there was ever going to be an upside to this, it was that the other monsters were returning to the Underworld ¡ª it was a choice they made.


    They were told by Rhys that Calypse lost control of the Verdant Python since she was attacked by Rukawa, and it would be extremely difficult for her to take control of the colossus again. She could, however, control the other monsters ¡ª and right now, they were all returning to the Underworld, with the other nymphs even closing down the Holes.


    All that was left was the Verdant Python¡­


    ¡­but no one truly wanted to bother with it anymore. If the Verdant Python actually tried to fight back, they would just be losing their lives to a nation that lied to them.


    But of course, Nihon might have been abandoned, but its people weren''t.


    Several dayster, a few of the Nobles remained to offer support and help with the evacuation of the Nihon citizens ¡ª most of the older people did not actually want to leave their country, and they gave them that choice.


    As for the younger generations, they are going to be relocated to different countries; strategically, of course.


    "I¡­ I don''t want to live anymore. My¡­ my home, it''s¡ªKh!"


    "Stand up, aren''t those your children!?"


    And of course, Rhys was in one of those evacuation zones. As for Ayesha, she already went home back to Amerka with the demi-humans and Esme. And right now ¡ª he had someone by the cors; lifting the man up in the air.


    "Stop fucking crying and start moving," Rhys gritted his teeth; his voice, causing everyone there to just stop whatever it was they were doing and just look at him.


    "Hoy, Rhys¡­" Lance Aquino, the former World Ranker, was also there and he quickly grabbed Rhys by the shoulder, "...Chill, man. These people are tired."


    "They are tired?" Rhys spoke in anguage the Nihon could understand as he started looking at everyone who was crying and just sitting on the floor wallowing, "Of course, they are tired! But that also means they''re alive! You have a chance to rebuild, some of you still have your daughters, your sons, your wives, your husbands ¡ª most don''t. You have a chance¡­


    ¡­Take it." Rhys then looked the man he was holding straight in the eyes, "Choice? You think you actually have a choice? Not for as long as you have someone relying on you ¡ª the only choice you have is to live and leave this ce."


    The man just returned Rhys''s stare for a few seconds as he tried his best to stop his whimpers. And after a few seconds more, he just nodded his head several times ¡ª and as soon as Rhys let him go, he quickly went onto his family; hugging them before urging them to get on the ships as fast as possible.


    "...What the fuck did you just say to them?" Lance could not help but blink a couple of times as he watched as the other Nihons also started picking up their paces, "...This is thest of them, right? How¡­ many of them are there left?"


    "3 million, Hun¡­" Larissa Jokic, Ranked 12, approached Rhys and Lance with a sigh; cing her head on the top of Lance''s head as she embraced him from behind; her hair, almost as if it was burning due to its orange brilliance, "Just¡­ so many deaths."


    "Honey¡­" Lance also let out a sigh as he held Larissa''s arm.


    "Aren''t you going to introduce me to the Boy Wonder?" Larissa then turned to look at Rhys, "Everyone''s just been talking about himtely and I could not help but be curious."


    "When are they not talking about him?" Lance smirked as he also stared at Rhys, gesturing to him with his eyes to just leave. Rhys, however, did not leave at all.


    "My name is Rhys Wilder, Ma''am." And instead, Rhys even reached his hand out to Larissa, who shook his hand while still embracing Lance.


    "Ma''am?" Larissa softly chuckled, "Why can''t you be this polite to me, Hun?"


    "Agh¡­ this is why I didn''t want you to meet Rhys," Lance let out a small groan, "He''s a serial yboy."


    "Or a serial lover," Larissa shrugged as she looked at Rhys, "And I could see why."


    "Ugh, please stop looking at each other. Shoo, shoo!" Lance then very gently pushed away Larissa.


    "It was very nice to meet you, Rhys Wilder¡­ and her too," Larissa then looked at Aeng, who was just peacefully hanging from Rhys''s waist and sleeping, "When will she wake up?"


    "I don''t know," Rhys shrugged, "She chose to stay with me for some reason instead of going back to the Underworld with her kind."


    "She must like you, I can see why."


    "Shoo, shoo!" Lance once again gently pushed Larissa away, who just waved her hand whileughing before continuing to do whatever it was she was doing before she approached them.


    "I''m just telling you now, off limits," Lance then pointed at Rhys, "Or the two of us are going to war, and it ain''t going to be like thest time."


    "You don''t have to worry about that," Rhys could really only let out a sigh while shaking his head and looking at Larissa ¡ª or rather, at the absence of the Hearts floating above her head, there wasn''t any, "I think she really loves you, Lance."


    "Huh¡­" Lance just furrowed his eyebrows and nodded, "Didn''t expect that from you."


    "Does she know about the other women in your¡ª"


    "Shhh!" Lance quickly rushed to cover Rhys''s mouth, "How much to buy your silence?"


    "Nothing," Rhys sighed, "Just break it off with the other women, or just choose one."


    "What¡­?" Lance then gestured to Rhys to walk as it was dangerous to talk there, "You''re seriously the one telling me this? You, who has like a dozen women in his life all at the same time?"


    "They all know each other," Rhys answered without any hesitation, "And I love all of them equally."


    "How¡­ the fuck do you do it?" Lance could really only widen his eyes as he stared at Rhys, "How is it even possible?"


    "I don''t know." It was because of the blood running through his veins, but of course, Rhys wasn''t going to say that, "And I don''t think it''s really me, you know? It wouldn''t even happen if they weren''t so understanding of each other."


    "Huh¡­


    ¡­Yeah, no. I still don''t understand."


    Rhys and the others continued to bring thest of the Nihons out of the country ¡ª as for what remained of their government, well ¡ª they were scheduled to address the entire world for the crimes they havemitted against their own. Rhys¡­


    ¡­was actually also scheduled to speak in a few days, as he was, undoubtedly, at the center of this all. But for now, however, he was just on a ship on the way back home¡­ finally.


    "So, much has happened here¡­"


    And in his quarters, was Olga ¡ªpletely naked with only a nket to cover her as she joined Rhys in looking out the windows, staring at the endless see in front of them.


    "...Are you not going home, Olga?" Rhys nced at Olga as she wrapped her arms around his neck.


    "Just a little more," Olga closed her eyes as she rested her head on Rhys, "I just want to treasure this moment just a little longer before I return to duty."


    "T¡ª"


    "Then I apologize for interrupting, then."


    "!!!"


    Both Rhys and Olga just quickly turned around as they heard a voice suddenly talking to them inside their quarters ¡ª they looked around and yet no one was there, or at least that''s what they thought.


    "Down here."


    The two then looked down, only to see one of the nymphs waving her hand at them ¡ª it was the nymph who introduced herself to Rhys as the mother of the Verdant Python, Margryth.


    "Uh¡­ Rhys?" Olga gulped as she stared at the small nymph, "Why¡­


    ¡­Why is she talking in mynguage?"

 Chapter 314 Replacement

    "How¡­ is she speaking mynguage?"


    Olgapletely forgot she wasn''t wearing anything under the nket and dropped it on the floor due to her shock. After all, she truly was not expecting to actually hear or understand the nymph in front of her ¡ª but here she was, staring eye-to-eye with the nymph.


    "I''m special," Margryth softly chuckled as she flicked her bright, glowing pink hair to the side, "Although not as special as the man beside you ¡ª I''ve only learned the humans''nguages due to having lived for so long."


    "But¡­ creatures of the Underworld can never learn ournguage," Olga tried her best not to stutter as she finally realized that she subconsciously let go of the nket andpletely picking it up before continuing with her words, "The Amerkans have even been trying with the cenleons that Rhys brought with him ¡ª but for some reason, we truly can''t understand each other even with deep learning."


    "h, h, h¡­" Margryth started walking around before moving toward the bed, leaping toward it and just casually sitting on it, "...I was born here in the Surface, Sweetie."


    "You¡­ were born here?"


    "Yeah, a couple thousand years ago or something," Margryth shrugged, "And before you ask me some nonsensical questions ¡ª no. I already said I''m special, I''m not like that child there or any other nymphs; I won''t wither away fromck of sleep."


    "That''s¡­" Olga then turned to look at Rhys, who had been staying quiet for a while now as he was just staring at Margryth.


    "If it is alright with you, Human with the Blood of Hermes ¡ª I wish to speak alone with Rhys Wilder," Margryth said while swinging her legs on the bed, "We have something to discuss that requires utmost¡­ confidentiality; that''s the word you soldiers use, right? Confidential. I know, I know the two of you have limited time or something like that¡­


    ¡­but I promise I will be quick."


    "Rhys?" Olga once again turned to look at Rhys, who only nodded in response. Olga then just quickly used her abilities to get dressed as fast as possible, "Just call me when you need me, okay?"


    "Thank you, Olga," Rhys nodded. And as soon as Olga stepped out of the room, he let out a short but very deep sigh as he looked at Margryth, "For you to just show yourself like this out of nowhere¡­


    ¡­I''m assuming this is of great importance, Ma''am?"


    "Ma''am¡­?" Margryth ced her hand on her chest; gasping heavily as she seemed deeply affected by Rhys''s words, "I know I said I''m old, but I don''t really appreciate people actually making me feel old."


    "...Right," Rhys could really only squint his eyes as he stared at Margryth, who was still casually just swinging her legs like some sort of child. Rhys had already figured Margryth to be slightly different from the rest of the nymphs, but to think she was this¡­ quirky,


    "What did you want to talk to me about, Ma''am?"


    "Woah, woah ¡ª can''t we just take it slow?" Margryth covered her mouth and giggled, "Let''s get to know each other first. After all, you might not actually be the person I''m supposed to talk to. You get me?"


    "Ma''am, you''re the one who approached me," Rhys sighed.


    "True," Margryth shrugged, "You are the Descendant of Eros, right?"


    "...I think so," Rhys nodded.


    "And from the smell of you, you''ve already met the lovely spiderdy," Margryth''s nose started fidgeting, "Most likely not a coincidence at all as she''s one of the beings who hold a grudge against them the most. Typical, typical Arachnea. Is she still running around with clothes nowadays?"


    "...Yes," Rhys squinted her eyes.


    "I''m just messing with you, pft," Margryth softly chuckled, "We''re actually quite updated with each other, I''m friends with her on social media."


    "Social¡­ media?"


    "Yeah, duh. The inte," Margryth rolled her eyes, "Get with the times, old man."


    "..." Rhys blinked a couple of times as he truly could not believe how entric Margryth was. There was almost¡­ a mischievous tone whenever she spoke.


    "In fact, I just messaged her before meeting you," Margryth shrugged before standing up on the bed, "I told her I''ll be meeting with you¡ªwait, you know what? Maybe I should add you to our group chat or something."


    "Huh¡­"


    "...Are you slow?" Margryth raised an eyebrow as she looked at Rhys from head to toe, "It''s a good thing you are one heck of a specimen, Child. Although, I guess that''s already a given since you''re Eros''s descendant¡­


    ¡­the Hero of Prophecy."


    "...This again," Rhys could really only close his eyes before very gently removing the sleeping Aeng from his utility belt andying her down on the bed, "I''ve already told you, I''m not the Hero of Prophecy."


    "But you are ¡ª can''t do anything about that."


    "I''m not."


    "Don''t be stubborn, I hate that," Margryth ced her hands on her waist while shaking her head, "Why do you think that young one there is sticking with you? In fact, why do you think Calypse even listened to you, or any other nymph?"


    "Y¡ª"


    "Because they have all been told of the Hero of Prophecy," the tone of Margryth''s voice slightly turned cold as she looked Rhys in the eyes; the friendliness it once had,pletely gone, "And they know that you are the Hero of Prophecy ¡ª if you weren''t they wouldn''t even give you any time of the day¡­


    ¡­I wouldn''t even be here."


    "I''m not someone important," Rhys shook his head, "W¡ª"


    "Pft!" And Margryth did not even let him say his next words as she just suddenly burst out into a fit ofughter as the friendliness in her voice returned, "Who said you were important, Rhys Wilder? You''re not. What made you think that? Did Arachnea tell you that?"


    "..."


    "You''re just the same as the rest of us¡­


    ¡­you''re a cog on the wheel, a big cog sure. You''re a pawn, Rhys Wilder. Always have, always will¡­ like me."


    "Then why keep bothering me?" Rhys sighed.


    "Because the clock won''t turn without all of us moving," Margryth waved her hand, "You''re here, just do what you''re meant to do so that all of us can move on with our lives."


    "No."


    "Stop being so stubborn, you ape," Margryth''s voice once again turned cold as her words started to echo throughout the entire room, "See¡­ this is the problem ¡ª no one has really put you in your ce since your mother died like a balloon¡­


    ¡­Pop."


    ***


    "We''re under attack!"


    And almost immediately after Margryth uttered herst word, the ship that Rhys was on bounced into the surface of the water as arge hole opened up on the hull ¡ª specifically where Rhys''s quarters were ced.


    Everyone started running in panic as they wondered where the sudden attack came from ¡ª but they did not need to search for long as they saw Rhys suddenly standing on the deck. And although it was hard to see at first, there was a nymph floating a few meters away from him.


    "Why so aggressive, Descendant of Eros?" Margryth tilted her head to the side as she smiled at Rhys, "We were only talking ¡ª like civilized, friendly people."


    "You don''t seem very friendly," Rhys red at Margryth.


    "Honey, you''re the one who just suddenly attacked me," Margryth grinned, "And trust me ¡ª this is not a fight you can win."


    Margryth then just stretched her arms to the side. And as she did so, the endless ocean around them¡­ started to lift up and just moved closer to them and¡­ almostpletely covered the entire horizon like a colossal world-ending tidal wave.


    "You can''t win, both physically and¡­ well, spiritually. What would you tell the people? Will you be making another story to cover for yourself? Sadly, that only works when there''s anguage barrier ¡ª I can also easily just say that you attacked me, and tell them that it was you who let the Verdant Python roam free on the people of Nihon."


    "Why are you doing this?" Rhys breathed out.


    "First, let me apologize," Margryth then let out a long and very deep sigh as she lowered her arms ¡ª and as she did so, the water started to calm down and lower too, "That was distasteful of me to say. It''s a bad habit of mine, striking where it hurts. As for why I''m doing this, well¡­


    ¡­isn''t it obvious?"


    And as soon as she said that, Rhys''s eyes instantly turned wide. How could he not¡­ when several floating empty Hearts suddenly popped up above Margryth''s head?


    "The Verdant Python is going to be bombed and nuked soon ¡ª it''s going to die a very slow and painful death since it can survive the st, but not the after," Margryth closed her eyes as her voice turned meek and somber, "My baby is going to die¡­


    ¡­and I need a recement from you, Descendant of Eros."


    "Nuke?" Rhys squinted his eyes, "No one''s going to bomb the Verdant Python, it''s just not beneficial and the dangers would be¡ª"


    "Oh, he will," Margryth shrugged, "He will bomb the Verdant Python."


    "...He?"

 Chapter 315 Back To the HQ

    "The two of you don''t need to be shy, I''m just going to be here watching."


    "Uhm¡­ maybe I''ll returnter, Rhys."


    "I''ll still be hereter ¡ª you don''t have a choice. Just have sexual intercourse already, I truly don''t mind. I have watched countless people have sex, creatures too ¡ª and most of the time people and other creatures together. People are weird. So, go ahead, I don''t mind."


    "Then¡­ I''m just going to stay here."


    "And not have sex? That''s boring, this is what happens when humans gain too many things to do during their free time."


    After the incident in the deck, everyone practically just learned of Margryth''s existence and that she was with Rhys ¡ª how could they not, after she made a splendid show of just lifting a part of the ocean and making them feel the small ones instead?


    Those who didn''t get why it required the World Rankers and hundreds of Nobles to respond to Nihon''s call finally realized that they truly were needed. Fortunately, they only truly had to deal with the monsters and not the nymphs themselves. Because if the nymphs truly did want the humans dead, they could probably just do it from the Underworld.


    It wouldn''t be an exaggeration to say that they could control the very itself. Fortunately for everyone, that chapter of their lives hase to a close. Well, at least it should have been closed¡­


    ¡­so why were there two nymphs on their ship?


    The other one was fine since she was sleeping, but Margryth was a different kind of deal altogether. But once again, fortunately for them, they were with Rhys¡­ or perhaps that was the reason they were unfortunate in the first ce.


    Well, in the end, it didn''t really matter since Margryth had not left Rhys''s quarters since. Fortunate for them, unfortunate for Olga.


    "We''re¡­ not going to have sex," Olga could really only let out a small and very defeated sigh as she sat back on the bed beside Rhys. She wanted, she really wanted to ¡ª but for now, she would settle just being by his side since they do not really have that much time left together.


    "Seriously? You were doing it just fine the other time," Margryth also sighed while shaking her head, "How am I even supposed to get in the mood if I don''t see any action? Rhys Wilder is supposed to nt his seed in me, but I won''t do it if I''m not in the mood."


    "nt¡­ his seed?" Olga looked back and forth between Margryth and Rhys, and Rhys could really only shake his head in response. Margryth was the size of her arm¡­ and Rhys''s cock was almost the size of her arm ¡ª how would that even happen? And so, just like that, Olga also found herself shaking her head off of the thoughts she was having.


    What was important now was to just savor his time together with Rhys, and if she needed to cuddle him while Margryth was there, she would.


    And she did. For their entire voyage back to Amerka, Olga did not leave Rhys''s side at all; they didn''t even speak most of the time since Margryth was there awkwardly waiting for something to happen between them ¡ª but that was alright, it was alright.


    No, of course, it wasn''t alright. In the end, Olga decided to use all of her umted 30-day leave; her time with Rhys wasn''t just going to end like this.


    "Are¡­ you sure?" Rhys found out about what Olga did as they were about to unboard the ship.


    "I¡­ want to see where you live, Rhys," Olga nodded, "How your life really is, the people around you¡­ I want to experience what it''s like even if it''s just a month."


    "...Okay then," Rhys breathed out; nodding before he and Olga disembarked the ship ¡ª and as soon as they stepped out, the familiar re and shes of the media and reporters bombarded their eyes. Rhys was already used to this and did not even look away at all, but he quickly shielded Olga while shaking his head.


    As for Margryth, well, she was now resting inside Rhys''s duffle bag along with Aeng.


    "Mr. Wilder! Is it true that you were lost in the Underworld for days!? How did you even reach Nihon!?"


    "Is it really true that the Nihon nned all of this!?"


    "Commander Ayesha and the others brought home a corpse, whose body was that!? We''ve been hearing a name, Orpheus! Who is that!? Commander Ayesha refused toment!"


    "With you ying a major part in this again, there are actually people who want you to run for senate, Mr. Wilder! What''s your stance on that!?"


    "I won''t be making any statements for now, and I won''t be asking any questions," Rhys covered Olga with his coat as the shes became even more intense, "I hope everyone understands."


    "What''s your rtionship with the Commander of the Underworld Corps of Russea? Are you nning to collect all of the Commanders!? I heard the Goryeo Underworld Corps also has a femalemander, are you nning on targeting her next!?"


    "Mr. Wilder! Please, look here! We¡­"


    But s, try as the reporters and journalists might, Rhys did not stop for them at all and immediately just got on a helicopter with Olga.


    "I did know you were popr, but¡­ seeing it in person is quite a shock," Olga breathed out as she held her chest, "It was almost like they wanted to eat you alive, Rhys."


    "You get used to it," Rhys sighed.


    "Hm¡­" Olga rested her head on Rhys''s shoulder as the helicopter started to lift up, "I''m¡­ truly excited to experience your life with you, Rhys. I can really only imagine how¡­


    ¡­colorful it is."


    ***


    "You fucking bastard! You fucking left me here!?"


    And almost immediately after theynded, Olga''s eyes widened in shock as Rhys was quickly weed by a punch straight on the cheek ¡ª not a p, but a full punch, and a one-twobo on his stomach.


    And afterward, Olga just watched the one who did all of that to Rhys just suddenly kiss him on the lips¡ªno, not just kiss him, but devour his mouth and tongue entirely ¡ª and of course, it was none other than Lina.


    "Wh¡­" Olga did not really know what to feel right now ¡ª jealousy, rage, confusion ¡ª everything was just bubbling and mixing up inside her in less than a second. She knew that Rhys had other women, but actually seeing someone else kiss him was¡­ causing her to just¡­


    ¡­want to hurt someone. Maybe she should just get rid of thepetition while¡ª


    "Ah! Are you our new tenant!?" And before Olga could feel any more of her malicious intents swallowing her whole, Lina just grabbed her hand before embracing her, "We''ve already heard about you from the muscle freak, but wow¡­ you look more like a princess than my cousins, and my aunt. Where did you have your hair done?"


    "Uhm¡­" Olga could not help but just look at Rhys as Lina just started dragging her away. Rhys, however, just smiled and nodded at her in response, "I¡­ cut my own hair."


    "You style your own hair!? Oh my god!" Lina then brought Olga to the others, just introducing her like they had already been friends for a long time. The only thing Olga could really do was once again nce back at Rhys, who was just smiling at her.


    And so, Olga just let out a short but deep breath and started introducing herself to everyone.


    "Rhys Wilder," and while that was happening, Maria emerged from Rhys''s shadow, "Dr. Dhani is already here, do you want to rest for a bit before meeting him?"


    "No, let''s just get this over with so we can all rest," Rhys shook his head, "Where is he?"


    "He''s at the hospital."


    "The hospital¡­?"


    "He is a doctor, Rhys Wilder," Maria just shrugged before once again just very slowly disappearing into Rhys''s shadow, "Ayesha is already on stand-by just in case something happens. You have to remember, he might be old¡­


    ¡­but he is more dangerous than anyone here. Good luck."


    Rhys then turned to look at Olga and the others, and as they saw them just talking to each other, he opted to just leave without saying anything and headed straight to the hospital.


    It did not really take long to find Dr. Dhani in the hospital ¡ª after all, everyone who was working in the medical field knew who he was, and there was also a crowd forming around him. But as soon as they saw Rhys, they all greeted him before going away.


    "Your reputation precedes you, Child," Dr. Dhani only nced at him before looking at the patient in the room in front of him, "To have your own entire city ¡ª I have to say, I did not expect that."


    "What are you doing here, Sir?" Rhys stood beside Dr. Dhani and also looked at the patient in the room. How could he not¡­


    ¡­when it was his sister, Emilia?

 Chapter 316 Welcome Home

    ERO 316


    "Your sister¡­"


    Dr. Dhani''s eyes seemed incredibly gentle as he looked at Emilia from the other side of the window; his tone too, waspletely different from how it usually was whenever he talked to Rhys and the other World Rankers ¡ª there was absolutely no authority in his voice, not even a sign of arrogance.


    "What are you doing here, Doctor?" Rhys repeated his question as he nced at Dr. Dhani, "I heard you were helping people."


    "So, you know why I am here," Dr. Dhani smiled as he nced at Rhys, "You asked me to help, and so I am helping. I''ve checked on all of the critical patients of your hospital."


    "...Thank you," Rhys let out a small sigh and nodded.


    "You do not need to thank me, I did not cure and heal all of them," Dr. Dhani shook his head.


    "I¡­ see."


    "Are you not going to ask me why?" Dr. Dhani turned his focus back to Emilia, who was sitting on her bed without doing anything at all.


    "I''m sure you have your reasons," Rhys only shook his head before also turning his focus back to Emilia, "How¡­ did you find her?"


    "I didn''t," Dr. Dhani shrugged, "Your wife told me. One of your wives."


    "My¡­ wife?"


    "The one you wanted me to heal and cure. The one with the giant¡ª"


    "Katarina¡­" Rhys did not let the doctor finish his words, "...You met her already?"


    "Why, yes. Quite a lovelydy, I must say," Dr. Dhani let out a small chuckle before letting out a short buy very, very deep sigh, "You did not tell me she was also a person of medicine. She was the one who told me about this hospital, and about your sister¡­


    ¡­Chloe Wolfe, I suppose it is Emilia now."


    "You¡­" Rhys could not help but just quickly look at the doctor with his eyes slightly furrowed, "...How do you know her real name?"


    "You don''t remember me, do you?" Dr. Dhani scoffed before smiling, "I was there, after."


    "There¡­?" Rhys squinted and looked down, "You mean¡­"


    "Yes," Dr. Dhani nodded, "The monster was a Noble, and so they needed another Noble to respond ¡ª I just happened to be there in Amerka, they did not even need to ask. When I found out what was happening, I volunteered¡­


    ¡­but it was already happening. Your mother already passed when we got there, Mr. Wilder."


    "You can''t revive the dead," Rhys shook his head.


    "I apologize for saying this, but I wasn''t there for her," Dr. Dhani looked at Emilia again, before staring Rhys in the eyes, "I was there for the both of you, but I was useless ¡ª your sister, what she went through¡­


    ¡­do you know that we gave her a sedative so she could fall asleep? But as soon as I get closer, or any other male doctor gets near her, she wakes up screaming. The sedative was enough to make a horse sleep."


    "..."


    "And you¡­" Dr. Dhani looked away from Rhys, "...I remember the look you gave me then ¡ª I have never been so scared in my life. You had this anger in you that was so vicious, so brutal¡­ raw. And I realized there and then¡­


    ¡­that not all wounds should be healed."


    "But you could have¡­ healed our minds?"


    "Yes," Dr. Dhani answered without any hesitation.


    "And you didn''t," Rhys closed his eyes, "I suppose congrattions, Doctor. You released two sociopaths in the world."


    "And we deserve it for what happened to the two of you," Dr. Dhani let out another deep breath, "You were just children, and we let it happen."


    "Then¡­ can you cure her now?" Rhys then turned to look at Emilia again.


    "Do you want me to?" Dr. Dhani asked, "She is living in a dream, she is living a dream. It''s not real, but do you truly want to wake her up from that?"


    "Yes," Rhys nodded.


    "If your purpose is to want your sister to return to you, then I would suggest not to," Dr. Dhani shook his head, "You might lose her forever once she wakes up."


    "But will she be able to find herself again?" Rhys looked Dr. Dhani in the eyes.


    "Hm¡­" Dr. Dhani closed his eyes and smiled while shaking his head, "Why don''t you ask her yourself, then?"


    "What¡­?"


    "I already cured her an hour ago," Dr. Dhani returned Rhys''s stares, "This doesn''t affect our deal, I am merely paying what I owed you when you were children. I''m afraid, however¡­


    ¡­that this," Dr. Dhani then ced his finger on Rhys''s temple, "...is not ready to be cured yet, or will it ever be."


    "That''s¡­"


    "Talk to your sister. I will wait for you in your home, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani then walked away before ncing at Rhys, "And then you will tell me who killed my wife."


    "...Thank you, Doctor," Rhys nodded before once again looking at his sister through the window¡­


    ¡­only to see her already standing there right on the other side of the ss, looking at him before just walking to the door and opening it.


    Rhys, however, just stood there on the other side and watched as Emilia sat back on the bed. But after what seemed like an entire minute, Rhys let out a long and very deep breath as he entered the room.


    ¡­And finally, meeting his sister again.


    "We both¡­" Emilia did not look at Rhys as he sat beside her on the bed, "...We really messed things up, huh?"


    "Hm," Rhys scoffed, lightly biting the tip of his tongue as a small smirk crawled on his face, "We did, we really did."


    "We¡­ we really don''t know each other¡­" Emilia closed her eyes, looking away as tears started to trail down her cheek, "...but somehow, but somehow we just¡­ both make the same mistakes over and over, and over again that just led us to somehow find each other again. We''re just¡­ ws in this world."


    "Chloe¡ª"


    "Emilia, please¡­" Emilia wiped her tears as she looked at her brother, "Please, call me Emilia."


    "...Okay," Rhys nodded several times.


    "Rhys¡­" Emilia''s breaths stuttered, "...I want you to know that whatever you did, what you think you did ¡ª I forgive you. And someday¡­ I just hope you forgive me too. What I did¡­ just throwing you out like that just so I can get close to that animal is¡­ it''s disgusting."


    Emilia then grabbed her arms to stop them from trembling, "And I''m sorry, I''m really¡­ really sorry."


    "..." Rhys could not really say anything as he just looked at the floor.


    "Can¡­" Emilia almost gasped for breath as she looked at Rhys again; her tears, now falling without end as her lips trembled,


    "...Can you hug me, please? Please?"


    And without even any hesitation, Rhys wrapped his arms around his sister. And the two of them stayed like that for a full hour in silence; allowing their warmth and their breaths to create a melody of all the lost time they had.


    "Rhys¡­" And after a while, Emilia leaned away while sniffling and wiping her nose, "I''m¡­ okay now."


    "Hm," Rhys nodded while standing up, "Do you¡­ want to go home with me?"


    "..." Emilia did not really answer Rhys immediately and just stared at him for a while before looking away, "No¡­ I don''t think so. I... need to find my path."


    "...I see."


    "But I would like to visit your home now," Emilia smiled as she looked at Rhys, "If you don''t mind¡­ I''m hungry and the hospital has shit food."


    "...Of course."


    The two then calmly went back to the Wilder Harem''s HQ¡­ only to be bombarded and weed by arge wee home party for Rhys ¡ª but as soon as Lina saw Emilia beside him, she quickly ripped off the ''Rhys'' part of the banner they prepared so it would only say, ''Wee Home, Wilder!''. But unfortunately¡­


    "...My sister''s surname is Wolfe," Rhys sighed.


    "Wh¡ªMaria, why didn''t you tell me!?" Lina quickly pointed at Maria, who was already enjoying herself with the banquet, "Ah! You''re taking the lobster!?"


    "Rhys¡­" Olga then approached Rhys while looking at Emilia, "This is your¡­"


    "My sister," Rhys smiled, "It''s¡­ also her first time here."


    "Oh¡­" Olga blinked a couple of times as she smiled at Emilia, "...I suppose that makes us the newbies, then. Would you like to join me? I''m¡­ really not familiar with everyone yet¡­


    ¡­I''d feel morefortable if both of us introduced each other at the same time."


    "That¡­" Emilia hesitated for a bit since she waspletely overwhelmed by everyone. But after a few seconds, she grabbed the hand that Olga was offering.


    "Thank you, Olga," Rhys thanked Olga before the two started introducing themselves to the rest of the members of the HQ¡­ which Olga had actually already done. She was already introduced to everyone there, she just wanted to make sure that Emilia felt as safe as possible.


    "Emilia!" Rhys called for Emilia, who quickly looked back at him,


    "...Wee home."

 Chapter 317 High

    "Where''s Kat?"


    "The Doc''s in her room right now ¡ª she helped with the decorations for your party even when we told her she didn''t need to."


    "She did¡­? Why?"


    Rhys did not really mingle too much at the party, walking away just a few minutes after it started as he approached Ayesha and Talia, who were idling next to the bar while Agatha was serving them drinks. Ayesha wasn''t drinking, however, and was just talking to the two with a ss of soda in her hand.


    "What about Dr. Dhani? Did he¡ª"


    "The other Doc said he wanted to smoke," Ayesha shrugged before pointing up, "I saw him going to the roof."


    "...He smokes?" Rhys blinked a couple of times, "I''ll go and find. And Ayesha¡ª"


    "I know," Ayesha nodded while pointing at Rhys, "I''ll be there on my best behavior, don''t worry. The Doc''s gonna be fine, I bet my old man''s balls on it."


    "...Thank you," Rhys sighed and nodded before walking to find Dr. Dhani ¡ª and Ayesha was right, he was on the roof. But he wasn''t smoking, however, not entirely.


    Dr. Dhani was sitting on the floor with his legs crossed; the roof was filled with smoke, but it wasn''t from any tobo or cigarettes¡ªno. It was fromrge ornamental pot that Dr. Dhani had in front of him; it was almost a cloud, and Dr. Dhani was a mountain that was surrounded by it.


    Rhys did not approach Dr. Dhani just yet, however, as it was obvious that he wanted peace. Fortunately for Dr. Dhani, no one was reporting that there was a fire in the building just yet.


    Several minutes had passed, and Dr. Dhani still had not moved from his spot at all ¡ª and so, Rhys just opted to also sit on the ground with his legs crossed; closing his eyes and imitating the doctor.


    He didn''t really have anything in mind, he was just there to wait ¡ª but for some reason, not even a minuteter, he felt himself floating in the air. Of course, he wasn''t really floating as he could still feel the hard floor beneath him, but it felt like he truly was in the air. Almost as if the smoke was trying to lift him.


    And all of a sudden, the only thing that Rhys could really feel was the beating of his chest. His body was gone and he was one with the smoke; just trailing without purpose. He felt so light, it was as if everything that he was, everything that he is¡­


    ¡­none of them mattered anymore.


    He could stay like this forever, just floating along the endless abyss filled withfort and peace. And perhaps, he is and he was.


    A second. A minute. An hour ¡ª Rhys doesn''t even know whether time was moving too fast, or it wasn''t moving at all.


    But very soon, however, he felt himself fall; his entire body, flinching in shock. He opened his eyes, only to see Dr. Dhani standing right in front of him.


    "The weight you carry on your shoulders, Mr. Wilder¡­" Dr. Dhani shook his head before offering his hand to Rhys, "...It''s not right for a man to carry all on his own."


    "What¡­ was that?" Rhys took Dr. Dhani''s hand as he stood up, "How long¡­ how long was I out?"


    "Out¡­?" Dr. Dhani blinked a couple of times, "As far as I am aware, Mr. Wilder, you just got here."


    "I felt¡­ like I was floating," Rhys looked at his hands, "Like my body disappeared."


    "You were floating, spiritually," Dr. Dhani breathed in the smoke through his mouth, "Charas."


    "Charas¡­?"


    "Marijuana."


    "You¡ª" Rhys quickly used his abilities to control wind to get rid of all the smoke from the roof before coughing several times.


    "I am impressed, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani let out a small but very deep chuckle as he patted Rhys''s shoulder several times, "Most who absorb highly condensed charas in their body for the first time usually just fall from its effects, even Nobles¡­


    ¡­and yet you just shrugged it off."


    "You''re¡­ high?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at Dr. Dhani, "But¡­ you are supposed to be treating Katarina, Doctor. How are you going to¡ª"


    "That is my secret, Mr. Wilder¡­" Dr. Dhani walked away from Rhys to cover the still-smoking ornamental pot, "...I am always high."


    "What¡­?"


    "It helps me concentrate," Dr. Dhani closed his eyes and breathed out, "Now¡­


    ¡­shall we see to your wife?"


    ***


    "I did not know that we would be having an audience, Mr. Wilder."


    "You don''t need to mind me, Doc. I just want to be here so that as soon as the Doc recovers her sight, I want to show her how disappointed I am by her stupidity."


    "...You know I''m blind, right? Not deaf?"


    Rhys, Dr. Dhani, and Ayesha were now in Katarina''s room, with Katarina standing up from her bed as soon as she heard them arrive. And of course, Rhys quickly rushed to help and assist her.


    "Thank you, Rhys¡­" Katarina gently touched Rhys''s face, "...How was the party?"


    "It''s still going on," Rhys breathed out, "They were hoping you would join them after you''re healed. My sister''s also down there."


    "Your sister¡­?" A smile started to crawl on Katarina''s face, "Then¡ª"


    "Dr. Dhani helped in curing her mind," Rhys nodded, "And he told me that he could heal your eyes, as well as fully regenerate your severed arm."


    "That''s right," Dr. Dhani nodded before walking around the room, "Child, can you help remove this table so we can have more space?"


    "Gotcha," Ayesha quickly removed the table Dr. Dhani was pointing to, and she also removed the sofa surrounding it and ced them all to the side of the room.


    "Put her on the floor right here, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani then sat on the floor, "I am sure you are already aware of the procedure, Doctor ¡ª but I am still obligated to tell you¡­


    ¡­this is going to be incredibly painful."


    "...Yes," Katarina nodded several times as Rhys helped her sit in front of Dr. Dhani.


    "Now, let me check," Dr. Dhani then first removed the bandages on Katarina''s severed right arm, "Hm, brilliant. You healed your arm in a very unique way ¡ª were you perhaps anticipating a bionic arm?"


    "Yes," Katarina nodded.


    "Brilliant," Dr. Dhani smiled and nodded, "It is almost a shame that we will have to scrape the flesh and bones in order for the new arm to grow."


    "Zeus¡­" Ayesha breathed out while shaking her head, "...That''s not a pretty image."


    "She is used to it," Dr. Dhani then grabbed Katarina''s other arm and started examining it, "You have des inside your flesh."


    "..." Katarina did not answer and just turned her head away.


    "I suppose I do not really need to ask why you do that," Dr. Dhani shook his head, "Are you left-handed, or right-handed?"


    "I''m right-handed," Katarina raised her severed arm.


    "Huh¡­"


    "Are you¡­ also going to scrape my eyes, Doctor?" Katarina''s eyebrows slightly lowered as she asked.


    "That would depend on the damage," Dr. Dhani let out a small hum as he then started to remove the bandages covering Katarina''s eyes.


    Rhys, who was watching everything from the side, could not help but roll his hand into a fist as this was the very first time he was seeing Katarina''s eyes.


    "You were able to heal the surrounding areas," Dr. Dhani gently touched the areas around Katarina''s eyes, slightly pulling her eyelids to look at her eyes, "But yes ¡ª we will need to scrape your eyes in order to heal it, Doctor."


    "Dr. Dhani," Katarina let out a very long and deep sigh, "Can I ask you a question before we start?"


    "Sure," Dr. Dhani continued to check on Katarina''s eyes.


    "Did you also want to be a doctor¡­?" Katarina whispered, "Or were you also just like the rest of us? Please don''t misunderstand, I like helping people¡­ but the role was just kind of forced on me when I was born with the blood of Asclepius."


    "There is nothing special about me, Doctor," Dr. Dhani let out a small chuckle as he leaned away from Katarina and gently held her hand, "As you said, I am just like the rest of you ¡ª I never wanted to be a doctor. But fate¡­ sometimes fate decides for us."


    "Fate¡­" Katarina sighed.


    "Does¡­ she need to be awake?" Rhys asked.


    "She''ll wake up even if you put her to sleep."


    "It''s okay, Rhys," Katarina nodded, "Remember all the times I was treating you, Rhys?"


    "Yes¡­" Rhys let out a short but very deep sigh.


    "Let the doctor do his thing," Katarina smiled and nodded.


    "I am going to start with your eyes," Dr. Dhani kneeled and leaned closer to Katarina before grabbing her head with both hands; his thumbs, on top of her eyes, "Can I ask you a question, Doctor?"


    "Of course," Katarina breathed out.


    "Did she suffer?"


    "What¡­?"


    "My wife. Did she suffer when you killed her?"

 Chapter 318 Hostage

    "My wife¡­ did she suffer when you killed her?"


    Time stopped after that. Millions and millions of thoughts, racing across and around Rhys''s mind as he just stared at Dr. Dhani and Katarina ¡ª he could probably do something, but what exactly?


    Dr. Dhani''s hands were already wrapped around Katarina''s head, even if he moved at Mach speeds, there would always be a chance that Dr. Dhani could do something before that¡ªno. Dr. Dhani wasn''t just a healer, he was ranked 8th as the strongest Explorer in the world, and that means something.


    Even Ayesha, who was actually there just in case something like this happened, waspletely stumped as to what to do; her dilemma, the exact same as Rhys. And now that she was thinking about it, all of the doctor''s moves were calcted.


    Dr. Dhani asked Ayesha to move the table and any of the other surrounding furniture ¡ª and that made her and Rhys instinctively give them space and stand near the walls. He then asked Katarina to sit on the floor where she just instinctively crossed her legs together to imitate him.


    He also asked what her dominant hand was, and when he confirmed it, he finally leaned closer to him and grabbed her head in a way that she wouldn''t be able to move at all¡­ unless she wanted her brains pierced by Dr. Dhani''s thumbs.


    No, right now, her head being pierced by Dr. Dhani''s thumbs was the least of her worries. With the doctor''s abilities, he could probably just make her explode there and then.


    But while Rhys and Ayesha''s minds were racing endlessly and violently, a long and very deep sigh just escaped Katarina''s lips. Her shoulders that were initially incredibly tensed, just lowering along with her hand that was about to instinctively grab Dr. Dhani''s.


    "Yes," Katarina answered clearly, without any stutter or nervousness.


    "Kat¡ª" Rhys gritted his teeth, but Katarina just raised her palm; gesturing to Rhys to do nothing.


    "My weapon of choice as an assassin was a set of scalpels sharp enough to slice through steel like butter," Katarina then started talking; the cadence of her voice as if reciting a memory long gone. There was, however, a hint of nostalgia seeping from her lips as she uttered her words,


    "I met your wife when I disguised myself and entered as a maid in your estate ¡ª I had every chance to poison her since I made her cha. Poison her and put her to sleep, she would have just died peacefully. But I thought she did not deserve a quick death for all of the crimes shemitted."


    "I see," Dr. Dhani''s voice became cold as he looked down.


    "You have seen the body," Katarina breathed out, "After I drugged her, I tied her up and cut off several of her major arteries and watched her bleed to death on her bed."


    "I see," Dr. Dhani closed his eyes as he took in a deep and heavy breath ¡ª Rhys wanted to take this chance to rush toward Dr. Dhani, but as soon as a light shed and flickered in his hand; Rhys stopped in his tracks without even a full step. Once again¡­


    ¡­Rhys found himself hopeless.


    But it was, however,pletely different now.


    "Doctor¡­" Rhys let out a long and deep sigh as he looked at Dr. Dhani, "...I apologize for tricking you."


    "You apologize for tricking me?" Dr. Dhani breathed out as he nced at Rhys, "Or do you apologize for getting caught?"


    "I apologize for tricking you," Rhys repeated his words, and this time, he finally took a full step forward and approached Dr. Dhani.


    "Recruit!" Ayesha tried to grab Rhys''s hand ¡ª but he just activated Olga''s ability to quickly step to the side; almost vanishing in ce, "What are you doing¡­?"


    "But we were nning to tell you the truth after ¡ª that was our deal, after all," the tone of Rhys''s voice became extremely deep and stoic; his silver eyes,pletely devoid of any emotion that would reveal his intent, "And Ayesha is here for contingency in case you did not like what you hear after ¡ª and if needed¡­


    ¡­we were going to kill you."


    "Thank you for being honest, Child," Dr. Dhani smiled as he heard Rhys''s words.


    "If you kill her now," Rhys then let out a small but very deep sigh as he sat on the floor 2 meters away from Rhys and Ayesha, "I will massacre the family you have left. Your siblings, your cousins, your friends ¡ª I know where they all live. But it doesn''t matter, I will raze your entire country."


    "It is not very wise to threaten the man who holds the life of your loved one, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani shook his head.


    "Because right now, I do not really have control over whether or not you really will kill Kat," Rhys sighed, "It happened to me before, remember? I was helpless then, I am helpless now. You could kill her now, that choice is yours¡­


    ¡­So, choose. Her life, for the lives of all your people."


    "It would seem I have truly judged you well, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani let out a small chuckle before shaking her head, "Just like me¡­


    ¡­you are willing to make the entire world hurt for the people you love."


    And as Dr. Dhani said that, the light in his hands became even more violent.


    "You¡ª"


    "I''m the one who killed my wife," Dr. Dhani then quickly followed up as he looked at Rhys, causing him to just halt his steps there and then.


    "What?" Rhys blinked a couple of times.


    "I am the one who sent out a hit on her," Dr. Dhani then let out a very long and deep sigh as he closed his eyes, "The reason why I know who you are is because I was the one feeding information to your organization about my wife, Dr. Katarina. It was me¡­


    ¡­I killed my wife."


    And as Rhys saw the expression on Dr. Dhani''s face rxpletely, so did him. Rhys would recognize this face anywhere ¡ª it was extreme sce. The very same expression he had when Ss was already gone.


    "Mother¡­" Ayesha wiped out the sweat from her forehead as she just dropped to the floor there and then, "...Are you crazy? Why would you even¡ª"


    "Because I was trying to show you ¡ª the three of you," Dr. Dhani then very gently let go of Katarina''s head, and there ¡ª she started to blink several times as light began returning to her eyes.


    "This is¡­" And her eyes did not even need to adjust to anything, only the light. She didn''t even feel anything, it was as if she had just truly opened her eyes after not opening them for so long ¡ª and there, she saw Dr. Dhani looking and smiling at her.


    Dr. Dhani then turned to nce at Ayesha, before ncing at this shadow behind him and repeating his words, "I want to show the three of you¡­"


    Dr. Dhani did not look at Rhys at all when he said that, "I wanted to show you that sometimes¡­


    ¡­you need to be the one to stop the person you love from the monster they have be."


    And finally, Dr. Dhani turned to look at Rhys, staring him in the eyes in silence for a few seconds before a smile finally crawled on his face,


    "I apologize for making everyone nervous," Dr. Dhani then softly chuckled as he patted Katarina''s shoulders several times, "My age has led me to have a skewed sense of humor. Now then¡­


    ¡­shall we get your arm back, Doctor?"


    "!!!"


    Katarina started screaming after that ¡ª she was used to pain, but regenerating body parts this fast meant that each individual nerves, flesh, bone, and everything in between would start scratching, scraping, and hitting each other as they regrow.


    The only thing Rhys and Ayesha could do was hold onto Katarina and make sure she wouldn''tsh out violently from the pain. Fortunately, it did not reallyst that long ¡ª not even a quarter of a minute.


    It did, however, feel like hours for everyone in the room.


    And finally, just like that ¡ª Katarina was whole again, like nothing even happened; well, perhaps except for the fact that Katarina was incredibly pale andpletely knocked out on the bed now.


    "Thank you, Doctor."


    "What¡­ are you doing?" And almost immediately, Rhys kneeled on the floor in front of Dr. Dhani.


    "I threatened you and¡ª"


    "Nonsense, Boy," Dr. Dhani shook his head as he lifted Rhys, "There is no need for any of that, you are a man in love. Men in love do dangerous things."


    "But¡ª"


    "Come on then ¡ª let''s remove your wooden leg and arms," Dr. Dhani then shook his head, "A man should not be walking around missing limbs."


    "No," Rhys shook his head, "Our deal was for my sister and Katarina only, I can''t be¡ª"


    "I already told you earlier," Dr. Dhani shook his head again, "I healed your sister''s mind at no cost. Now strip¡­


    ¡­or I will do it for you."

 Chapter 319 Stand Down

    "Now strip, or I will do it for you."


    And once again, there was a deep silence dancing in the air as Dr. Dhani uttered those words. This time, however, it was a different sort of silence ¡ª not the one where everyone was fearing for their lives. Well, except for Rhys as he instinctively took a step back as Dr. Dhani started looking at him from head to toe.


    "...Perhaps you should take a rest first, Dr. Dhani?" Rhys took in a small gulp.


    "Nonsense," Dr. Dhani shook his head, "This is very light work for me ¡ª you saw me put a man that was cleaved in half together in the midst of battle, Mr. Wilder. This is nothingpared to that."


    "I¡­ also want Katarina to join in the party downstairs, and you too," Rhys reasoned, "Let''s do itter, I also want the others to know the man who made Katarina whole again."


    "Well, if you say so¡­" Dr. Dhani squinted his eyes before finally stepping away, "...I suppose it would also be a good time to catch up with an old friend."


    "Old¡­ friend?" Rhys, Ayesha, and Katarina all looked at each other as they watched the doctor head out of the room.


    "Ms. Talia Talcott," Dr. Dhani scratched his beard while bursting out into a fit ofughter as he stepped out of the room, "I was a prisoner of her during the war."


    "Ho¡­ hohoho¡­" Ayesha quickly followed behind Dr. Dhani before ncing at Rhys, "...I can''t miss this at all. This ought to be fun."


    As for Katarina and Rhys, they just looked at each other before letting out a sigh and shaking their heads.


    "Let''s go?" Rhys reached out his hand to Katarina; Katarina, however, just jumped into his arms and embraced him.


    "I¡­ would have been fine without seeing again," Katarina''s words were slightly muffled, "It would have meant that you would pay special attention to me more than the others."


    "...It wouldn''t have been alright with me," Rhys shook his head as he gently pulled away from Katarina; softly cing his hand on her cheek as he looked her in the eyes,


    "Because it would mean I would never get to see your beautiful eyes again."


    "...Ew," an awkward smile crawled onto Katarina''s face as she forced out a chuckle as soon as she heard Rhys''s words, "Where did you even learn to speak like that¡­?"


    "The gorgons," Rhys sighed, "You don''t like it?"


    "Well¡­ I don''t know, it''s cheesy," Katarina giggled, "But¡­ I guess I don''t necessarily not like it. What else have you learned, hm?"


    Katarina then licked her lips before once again leaning closer to Rhys, this time actively pinning herrge breasts on him, "I think we can spend a couple of minutes¡ª"


    "The two of you do know that I am here, right?"


    "Eek!" Katarina could not help but just jump away from Rhys as Maria''s head just suddenly emerged from Rhys''s shadow, "What¡­ what are you still doing here!?"


    "Why would I be anywhere else?" Maria then climbed up and fully emerged from the shadow before quickly hugging Rhys from behind, "I am Rhys Wilder''s shadow ¡ª I am alwaystched onto him¡­


    ¡­always, to the point that I know him more than you and it''s not even close."


    "Excuse me¡­?" Katarina raised an eyebrow, "I know him more than you."


    "Okay, did you know that he lost 5 pounds in thest month?"


    "What¡­? How do you even know what!?"


    "You two¡­" Rhys could really only sigh as he removed Maria''s hands from him,


    "...Let''s just join the others in the party."


    ***


    "Drink, drink, drink, drink!"


    "What¡­ is happening here?"


    Rhys, Katarina, and Maria joined the others downstairs, only to see arge crowd gathered into a circle ¡ª everyone was there.


    Dominique and her gang, Edissa and the cenleons, Malenia and the gorgons, the high rankers of the just-disbanded Wilder''s Harem guild, and of course, Lina and the others.


    "Ah, Boss!" Dominique was the first to spot Rhysing down the stairs, and she quickly rushed toward him while waving and iling a bunch of cash in her hands, "You''re toote, everyone''s already ced their bets and a lot of them are already knocked down."


    "Bets¡­?" Katarina raised an eyebrow as they joined themotion, and there, right at the center of the crowd, was abination of people that one would probably think would never gather together, not in a million lifetimes ¡ª but here they are.


    Dr. Dhani and Talia, but the two were not fighting as Rhys expected. Margryth, and Agatha were also there ¡ª and perhaps the youngest one of them all was Malenia.


    The five of them, currently in a heated drinking battle. And from the looks of it, Malenia was about to¡­ fall. She did, she did fall ¡ª and beside her, Ayesha, Vicky, Edissa, and many others were also dead unconscious.


    "There they are," Lina let out a very long and deep sigh as she approached Rhys; Olga was beside her, but she seemed incredibly wasted, "Believe it or not, the Russean was the first to fall."


    "Ah, Rhys!" Olga then quickly wrapped her arms around Rhys''s neck, not even caring about the looks she was getting, "Is¡­ is it always this fun here?"


    "...No," Rhys let out a sigh as he carefully ced his hand on Olga''s back so that she wouldn''t fall, "So¡­ who''s winning?"


    "No idea," Lina shrugged, "As soon as I saw my aunt joining in, I backed out ¡ª but I don''t think even she''s going to win this."


    "...That''s cheating," Katarina sighed as she pointed at Dr. Dhani, "Our type is highly resistant to the effects of alcohol ¡ª I can''t even imagine him, being one of the strongest healers in the world."


    And soon, the next one to fall was Talia ¡ª leaving only Margryth, Agatha, and Dr. Dhani standing.


    "Ugh¡­" Dr. Dhani, however, did notst long at all.


    "How¡­ did he even lose?" Katarina could not help but just blink a couple of times in disbelief. But s, that was a mystery that will never be solved.


    And so, only Margryth and Agatha were left.


    "Ho¡­ of course, the only one who is as horny as me is left standing," Margryth smirked as she looked at Agatha from head to toe before chugging an entire mug ¡ª how she was able to consume all of that without her stomach bursting, well, Rhys would never know.


    "Is it just me¡­ or is this nymph actually talking?" Agatha licked her lips as she also chugged an entire mug.


    "I heard you were an expert in nymph behavior? I thought you would know," Margryth let out a small burp, "I can smell Rhys Wilder on you too ¡ª except for that male doctor, it would seem I am the only one who joined this merrypetition that hasn''t slept with him yet."


    "...You''re a Mother Nymph," Agatha blinked a couple of times, "Well, that should be interesting ¡ª I could help you and the ckie get it on."


    "Ho¡­?" Margryth squinted her eyes, "You''re more amodating than the one who has Hermes'' blood."


    "Their¡­ conversation is turning a little personal," Katarina coughed as she saw the entire crowd cheering, "This is getting out of hand."


    "Nah, I don''t believe¡­ but¡­" A small smile crawled on Lina''s face as she sneakily grabbed her phone and started recording Agatha, "...I think that crazy woman''s finally losing this."


    And just as Lina predicted, Agatha could no longer drink another mug. But unlike the others who just dropped down unconscious, she climbed up on the table and pointed at Rhys,


    "We''re going to fuck so hard tonight, ckie!" Agatha then poured the beer on her before grabbing Margryth''s tiny arm and lifting her up in the air, "Maestro, music for the champion!"


    And as soon as Agatha started shaking her wet hair, the loud music was started by Malenia''s shrine maiden ¡ª who, despite thepletenguage barrier, was able to read the mood and started the music. How she was able to learn how to y the disc, well¡­ it''s just another one of the mysteries veiling the party.


    "Ah, bollocks!" Lina quickly hid her phone, "I thought she was going to drop dead!"


    "Are you really going to fuck herter, Rhys¡­?" Olga, who was also drunk, buried her face on Rhys''s chest, "It should be me¡­ I''ll only be here for a month."


    "Okay, okay¡­" Katarina then pried the two away from each other, "...I think you shouldy down for now, Commander Olga."


    Katarina and Lina then carried Olga away to the side to give her some air and water.


    "So¡­" Maria then took this chance to once again cling beside Rhys, "Your new friend from Luzviminda is still waiting ¡ª should we tell him to stand down now since Dr. Dhani''s confirmed a friendly?"


    "Okay," Rhys turned to look at Dr. Dhani, who was already lifting himself up from the ground, "Tell him I''m going to ask another favor instead."

 Chapter 320 Hello Limbs

    After a few more hours of endless noise and celebration, the party inside Wilder''s Harem HQ finally died down. And the noise didn''t just fade away, no ¡ª it disappeared almost instantly. Those who were still able to leave the building, and those who couldn''t just decided toy down where they stood.


    Sure, there were still some people talking to each other; like Dominique, who was trying to talk to the cenleons, and the cenleons answering back even though they had no idea what each was saying. Perhaps that was the solution to theirnguage barrier, alcohol.


    But while everyone was wasted, Rhys was just casually sitting on one of therge sofas in the lobby. Katarina and Olga were resting on his shoulders, while Lina was seated on the floor andtched onto him; burying herself on Rhys''s thigh as she was between his legs.


    The other women, Ayesha and the others, were just dead asleep on the other sofas. Emilia was also one of them ¡ª she refused to drink at first since she really wasn''t of legal age yet, but Agatha countered her with the ''old enough to dive into the Underworld, but not old enough to drink?'' argument.


    And so, Emilia made the mistake of getting a drink from Agatha, and now both of them were just lying dead on the floor.


    As for Rhys, well, even with his own celebration, he did not drink alcohol at all and just settled with water ¡ª which he was drinking right now in silence as he just watched everyone sleep. His eyes were settled on Emilia, however, and how she looked so peaceful now.


    She was making the right decision to forge her own path ¡ª after all, if she stayed by Rhys''s side, she would have no choice but to be sucked in by what he was doing¡­ and that wasn''t right at all.


    She has been through enough, Rhys didn''t need to drag her back into the darkness.


    "I was told you were a chronic overthinker. But I did not think that it was to this point."


    Rhys''s peaceful moment, however, was interrupted as Dr. Dhani approached him from behind.


    "Where did you hear that from, Doctor?" Rhys scoffed and smiled.


    "From your doctor," Dr. Dhani also let out a small chuckle as he sat on the back of the sofa next to Rhys, "I do need to know your history before working on you, Mr. Wilder."


    "Well, I hope she didn''t tell you everything," Rhys shook his head and sighed before carefully removing Lina, Katarina, and Olga from him.


    "I do not really know whether I should call you lucky with all of these beautiful women by your side, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani let out a long and deep breath as he looked at Lina and the others, "Or if it is just what the universe owes you ¡ª and if it is, I think it is not enough."


    "No, I''m lucky¡­" Rhys shook his head; slightly smiling as he brushed Lina''s hair and tucked it in her ear, "...and whatever the world owes me, I''ll get it myself."


    "So¡­" Dr. Dhani looked at Rhys and followed him as he headed to the bar, "...Are you going to tell me now why you are hesitating to regenerate your arm and leg? You have seen how fast Katarina''s limbs regenerated, we could have already done it earlier and we would still be here, in this very same position. So, tell me¡­


    ¡­why do you not want to recover your limbs, Mr. Wilder?"


    "Hm¡­" Rhys looked at his wooden hand before just looking at all the people in the HQ, "...Because it''s a symbol, Doctor."


    "A symbol¡­?" Dr. Dhani squinted his eyes as he grabbed whatever bottle was left from the bar and started pouring himself a drink, "A symbol of what?"


    "Of weakness," Rhys breathed out before looking at his fractured reflection in the mirror of the bar, "It is a symbol of my ws, very much like my ck hair."


    "Why would you want a symbol of that, Mr. Wilder?" The tone of Dr. Dhani''s voice did not change at all as he sat beside Rhys, "Most men would want a symbol of their strength, of their greatness."


    "Because those with the symbol of strength are looked up to, and I don''t want to be looked up to, Doctor¡­" Rhys shook his head and smiled, "...I want them to rte to me. I want them to know that whatever I achieve, they can too."


    "But you and I know that they can''t," Dr. Dhani sighed, "What you are presenting is false hope, and that is dangerous."


    "Hope nheless."


    "And you will be creating martyrs," Dr. Dhani gulped a shot of ss, "And your path will be filled with their blood."


    "The path has already been filled with blood a long time ago ¡ª even before me, maybe even before you, Doctor," Rhys let out a small chuckle as he left the counter to grab a bottle of soda from the fridge,


    "Now, I am just making sure that the path actually has a destination."


    "And if it is the wrong path?" Dr. Dhani looked Rhys in the eyes.


    "It''s not about right or wrong," Rhys returned to his seat and returned the doctor''s stare, "As you said earlier¡­


    ¡­It''s about what''s owed to me."


    "Hm," Dr. Dhani took in a deep breath as he shook his head.


    "Do you still want to treat me after hearing that, Doctor?" Rhys smiled.


    "I am a doctor, Mr. Wilder," Dr. Dhani also smiled and chuckled, "People are patients first before they are criminals."


    "Even after all that I said?" The tone of Rhys''s voice lowered.


    "Why, what did you say?" Dr. Dhani just raised his shot ss before chugging it and walking away, "Your operation is tomorrow morning at 10 ¡ª make sure not to eat or drink anything 10 hours before. For now, rx¡­ make love with your women¡­


    ¡­because tomorrow you will be in so much pain, Mr. Wilder."


    Contrary to Dr. Dhani''s advice, Rhys did not rx or make love with his women at all ¡ª no. He did, however, gently put them back into their rooms one by one; cing Emilia in his room before heading to the roof and standing on its edge.


    And there, right in front of him, what was once a lost and deste ce, was now filled with lights and people ¡ª of life.


    "Careful, Rhys Wilder ¡ª step one more and people will think you are trying to kill yourself."


    "I tried before, it didn''t really catch on," Rhys smiled as he nced at Margryth, who flew from below and hovered in front of him.


    "Hm¡­ enjoying the view of your city?"


    "My city?" Rhys scoffed and shook his head, "They call it that, but I wasn''t even here to watch it grow. It feels¡­ weird. I''m just doing my own thing, and yet all of a sudden I own this growing city and even have a statue."


    "Do you know who else experiences things like that?"


    "Tyrants?"


    "Gods, Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­Gods."


    ***


    "Ready?"


    "Yes. I''m¡ªKh¡­"


    "R¡­ Rhys¡­"


    And so, tomorrow morning at 10 came ¡ª and Dr. Dhani was now in the process of regenerating Rhys''s right leg. They had to take the wooden leg out too, which was not a pretty sight at all; but it was nothingpared to what was happening now.


    Since Rhys''s wound was already more than a year old, it was much more painful than Katarina''s, and Katarina knew that and she could not help but just cover her mouth to stop herself from letting out her gasps.


    Aside from her, Ayesha and Maria were also there¡­ as well as Margryth, who removed the wooden limbs since Aengele had no signs of waking up still.


    "You know, Mr. Wilder¡­ you can scream if you want," Dr. Dhani was quite impressed that Rhys was only gritting his teeth; not even sweating at all as he even watched his leg grow back.


    "It already hurts," Rhys shook his head as he just continued to watch his leg grow back, "Nothing would change if I scream."


    "Well, that''s not healthy at all," Dr. Dhani let out a long and deep sigh before just concentrating on healing Rhys''s lost leg. And after what seemed like a minute ¡ª Rhys had his leg back just like that, "Can you move your toes and¡ªWoah! Not that strong!"


    Dr. Dhani almost found himself being lifted up as Rhys''s right leg rose.


    "Sorry¡­ I''m not¡­ used to it. Hah¡­" Rhys smiled as he started wiggling his toes.


    "Well, don''t smile just yet because we need to do the same thing with your arm," Dr. Dhani chuckled as he just quickly moved beside Rhys.


    But while everyone in the room seemed delighted and happy, the expression on Ayesha''s face could not be painted at all as soon as she saw Dr. Dhani moving near Rhys''s dismembered arm.


    "What''s wrong, Commander?" Maria subtly stood closer to Ayesha as she noticed that.


    "...Nothing," Ayesha just nced at Maria before slightly moving away from her.


    "Nothing, huh¡­" Maria, however, once again stood closer to her.


    "What''s your deal¡­?"


    "Nothing," Maria shrugged, "But¡­


    ¡­I did hear that something happened when they were trying to attach Rhys''s bionic arm. Does your expression have something to do with that, Commander?"

 Chapter 321 Hurt

    "¡­I did hear that something happened when they were trying to attach Rhys''s bionic arm. Does your expression have something to do with that, Commander?"


    "Wow, you really do know everything, huh? Remind me not to mess with you again, Suit."


    "And by that look you are giving me, you want me to tell you what happened?"


    "I am not giving you any looks, Commander."


    "Ho¡­? You really need to stop pulling my balls."


    And while Dr. Dhani waspletely busy trying to check on the condition of Rhys''s dismembered arm, both Ayesha and Maria were seemingly busy whispering to each other; with Maria very subtly moving closer and closer to Ayesha with a knowing smile on her face.


    "I really hate it when you have a smile on your face," a smirk crawled onto Ayesha''s face as she crossed her arms and nced at Maria, "Your robotic demeanor suits you better."


    "Perhaps," Maria just shrugged, "Are you going to tell me what happened then, or should I take a guess? I did hear several deaths were involved."


    "No," the look on Ayesha''s eyes turned serious as she nced away from Maria and focused on Rhys, "Two."


    "Hm¡­?"


    "Two people died," Ayesha closed her eyes and let out a long and very deep breath, "Everything was fine when they attached the bionic leg, there were no problems at all ¡ª Rhys did not even wake up from the pain when the doctors expected it."


    "Couldn''t they have just tried to regenerate his legs?"


    "You really think every doctor in this world is like that guy?" Ayesha nodded her head as she nced at Dr. Dhani, "The most they could do was expertly attach new limbs ¡ª expensive limbs, and as I said¡­


    ¡­the leg was fine."


    "And I am assuming the problem started when they started attaching the bionic arm?" Maria squinted her eyes as she started fidgeting with her tablet.


    "Yeah," Ayesha once again released a deep breath as she seemed to be trying hard not to recall what happened, but it was time that she actually shared it with someone ¡ª and who better to share it with than Rhys''s very own search engine,


    "He woke up, or at least that''s what we all thought."


    "What do you mean by¡ª"


    "...What are you guys talking about?" And before the two could continue with their conversation, Katarina approached them with a curious expression on her face.


    "Oh, it''s nothing," Ayesha quickly smirked and waved her hand.


    "We were talking about what happened during the time the doctors failed to attach his bionic arm, K."


    "Damn it, Suit¡­" Ayesha could really only cover her face, "...You''re supposed to be good at keeping secrets."


    "I am," Maria shrugged, "But you still have not told what the secret was."


    "What¡­ secret?" Katarina squinted her eyes as she looked at Ayesha.


    "It''s¡­ nothing you should worry about," Ayesha once again waved her hand and just focused on Rhys, "It was¡­ there was an ident that happened during that time."


    "An¡­ ident?" Katarina let out a small gasp, "Then should we stop the doctor if it''s dangerous for Rhys?"


    "No¡­" Ayesha just continued to watch Dr. Dhani examine Rhys''s arm, "...Rhys is not the one in danger."


    "...What do you mean?"


    "I''m sure it''s nothing," Ayesha just shook her head, "The Doc''s one of the strongest people in the world. Even if that¡­ thinges out, he''ll be able to smack it around like a pair of balls in a cold nutsack."


    "...Right."


    Ayesha no longer said anything after that ¡ª but Katarina, and even Maria were getting quite uneasy since Ayesha was lightly tapping her foot on the ground. They have never seen her this anxious before¡­


    ¡­just what was she not telling them?


    But s, Ayesha seemed resolute in keeping her lips shut, and the only thing Katarina and Maria could do was watch as Rhys''s arm very slowly regenerated from the shoulders.


    "Good."


    And as soon as the arm was whole again, Ayesha was the first to let out a long and very deep gasp of relief ¡ª and for some reason, Katarina and Maria also joined her even though they had no idea what exactly was happening.


    "Is¡­ it done, Dr. Dhani?" Katarina held her chest as she approached Dr. Dhani.


    "Yes," Dr. Dhani stood up and turned to Katarina, "Arm is as good as new. He just needs a little moment to get used to¡ª"


    "Dr. Dhani!?"


    "Shit!"


    Katarina, Maria, Ayesha, and even Margryth, who had been keepingpletely silent on the side could not help but just flinch and back away as something suddenly emerged from Dr. Dhani''s chest.


    "What¡­" Katarina blinked a couple of times as some of Dr. Dhani''s blood and flesh got on her face.


    "This is¡­" Dr. Dhani seemed to be thest to realize what happened as he slowly looked down, only to see some sort of¡­ ck spike pierced through his chest. He was going to take a step forward so that he could heal himself, but before he could do so, the spike just pulled him back¡­


    ¡­straight toward Rhys ¡ª it was his arm, which was now suddenly¡­ just a ck goo. And before he could even try to push himself away, the spike started to spread across his body, "What is¡ª!?"


    And then started crushing and folding his limbs like they were made of styrofoam.


    "Shit, what are you guys just looking at!?" Ayesha was the first to snap out of her stupor as she quickly rushed toward Rhys and Dr. Dhani, "Oi, Recruit!"


    Ayesha grabbed Rhys by the cor, while Katarina tried pulling Dr. Dhani away from the ck goo¡ªbut although it looked like goo, it was hard, incredibly so.


    "Rhys¡­ what''s happening!? Let¡­ let go of the doctor!"


    "He''s¡­ he''s unconscious!" Ayesha tried pping Rhys awake, "He¡ª"


    Before Ayesha could finish her words, the goo just suddenly flew toward her; turning into a spike and stabbing her straight in the chest; managing to pierce an inch through her almost imprable skin and flesh.


    "Tch¡­" Ayesha gritted her teeth as she took that as a sign topletely back away from Rhys, also pulling Katarina away from him.


    "Wait! The doctor is¡ª"


    "The doctor''s gone." Everyone then just watched as Dr. Dhani just crumpled like paper there and then ¡ª he was not even able to let out a single sound before¡­ whatever Rhys''s arm was now seemingly sucked him insidepletely, leaving no trace of him at all.


    The only thing everyone could do was watch in horror as the ck goo justpletely ate Dr. Dhani.


    "Shit¡­" Ayesha''s breaths turned heavy, "...It happened again, it happened again. Shit."


    "What¡­ what just happened?" Katarina stared at Rhys as the gooing out of his shoulder slowly turned regained its flesh color and turned back into his newly regenerated arm, "Ayesha¡­ what just happened!?"


    "I don''t know!" Ayesha raised her voice, "All I know is it happened before, and it happened again!"


    "Why didn''t you warn Dr. Dhani!?" Katarina also raised her voice.


    "If I did, then he might have not healed Rhys''s arm!" Ayesha''s voice was slowly being filled with frustration, "It was my fault that he lost his arm! He lost his arm because of me, and if we told Dr. Dhani, then he¡­ then he wouldn''t have¡­"


    "Ayesha¡­" Katarina could really only close her eyes as this was the first time she was also seeing Ayesha acting quite vulnerable. But as soon as Ayesha saw the look of pity in Katarina''s eyes, she just quickly cleared her throat and focused back on Rhys.


    "He¡­ seems to be fine now," Ayesha cleared her throat again as she looked at Rhys, who was justpletely unconscious on the floor, "But most importantly¡­


    ¡­how do we deal with Dr. Dhani?"


    "Ayesha¡­ I think we should take a look at your chest first. It''s¡­ bleeding pretty badly."


    "Ah¡­ shit."


    And while Katarina, Maria, and Ayesha had sweat forming on their foreheads, an amused smile was crawling on Margryth''s face.


    "So¡­


    ¡­this is why he''s so interested in you."


    ***


    "You mean¡­ the doctor just left?"


    "Yup. He wanted to stay but he said he had something to do¡­? I didn''t really pry."


    "But¡ª"


    "Ah, I''m needed in the hospital, Rhys. Can we talkter?"


    "But that''s¡ª"


    After a few hours, Rhys woke up ¡ª only to find that Katarina was the only one left with him inside his room. He wanted to ask her about Dr. Dhani, but she just kissed his forehead and quickly rushed out of the room before he could actually ask about anything.


    The only thing Rhys could really do as he was sat on the bed was watch as Katarina closed the door.


    "My arm¡­ huh," Rhys then raised his right arm, wiggling his fingers and closing it into a fist. But before a smile could actually form on his face, he just quickly let out a breath and shook his head,


    "Maria, are you there?"


    "..."


    "Maria."


    "What is it, Rhys?" Maria emerged next to Rhys''s bed; her eyes, looking to the side.


    "Katarina has always been a bad liar," Rhys nced at Maria, "And you''re acting weird too. Something happened¡­


    ¡­and I want to know what."


    "That''s¡­" Maria really only hesitated at the start. But after a few seconds of just staying quiet, she told Rhys everything ¡ª everything.


    "What¡­?" Rhys let out a small gasp as he looked at his hand.


    "We will make sure that they will never find out about Dr. Dha¡ª"


    "I¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as his voice started to tremble,


    "...I hurt Ayesha?"

 Chapter 322 Gods Walking Among Us

    "So, what are you doing out here again?"


    There was a ce in Wilder''s city that was perhaps the quietest, and also the loudest at the same time ¡ª where you could really only hear your own breaths and your thoughts. But at the same time, from time to time, you could hear the entire city justing alive.


    It was at the rooftop of the HQ, where one had a clear view of the entire city as it continued to move and grow. And there, Rhys was just once again standing on the edge of a building; this time, however, he wasn''t looking down at all.


    His eyes were reflecting the endless horizon of the Danger Zone, as well as the blue sky that veiled it from above.


    His moment of silence, however, was interrupted as Margryth just suddenly flew from below andpletely covered his view.


    "Maybe I wanted to be alone, Ma''am," Rhys could really only let out a sigh; shaking his head as he stepped down the edge of the building.


    "You wanted to be alone, while there are a charcuterie of women waiting in line to be with you?" Margryth then flew toward Rhys and on his shoulder while facing the other way; her eyes were still on the horizon, while Rhys was already looking down at the floor of the roof,


    "I don''t think that''s right, Rhys Wilder."


    "I hurt one of them," Rhys let out a small sigh as he sat on the parapet, "That is what''s not right."


    "You were unconscious, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shook her head and sighed, "You didn''t even know what you were doing."


    "If that had been someone else than Ayesha, they would have died¡­" Rhys closed his eyes and also shook his head, causing Margryth to fly away and just sit beside him on the ledge, "...I hurt Ayesha."


    "You also didpletely devour the man that just cured not only your sister, your lover, and your limbs," Margryth shrugged, "Your arm devoured him, leaving not even a single trace ¡ª and where did he even go inside your body? It was horrifying ¡ª his bones were crushed bit by bit while he was being sucked inside you."


    "I heard," Rhys looked at his right hand, "Is the reason you''re here because you know what that is?"


    "I am at a loss as you are, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shrugged, "But one thing I do know is that you¡­


    ¡­you are not just the Descendant of Eros."


    "Then whose blood is it?" Rhys let out another long and deep sigh as he started walking, "No one even knows who Eros is, and now you''re saying there''s another blood active inside me, that I''m guessing you don''t know who?"


    "That is exactly what I am saying, Rhys Wilder," Margryth flew in front of Rhys.


    "..." Rhys just looked Margryth in the eyes for a few seconds before shaking his head again, "...I hurt Ayesha."


    "You did."


    "And I didn''t even know that I did it. Why didn''t she just tell me about it in the first ce? She knew that something like that already happened, and yet¡ª"


    "Because she was trying to protect you, Rhys Wilder," Margryth shrugged, "Like how you are trying to protect them all, they are also trying to protect you ¡ª they were not even nning to tell you about the doctor at all. But of course, theypletely disregarded the one who crawls in the shadows who ispletely and blindly loyal to you."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys once again looked at his hand, "...Are you sure you don''t know whose blood it is?"


    "No, but I know someone who might," Margryth smiled at Rhys as she started spinning in the air, "But talking to him would mean that you are ready to face the fate you have been trying to run away from, Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­and the vague prophecy will start."


    "I don''t care about the prophecy," Rhys looked Margryth in the eyes, "But if this prophecy needs to run its course for all of this to be over¡­


    ¡­then so be it."


    "A whole lot of the world is about to open up to you, Hero of Prophecy¡­" Margryth flew closer to Rhys''s face as she returned his gaze, "...But for that to happen, you need to abandon everything. Everything that you have ever aplished, everyone that you have ever loved."


    "That''s fine," Rhys breathed out, "That would be for the best ¡ª I don''t even know when my arm, or whatever it is would act up again¡­


    ¡­I do not want to drag them down with me."


    "Bring the cenleon, the gorgon, and the one snooping around in the shadows right now," Margryth then started ascending into the air, "I will give you a month to say your goodbyes and sleep with your women, Rhys Wilder. I suggest you make the most of it¡­


    ¡­you may never return again."


    And with that, Margryth truly did not show herself for an entire month ¡ª and Rhys did what she said he should do.


    Rhys absolutely hid himself from the world ¡ª there were thousands who wished to interview him about what happened in Nihon and about Orpheus, but he refused all of them, even his own journalist who was on his payroll.


    The only thing he did was spend time with Katarina, Ayesha, Lina, Agatha, Vicky, Talia, and Olga ¡ª spending time with them equally, and sometimes even at the same time. Of course, those who knew how he normally acted knew something was up, but Rhys just brushed them all off like nothing was happening.


    He did make love to them, but he spent most of his time just sharing all sorts of personal moments with them that only they could really know. And after a month had passed, Rhys just quietly snuck out of the HQ, not even saying goodbye to any of them ¡ª moving through the shadows until he was outside the city, where Edissa and Malenia were already waiting for him inside a van.


    "Do you know where we''re going?" Rhys quickly asked as he got into the passenger''s seat.


    "The nymph already sent me the coordinates," Maria, who was in the driver''s seat, just started driving away without even letting Rhys look back at the city, "Are you really sure about this, Wilder?"


    "Yes, and¡ª"


    And before he could finish his words, Maria suddenly kissed him on the lips before she just casually continued to drive.


    "...What was that for?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he slightly leaned back into the door. Edissa and Malenia, who were at the back, could not help but also just re at Maria as she did that.


    "You neglected me for a month, Wilder," Maria scoffed.


    "...Because you''reing with me, Maria."


    "Still," Maria just shrugged as she stepped on the gas even harder, "Also, these coordinates ¡ª there''s something wrong with them."


    "Why¡­?" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at the navigation on the infotainment system of the car, "How far is it?"


    "It''s not that it''s far¡­" Maria breathed out,


    "...It''s in the city."


    "The¡­ city?"


    ***


    "I was getting bored of waiting for you, Rhys Wilder."


    "Margryth, this ce¡­"


    "I know."


    After several hours of driving, Rhys and the others were led to a building that was extremely familiar to him ¡ª but at the same time, now that he was walking down its hallways when it waspletely empty and devoid of any people, it also felt quite strange and unfamiliar.


    "He''s in here," Margryth then slightly struggled to twist the knob as she opened the door of an office that was also quite familiar to Rhys.


    "Hoho¡­? Now, what brings you here, Boy?"


    "Mayor¡ª"


    "It is president now, Rhys my boy." It was Joseph Hayden, closing arge book he had on his desk as soon as Rhys entered his office, "Were we supposed to be meeting today?"


    Hannah was also there, just casually sitting on the sofa while shaking her head and chewing gum.


    "Stop it, Dad," Hannah then scoffed before looking at Margryth, "Stop acting like you didn''t ask dear old Sis here to bring him here.


    "...Sister?" Rhys''s eyes turned wide as he quickly looked at Margryth, "Joseph Hayden is¡­ your father?"


    "I guess so," Margryth shrugged.


    "Ah, Margareth ¡ª do you not care for the theatrics at all?" Joseph shook his head, letting out a loud sigh as he stood up and towered over everyone else in the room, "I have been softly easing the boy here with all of this, and yet you two sisters just reveal crucial details like that like it''s nothing."


    "Ack, stop with the suspense, Dad," Hannah just waved her hand a couple of times, "Enough''s time already been wasted."


    "Rhys Wilder¡­" Margryth flew toward Rhys and sat on his shoulder, "...I know someone had already told you that gods walk among you, our father is one of them. He is quite famous, you know ¡ª you might know him by another name¡­


    ¡­Hades, the God of the Underworld."

 Chapter 323 I Do Not Know

    "Hades, God of the Underworld."


    "Hades¡­?"


    "I apologize for not kneeling in your presence!"


    The reveal warranted a reaction of silence for at least more than a minute, but not even seconds passed by as Malenia quickly bowed her entire body ¡ª groveling on the floor with her palms facing upward toward President Hayden. It wasn''t only her, Edissa also followed her lead as she bent all of her knees and bowed her head to him.


    The only one amongst the three who did not react at all was Rhys.


    Rhys just stood there, staring at therge President Joseph with a tired expression on his face ¡ª and after a couple more seconds, he even sighed and shook his head.


    "Oho¡­?" Joseph did not seem to take offense to this at all. In fact, he let out an amused breath as he stepped away from his desk, "You''re not shocked at all? I was expecting you to react wildly, my boy. We might be lying to you too."


    "It doesn''t really matter whether it''s a lie or not, and I always knew you were someone important and special, Mayor¡ªno, I suppose it''s President now," Rhys just once again shook his head before approaching Joseph and reaching out his hand, "I just didn''t expect for you to be an actual god. Would you prefer me to call you Lord Hades now?"


    "Heh¡­ this is why I like you, Rhys," Joseph just smirked as he shook Rhys''s hand, "Just call me what you''re mostfortable with, and it feels weird for you to call me Hades now ¡ª I watched you grow up, boy. Sit, sit. And tell your harem to rx."


    Rhys then just calmly sat down on the sofa opposite to Hannah, who was still just chewing her gum as she stared at him. She really only stopped chewing when Margryth sat beside her; Hannah''s eyes, seemingly irritated ¡ª Margryth, however, just smirked at her in response before gesturing to her to scooch to the side as she needed space¡­ even though she was only knee-tall.


    "Ugh¡­" Hannah just rolled her eyes before looking away.


    "Edissa, Malenia," Rhys then called the two demi-humans, who just very carefully raised their heads before slowly heading behind Rhys.


    "So? Do you have anything to say about my big reveal?" Joseph then stretched his arms to the side as he smiled.


    "Nothing so far," Rhys shook his head, "But Hades¡­ you are one of the three strongest gods, right?"


    "...You truly should brush up on your history," Joseph let out a small but very deep sigh, "But I suppose it doesn''t matter for now."


    "If¡­" Edissa subtly leaned closer to Rhys and whispered in his ear, "...If he is Hades, then does that mean the Surface truly is the Underworld?"


    "Pft."


    "Forgive me for saying something!" Edissa quickly bowed her head again as she heard Joseph''s breaths be louder. Joseph, however, did not seem to mind at all as his breaths just turned into a fit ofughter.


    Margryth also just giggled as she covered her mouth. As for Hannah, she just continued shaking her head and rolling her eyes as if she truly didn''t want to be there, and she probably didn''t.


    "It is fine to have questions, Edissa," Joseph then let out a long and deep breath as he stoppedughing, "I wee the questions ¡ª after all, without them, then what is the purpose of everything?"


    "I¡­ apologize for talking out of line," Edissa just continued to bow her head.


    "To answer your question then ¡ª you are right, the Surface is the Underworld," Joseph then turned around and opened the shades of the window of his office, letting in theforting warmth of the rising sun,


    "And where you live is also the Underworld."


    "Hm¡­?" Edissa, and even Malenia wanted to speak ¡ª but they just chose to keep their mouths shut and look at Rhys, hoping that he would follow up the question. But s, Rhys just remained quiet as he looked at Joseph.


    "This ce where the humans live, and the ce where the monsters and the demi-humans live ¡ª they are both the Underworld," Joseph then let out a very long and deep breath as he stared at the light being reflected on all the buildings outside, "Rhys, my boy¡­


    ¡­this entire of yours is the Underworld."


    "..." Rhys did not really say anything at all and just let Joseph continue his story.


    An entire eon ago, my brothers and I were born into chaos and war ¡ª that is the only thing we know. And when we won against our fathers who tried to enve us, we all chose what domain to rule and promised each other that we would neither hinder nor involve ourselves in the roles we put upon ourselves.


    Zeus chose the skies, Poseidon the sea, and I chose the Underworld ¡ª Earth is for all of us. And the stories may make it seem like I was thrown here, not at all; we all chose where we are, and I chose first. I could have had sky, but I chose the Underworld because where they saw dread and istion¡­


    ¡­I saw potential. The souls are sent to the Underworld to be reborn only to be punished ¡ª and for thousands and thousands of years when I ruled it, it remained the same and it remained its purpose. But then thousands of years ago, I began to question everything.


    Is punishment all there is? Is it all that there should be?


    And so, I began answering my own question ¡ª to these pitiful and lost souls, I re-introduced civilization and order. And very soon, history was being made. The gorgons, the cenleons, the hissyrs, the satyrs, and everything and everyone else ¡ª like how they have lived in their past lives, they begin again¡­


    ¡­The Underworld, turning into a world of its own. But then I encountered a problem, you."


    Joseph then pointed at Rhys.


    "Humans. You breed and you breed, and then all of a sudden, there was no space for you. And so, I decided to explore the Underworld more, what else it has to offer¡­


    ¡­and I started to dig a Hole, and it led me here, to the ce you now call the Surface ¡ª another world with a sky and an even more infinite cosmos. The Underworld is not an isted prison, but an entirely new world filled with new possibilities."


    "Our ancestors¡­ came from down there?" Rhys finally whispered something, but soon once again remained quiet as he stared at Joseph.


    "Yes," Joseph closed his eyes as he finally sat back down at his desk, "As gods, we thought we knew everything there is to know ¡ª but we know nothing at all. I learned that I know nothing at all. But what I did learn, however, was the ingenuity of the humans if they are left be in their own devices¡­


    ¡­I watched you grow from holding sticks and stones, to weapons of steel in just 2 thousand years. I decided then that your kind was going to get the answers for me. But of course, my little secret could not remain to be so forever, and my brothers discovered what I was doing ¡ª they discovered this, the infinite cosmos.


    All of a sudden, the two of them wanted the Underworld ¡ª and when I refused to trade, they wreaked havoc; causing Holes to appear all around the Surface more than a thousand years ago now. But of course, this is my domain ¡ª they could not run rampant for long before I cast them out¡­


    ¡­but not before theyid their seeds in all of you."


    "I know that part of our history," Rhys breathed out, "So, it truly was them who let loose the monsters that gued our world."


    "They used Hermes to carry their seeds and impregnate all the women ¡ª and all he needed was a blink of an eye where I was distracted," Joseph let out another deep breath, causing fumes to escape his nose,


    "Their blood is not a gift, Rhys Wilder. It is a prison that has kept your kind shackled in the hands of the gods. With the abilities you received, the ingenuity which led you from sticks and stones to steel was hindered ¡ª your kind should have been freely exploring the infinite cosmos by now."


    "Hm," Rhys squinted his eyes as he let out a loud breath and looked at Joseph, "That''s a very nice story, President. But¡­


    ¡­where exactly am I supposed to fit in in all of it?"


    "That is the best part, Rhys Wilder¡­" Joseph smirked as he looked Rhys in the eyes,


    "...I don''t know."


    "What¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Hannah and Margryth, who only shrugged their shoulders in response, "For the past few months, all I''ve been hearing about is I''m involved in a prophecy ¡ª and now you''re telling me¡­ that you don''t know?"


    "Yes," Joseph once again stood up, "And that is exactly why you are here now, Descendant of Eros."


    "And who is Eros in the first ce? You haven''t even mentioned him even once in your story," Rhys sighed in frustration while shaking his head.


    "Eros¡­" Hades closed his eyes,


    "...Eros is the only god who did noty his seed a thousand years ago."

 Chapter 324 Welcome to The Real World, Rhys Wilder

    "...Eros is the only god who did noty his seed a thousand years ago."


    Joseph took in a very long and deep breath as he uttered those words ¡ª he stared at nothing in particr, almost as if the memory was still quite fresh in his mind, and since he had lived for an eon, it probably truly was one of his recent memories.


    "Wait, if that''s true¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at his hands, "...Then howe I''m here?"


    "Howe, indeed?" Joseph smiled as he sat back on his desk while looking at Rhys from head to toe, "Eros was my only ally¡ªno. That is not right either¡­


    ¡­Eros was everyone''s ally, but at the same time, he was friends with no one. Eros, you see, out of all the gods, was the one who valued freedom above anything. After all, love should be a freeing thing ¡ª at least that is what he told me. When he knew and realized what I had achieved and done with the Underworld, he was the only one who weed it.


    He weed the change wholeheartedly, he even cried when he saw that the humans were finally free to love and multiply themselves¡­


    ¡­Eros, he represented the best of us. Unfortunately, my brothers did not like that at all ¡ª I do not exactly know what happened since my influence is trapped here in the Underworld, but what I do know is that he was cast out ¡ª here, right here. But his presence was too weak, it was extremely weak to the point that he was not even a god anymore.


    My brothers stripped him of everything that made him so."


    "...Are you saying that Eros himself is my father?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "No," Joseph answered without any hesitation, "As I said, I do not know, Rhys Wilder ¡ª but it could very well be that your father is the son of Eros and¡­ something else, perhaps something not of this world at all."


    Joseph then stared at Rhys''s right arm for a few seconds before just shaking his head, "But as I said, I do not know ¡ª Eros haspletely disappeared from the face of existence¡­


    ¡­and you are the only trace, my boy. It was fate that led me to finding you when that horrible incident happened."


    "...You''re telling me to search for my father," Rhys then took in a deep breath before looking Joseph in the eyes again.


    "Yes," Joseph nodded.


    "...And then what?" Rhys sighed while shaking his head, "What exactly is the purpose of that? What will it change?"


    "Do you not want to meet your father?" Joseph hummed.


    "Why would I want to meet the man who abandoned us and let my mother die brutally?" Rhys''s eyebrows lowered.


    "Revenge?"


    "He''s not the one who killed her," Rhys shook his head.


    "Why are you here, Rhys Wilder?"


    "..." Rhys could not really answer Joseph''s question as he just looked at his right arm.


    "Are you just running away because you hurt one of the people you love?" Joseph let out a very long and deep breath as he once again stood up from his desk, "If so, then that is alright too ¡ª you need somewhere to run to, and I need someone to search for your father, who might very well have the answers I need. It is not you that is special, Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­It is your father."


    "Hm¡­"


    "Do you not want to find out about what happened to your arm?" A small smile crawled on Joseph''s face, "After all, that is the reason why you are here, Rhys Wilder¡­


    ¡­to find out what is preventing you from being with the people you love, to find out what hurt them ¡ª and your father would have that answer. And perhaps¡­


    ¡­he could remove it too."


    "You can just say no, Rhys," Hannah broke her silence as she popped her gum, "He''s obviously manipting you to do his dirty work, he is using you."


    "Oh, I know," Rhys did not hesitate to answer while shaking his head, "But I won''t necessarily say he is using me ¡ª I owe your father a lot, Ma''am. This is just me repaying all of it."


    "Again with the ''Ma''am''?" Hannah rolled her eyes, "I''m not talking with you anymore."


    "I''ll take that as you agreeing to my request?" Joseph smiled as he pped his hands.


    "Sure," Rhys sighed and nodded, "I also do want to meet the guy who abandoned me and my mother. Where and when did youst see him?"


    "You should ask her," Joseph then turned to look at Maria, who was just quietly standing on the side with her back to the wall.


    "...You know where my father is?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he also looked at Maria.


    "No," Maria quickly shook her head, "I did search for him, but I found no traces of him at all. No photos, no certificates, no IDs, no history, nothing ¡ª I do not even know his face, it is as if he doesn''t exist at all."


    "What¡­?" Rhys turned to look at Joseph again, "How am I going to find someone like that?"


    "Ahem¡­" Joseph cleared his throat, "...Let''s just say that your father doesn''t really live around here."


    "...So, you know where he is?" Rhys stood up and squinted his eyes.


    "Not exactly."


    "What?" Rhys sighed, "Can you please stop beating around the bush and just tell me?"


    "He is on the other side, Rhys Wilder," Joseph breathed out, "You would need to pass through Helios."


    "I told you, Hero," Margryth joined in the conversation, "There is a chance that you may never return¡­


    ¡­and you have to go in alone."


    "Alone?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Edissa, Malenia, and Maria, who also seemed confused with Margryth''s words, "But then why''d you ask me to bring them here?"


    "So that someone could tell your story, Rhys Wilder," Joseph closed his eyes and shook his head, "Of how the brave Rhys Wilder epted a task from the gods ¡ª Malenia will tell her people, Edissa will tell her people, and Maria will tell her people. So, that they would all know that they were not abandoned ¡ª that is the Hero''s journey, it is tradition."


    "That doesn''t make sense at all," Maria took a step forward, "I am here because I''m going with him."


    And it wasn''t only her, both Edissa and Malenia also stood their ground as they realized what was happening.


    "I am afraid not," Margryth shook her head, "The gods would feel it if more than one who was born in the Underworld passes through Helios."


    "Then are you the one going with him?" Maria stared at Margryth.


    "No," Margryth shook her head, "Like all of you, I was born in the Underworld¡­


    ¡­I am afraid that Rhys would have to go through Helios alone. You need to forget about everything, Rhys. About explorers, about your ambition, about everything¡­


    ¡­Do you still want to ept thisbor?"


    "Well¡­" Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he once again stared at his arm,


    "...I might as well get this over with so I can return faster."


    "Ho¡­" A small smile crawled on Joseph''s face as he looked at Rhys, "...Now, that''s the spirit."


    "So, when do I leave?" Rhys then turned to look at Joseph, only to find that he was no longer there¡­ but behind him ¡ª holding him by the top of his head, "What are you¡ª!!!"


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, the floor beneath him opened up ¡ª and all of a sudden, he found himself falling several floors until he was ultimately swallowed up by a Hole that was already waiting for him on the ground.


    Rhys was used to falling down, but not this fast ¡ª not this fast at all with Joseph holding him by the head. And in just a couple of seconds, he was already in the Underworld¡­


    ¡­but they did not stop at all even with the gravity shift, and Rhys just found himself floating in the air with the view of the Underworld beneath him.


    "Well, boy¡­" Joseph then grabbed him by the torso, "...Don''t forget to write us a letter."


    "Wh¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even say another word, Joseph just threw him straight toward Helios. The only thing that Rhys could really do was grit his teeth as the orange sun slowly filled his entire vision ¡ª he thought it would be hot, but not at all.


    Or perhaps everything was just happening so fast that he did not have time to process it at all ¡ª he didn''t want to close his eyes at all, but the light was getting too bright for him to keep them open, leaving him no choice but to surrender.


    "What¡­ have I gotten myself into now?" ¡ª were hisst words before he just felt himself surrounded by a cold feeling.


    He opened his eyes, only to find himself truly surrounded by water ¡ª there was even a whale looking at him. It was¡­ surreal. Unfortunately for Rhys, it was very real.


    He quickly swam up, letting his breaths just escape his mouth as soon as his head was out of the water. It did not really make any difference, however¡­


    ¡­as there was still nothing but endless water on the horizon.


    "Couldn''t¡­ you have dropped me in a town?" Rhys whispered out as he looked at the sky, only to see what seemed to be two suns hanging above the clouds, "Well¡­


    ¡­wee to the real world, Rhys."

 Chapter 325 A Completely Different World

    "You really should have thrown me at least somewhere dry, President."


    Rhys no longer had any idea how long he had been floating in the sea for. Probably more than an entire day''s worth since he had already seen the two suns floating above the skye back once. He could probably attempt to swim again, but what if he was just going farther and farther away from the nearest ind?


    But of course, that wasn''t the main reason at all why he wasn''t swimming ¡ª the main reason was that he saw an extremelyrge shadow move beneath him in the water when he started pping around. He had already experienced almost being swallowed by a creature the size of an entire ind once, he wasn''t going to be doing that again and end up actually being swallowed this time.


    He was in apletely different world ¡ª with absolutely no idea what sort of monsters awaited him. Why?


    Just why did Joseph throw him to this ce without even trying to orient him? He willingly epted the mission ¡ª so, as someone who gave him the mission, Joseph should have at least given him some intel¡­ or at least allowed him to bring Maria with him.


    And with his thoughts once again filling his entire existence, the only thing Rhys could really do was let out a long and very deep sigh. But as he did so, however, he found himself descending down into the water¡­


    ¡­he couldn''t even let out a sigh of relief at this point. And so, after several more minutes of thinking, he just closed his eyes and decided to rx.


    A second.


    A minute.


    An hour. Rhys just once again let himself float aimlessly in the endless water. Fortunately for him, it did not take another hour before he heard murmurs entering his submerged ears ¡ª and before he could even open his eyes, he felt something hitting the top of his head.


    "What the¡ª"


    "Ah, he''s alive!"


    "Quick! Get him out of the water, quick!"


    And before Rhys could even scan or observe anything, he just felt himself being dragged up from the water.


    "Why¡­ why is he so heavy!? Father, he''s¡­ he''srge! He''s a giant!"


    "Shut it, Boy! What sort of giant has beautiful hair like that!?"


    Rhys then just allowed himself to roll over into what seemed like a wooden boat.


    "Quick, Boy! Give him some water!? Why are you so useless!"


    "..." Rhys then carefully sat up as he finally started looking around, only to see a somewhat skinny bearded man, and a boy ¡ª both of them just wearing loose and dirty garbs.


    "Are you alright, Brother? We saw you floating out there, we thought you were proper dead, ey?" The bearded man approached Rhys while showing both his palms, "My name''s Mikkos, and that little squirt there is also named Mikkos, after me. But you can just call him Mik. Boy! The water!"


    "H¡­ Here you go, Mister."


    "...Thank you," Rhys just blinked a couple of times as he grabbed the water from the boy, who just quickly stepped back behind his father. Rhys did not really try to be shy or demure at all as he just quickly chugged the jug that they offered him.


    "Are¡­ you a warrior, Brother?" Mikkos squinted his eyes as he looked at Rhys from head to toe, "Those scars of yours, it would seem you''ve experienced countless battles. And that body of yours could only be forged in war."


    "Scars¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked down, only to see his clothespletely tattered into pieces. Rhys really only sighed in response before shaking his head, "Can¡­ you please tell me where we are, Sir?"


    "Well, Sir¡­" Mikkos cleared his throat; his ears slightly raised as he was called sir, "...We are in the Acheron Sea."


    "...Acheron sea?" Rhys looked around him. He truly is in another world ¡ª he doesn''t recall any ce like that.


    "Yes ¡ª and following that trail will lead to the river."


    Rhys looked to where Mikkos was pointing, but all he really sees is an endless view of the sea.


    "What¡­ year is it?" Rhys decided to ask.


    "Year¡­? What are you talking about?"


    "The date?"


    "Oh¡­" Mikkos sighed while shaking his head, "You should have just asked, Brother. I believe it''s¡­ Boy! What is today!?"


    "Th¡­ We are in the Age of Aphrodite, Father," Mik flinched and stuttered as Mikkos screamed at him again, "12 days after thest full moon."


    "Moon¡­" Rhys could really only sigh as he looked up ¡ª he saw the moon alright, it was hard not to since it was almost covering the entire sky.


    "Where are you from, Brother?" Mikkos asked.


    "...I''m from Amerka," Rhys answered.


    "Amerka¡­" Mikkos squinted, "...Afraid never heard of it before, Brother."


    "I¡­ figured that," Rhys breathed out while shaking his head and handing the jug back to Mikkos, "Thank you for the water again."


    "You''re very polite, Brother," Mikkos scoffed and shook his head, "My vige''s a day of sailing from here ¡ª do you want me to drop you anywhere onnd?"


    "No¡­" Rhys shook his head, "I wouldn''t even know where to go if you dropped me off. I''ll¡­ just travel from your vige and go from there."


    "Huh¡­ So, you''re a man with a destination, Brother?" Mikkos stood up.


    "No destination¡­" Rhys shook his head as he was slowly adapting the way the man spoke, "...Just a quest."


    "A quest¡­" Mikkos let out a small but very deep sigh, "...Well, good for you, Brother. I abandoned my quest when this little runt was born. He¡ªBoy! What are you doing touching that rope!?"


    Rhys could really only smile and shake his head as he saw Mikkos screaming at his son again. But after that, the two remained quiet as Mikkos just continued to sail across the endless sea. Fortunately, the water was extremely calm ¡ª it has been ever since Rhys was just unceremoniously thrown here by Joseph.


    Several hours have passed, and aside from Mik staring at him from time to time and seemingly wanting to talk to him, there wasn''t really anything happening. From Rhys''s estimate, Mik seemed to be about 12 years old, but it was hard to tell due to how skinny he was.


    "Uhm¡­"


    "Boy! What did I tell you!?"


    Unfortunately for Mik, as soon as he seemed to have finally gathered the courage to speak to Rhys, his father once again screamed at him,


    "Let the man have his peace!"


    "It''s¡­ alright, Sir," Rhys could not help but just let out a sigh as he smiled at Mik, "Did you want to ask me something, Mik?"


    "My father says you''re not a giant¡­" Mik shyly asked, "...But if so, why are you so tall?"


    "You''re¡­ father''s right," Rhys breathed out, "I''m not a giant."


    "Then are you a mighty warrior like what my father said!?"


    "...No," Rhys shook his head before just ncing at Mikkos, who just smiled and nodded at him. Mikkos, as well as his son did not really have the colorful hair that Rhys was used to ¡ª they both had dark hair; not as dark as his, but dark.


    "Then why are you covered in scars, and why do you have those muscles?"


    "Boy!"


    "I just want to ask him some questions, Father!" Mik turned around as he finally raised his voice, "We have several more hours ahead of us and¡ª"


    "Boy, watch out!"


    And before Mik could finish his words, Mikkos suddenly rushed toward him as soon as he saw arge fish just suddenly shooting out of the water and flying toward him; its tail, just violently snapping in the air.


    But before Mikkos could even take three steps, however, he felt the boat slightly bounce as Rhys was now suddenly standing in front of Mik; just casually blocking therge fish with his bare arms and then holding it by the tail ¡ª the fish wasrge, and Rhys had to slightly lift it up above his eye level so that it wouldn''t p around the ship.


    "Are you okay, Kid?" Rhys nced at Mik, whose butt was now resting on the floor of the boat.


    "Y¡­ yes," Mik nodded several times in shock.


    "Hm," Rhys also nodded back. He was about to put the fish back into the water, but before he could do so, Mikkos grabbed his arm.


    "Wait! Please, don''t!" Mikkos breathed out a sigh of relief, "We could eat that at home, don''t put it back ¡ª the gods have blessed us."


    "...Alright," Rhys just nodded before he ced the fish on the floor, and before it could start pping around violently again, he just tapped it on the head; killing it instantly.


    "...You have the strength of the seas, Brother," Mikkos shook his head in awe, "And this fish, ha¡­


    ¡­at least the wife will not scream at me for going home empty-handed."


    Hours then passed, and the moon that covered the entire sky once again lit up the seas with its gentle brilliance. The seas were quiet as they had always been, just letting the day pass without any more incident.


    "We''ve arrived."


    And very soon, Rhys could see an ind in the distance, as well as the vige where Mikkos lived. There were huts above the water; the boats, all wooden andcking any sort of engine. It was very beautiful, extremely so¡­


    ¡­just proving that he truly was in apletely different world now.

 Chapter 326 Rhyss Labor

    "You¡­ don''t happen to have a phone with you. Do you, Sir?"


    "...A what?"


    And with those words and the view of the beach in front of him, Rhys just fully confirmed what level of technology this world he was in now was ¡ª from the little bits of information Joseph told him, this world should be much older than his.


    At first, when they were slowly docking on the beach, Rhys thought that the ce was just some sort of small fishing vige ¡ª and that''s why it looked like that. But now that he was stepping off the boat, he quickly noticed the utterck of any sort or sign of electricity around the vige.


    There were no powerlines at all, and no one was using any sort of engine to power their boats. Of course, it could also just mean that they were just far away from civilization ¡ª but when he asked for a phone and Mikkos looked like he absolutely had no idea what that was, that was it.


    "By the gods, you truly are tall," And now that Rhys was outside the boat, Mikkos could not help but just look up at his head as he stood beside him, "Come, Brother ¡ª follow me. Let me introduce you to the wife and we''ll see if we have anything that could fit you¡­


    ¡­you can''t be wearing almost nothing with a body like that, the woman of the vige would turn crazy, eh?"


    "...Right," Rhys just nodded as he followed Mikkos and his son out of the dock ¡ª and Rhys did not really know what to focus on; the loud creaking noise the floorboards beneath him were making with each of his step, or all the whispers and the stares of the women they were passing by.


    Most of the women they passed by were either weaving some sort of while talking with each other, or if they were not doing anything, then they were being pulled away by their husbands as they stared at Rhys; all of them, popping Hearts above their heads as soon as they catch a glimpse of him.


    "Ho¡­ I knew you were going to be popr with thedies, Brother," Mikkos let out a small chuckle as he patted Rhys on the back several times, "Man like you, I bet you had plenty of wives, eh? Maybe bedding them one for each night, eh?"


    "That¡­" Rhys could not really deny Mikkos''s words. And before he could actually respond, Mikkos once again screamed at his son.


    "Boy! I swear, if you don''t haul your ass fast ¡ª you will get a beating from your mother!" Mikkos pointed at Mik, who was struggling to carry therge fish that was twice his size. Rhys was about to wait for him to grab the fish, but Mikkos stopped him.


    "Leave the boy," Mikkos gestured to Rhys to just follow him, "He needs to growrge and strong, you should know that. You have any runts of your own, Brother?"


    "...No," Rhys shook his head while he continued to follow Mikkos through the beach. There were a lot of huts floating in the water; most of the wood, already rotten ¡ª but no one really seemed to care at all as everyone just lived their lives. It¡­ was quite a bizarre sight for someone like Rhys who had lived in the city his entire life.


    But of course, this was not Rhys''s first time seeing a civilization like this; the cenleons and the gorgons were of simr advancement.


    The question is why, though. The humans of this world should have already existed long before the humans back on Earth; by all means, they should be more advanced than them¡­


    ¡­so why do they not even have ess to electricity?


    "You alright, Brother?" Mikkos then waved his hand in front of Rhys, "Looks like you cked out there for a second, maybe you really did get the wind knocked out of you. But what am I saying, eh? You''re lucky to even be breathing."


    "No, I''m sorry," Rhys cleared his throat and shook his head, "I was just thinking that this is a beautiful vige."


    "You cane up with a better lie than that," Mikkos burst out into a fit ofughter, almost causing the weak wooden boards beneath his feet to bounce, "Ithaca has seen better days. Back when I was younger, the vige wasn''t this crowded ¡ª but now the houses are starting to crawl through the jungle. Ah, to be young again, Brother."


    "...Right."


    "You know, when I was about your age, eh? Thedies dig me ¡ª in fact, keep this from my wife. Maybe half of the young people in this vige are my seed, you know? And¡ª"


    "Half the people of this vige are your seed, is that it?"


    And before Mikkos could finish his words, his eyes suddenly turned wide. Even Rhys felt the skin on the back of his neck crawl as he turned around ¡ª only to see a slightly meaty woman standing there with her hands on her waist.


    "Agapia, my love!" Mikkos just instinctively took a step back as soon as he saw his wife ring at him, "I was¡ªlook what I got for us!"


    Fortunately for him, Mik reached them right on time. Mikkos quickly rushed toward Mik to grab therge fish from him, "Deep-sea fish, your favorite!"


    "Hmph," Agapia then just gestured with her head, and as soon as she did so, Mik just grabbed the fish from his father and quickly entered the hut close to them; not wanting anything to do with what was about to happen ¡ª fortunately, Agapia just rolled her eyes before looking at Rhys from head to toe, "So, who''s this now? Another stray you picked up?"


    "Well, we fished him up but¡ª"


    "What''s your name then?" Agapia did not let Mikkos even finish his words as she stood in front of Rhys.


    "My name is Rhys, Ma''am," Rhys bowed his head at Agapia.


    "Well, would you look at that," Agapia smirked as she nced at Mikkos, "At least this one has proper breeding than thest one. I guess you''ll be staying with us for a while?"


    "Only for the night, Ma''am. And only if it''s alright with you," Rhys nodded.


    "Very well then, what are you waiting for?" Agapia waved her hand as she headed to the hut; not before, of course, pretending to lunge at Mikkos and causing him to flinch, "Stop dilly-dallying there and help me prepare the fish, we have a guest!"


    "R¡­ right," Mikkos quickly followed behind his wife before turning to Rhys, "I¡­ I swear, I am not usually following my wife''s order¡ª"


    "Mikkos! I swear!"


    "Y¡­yes, my wife!"


    The only thing Rhys could really do was also enter the house unless he also wanted a taste of Agapia''s wrath ¡ª and from what Rhys had seen so far, she probably would.


    Agapia''s house, as expected, was small. But still, their table was broad and the was ample space to put an entire feast. And as he sat at the table, Rhys could not help but notice that there were also 4 chairs even though there were only three of them.


    "Father likes sheltering people." And almost as if to answer his silent questions, Mik sat next to him; clearly avoiding his mother and the chaos that was happening in the kitchen, "We¡­ actually just had someone here before you ¡ª that''s why were were in the Acheron sea. We were giving Mr. Eko a burial¡­ but then Father just suddenly found you floating."


    "...Is there no healer in this ce?" Rhys then asked as he tried to check if any of these people had abilities.


    "Healer¡­? Like from the temples?" Mik blinked a couple of times, "They don''t go here, Ithaca''s just a poor fishing vige."


    "Boy! Stop bothering the man and get us some more firewood!"


    "Y¡­yes, Mother!" Mik quickly stood up, "I''ll¡­ leave you for now, Mr. Rhys."


    "Do you want me to go with you?" Rhys also stood up, but Mik was already gone before he could even finish his words. And so, the only thing Rhys could really do was look out the window ¡ª just observing the vige to try and see if there was anything amiss.


    But aside from people seemingly stealing a nce and peek at Agapia''s house from time to time, obviously because of his presence, there wasn''t really anything noteworthy.


    And after an hour or two, Agapia started filling the table with dishes. Rhys offered to help, but his hand was just pped away as Agapia gestured to him to just rx and eat.


    And as Rhys already expected, the dining experience was not quiet at all as Agapia still continued to scold and lecture Mikkos.


    "...At least this time, the one you brought seems useful," Agapia let out a small breath as she looked at Rhys, "You''re not from around these parts, aren''t you?"


    "No, Ma''am."


    "Aye, I can see with the way you''re eating," Agapia sighed and shook her head, "You''re used to eating with those fancy herbs and spices. You move like someone who came from a rich family too."


    "...Not at all, Ma''am," Rhys just continued eating with his hands, "But¡­ I am a very long way from home. I know this might be rude, but can I ask a question?"


    "What is it, then? Don''t be shy."


    "...Maybe you''ve seen someone who looks like me?" Rhys decided not to waste any time as he started to ask, "Or maybe anyone who might resemble me? I''m¡­


    ¡­trying to search for my father."

 Chapter 327 Who Are You?

    "Finding your¡­ father?"


    Both Mikkos and his wife just looked at each other for a few seconds after that question before staring at Rhys''s face. They both squinted their eyes at the same time and finally, after a few seconds more, Mikkos just forced out a chuckle while shaking his head.


    "I don''t think people like you would be visiting ces like this, Brother," Mikkos continued to let out a hearty chuckle while eating his fish, "You would have more luck in the big cities like Athens, or maybe even Corinth."


    "People¡­ like me?" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times.


    "Yes, rich people," Mikkos shrugged, "You are obviously wealthy, big strong man like you ¡ª it would probably take 3 cows just to feed you, Brother."


    "That¡­" It would seem these people have a misconception of him ¡ª although, he wouldn''t really be able to me them. From what he has seen so far, almost all the men were borderline skinny, only the women actually had meat in them. His toned and extremely muscr body most likely meant that he was rich for them.


    "Boy." This time, it was Agapia''s turn to speak to Rhys as she pointed her finger at him, "If I''ve seen someone who looked like you in my heyday, do you think I would have married this old fool? I know most of the women of this vige would have flocked around your father like flies on chum."


    "Oi!" Mikkos lightly mmed the table, "I''m right here! What are you even talking about? You''re the one who asked me toy with you."


    "What did you say!?" Agapia grabbed arge bone and pointed it at Mikkos.


    "I¡­ I''m sorry!" Mikkos could really only cover his head and lean away. And judging from how their son was just casually finishing his meal, this was an everyday urrence in this household ¡ª the hut was small, but it also gave the advantage of everyone living in it being closer than usual.


    Well, aside from all the sermon and scolding, Mikkos seemed happy ¡ª and as the night went on, it would seem he was really happy.


    Rhys was offered a cloth to sleep on, but he refused it since they took it from Mik ¡ª and now he wished he epted it just to cover his ears with it since Mikkos and Agapia were loud; their moans, causing the entire hut to shake.


    Fortunately, after what seemed like 2 minutes, the sound stopped and was just reced by wheezing and heavy breathing. And after a minute more, the hut became extremely quiet ¡ª quiet to the point that Rhys could finally hear the sound of the waves just hitting the shore and dock.


    He could also hear the vibrating sounds of the insects just chirping through the night.


    "Hm," Rhys couldn''t really sleep ¡ª he wanted to step out of the hut, but the creaking of the floorboards was just too loud that Rhys just opted to stay inside the tent and just looked at the window.


    He still couldn''t get used to howrge the moon looked ¡ª it almost seemed like if he reached his hand, he could touch it. This ce was not even allowing him to forget that he was now in apletely different world ¡ª and¡­ it seemed like a much more peaceful world, at least with what he had seen so far.


    And very soon, this peace washed over himpletely as he felt the god of sleep calling him, figuratively.


    "Why are you still here!?"


    Rhys did not really know how long he had slept, but he did know it was time to get up when his ears were suddenly vited by a scream. He quickly sat up, only to see Agapia pushing and chasing Mikkos out of the hut.


    "You should have gotten us some firewood by now! What am I going to cook with!? Do you just want me to use the chair, is that it!? You¡ª"


    And before Agapia could continue nagging, she noticed that Rhys was already awake.


    "Ah, did I wake you up?" Agapia let out a short but very deep sigh while shaking her head, "It''s because of this useless husband of mine ¡ª has the energy to sail a day away to bury a stranger, but can''t even wake up at the proper time!"


    "I am going, my love! I am going!" Mikkos just raised his palms in surrender.


    "I¡­ can help," Rhys immediately got up.


    "You are even asking the guests for help!?" Agapia once again raised her voice.


    "The brother just wants to escape from your irritating voice, my love," Mikkos sighed.


    "What did you say!?"


    "Aye, Brother! Come on, then! We have some wood to chop!"


    "Wait!" Agapia shook her head before staring at Rhys from head to toe, "You can''t go out looking like that now, can you? Here."


    Rhys could really only let out a breath as Agapia threw him a set of clothes¡ªwell, a cloth. It was just a tunic, simr to what Mikkos and the rest of the men were wearing around the vige¡­


    ¡­but it was better than the tattered shirt and paths he had now.


    And so, Rhys just excused himself to change ¡ª he still wanted to wear his pants, but since all of them were not wearing pants at all, Rhys would just look like he didn''t belong.


    "Wow, I have never seen clothes of this material," Agapia quickly said as she touched Rhys''s tattered clothes, "Such a shame for them to be like this. But still, I did not know people from the wealthy area wear trousers now ¡ª I thought only barbarians wear them."


    "Ack, let''s just go, Brother. Before the woman starts boring us with her tales again," Mikkos then pulled Rhys out of the hut, "I do have to say though, you truly are good-looking ¡ª it''s like you''re one of the gods, and I mean no sphemy with that¡­


    ¡­and it''s not just me who knows it, look."


    Rhys then looked to where Mikkos was pointing, only to just once again see the women of the vige staring at him; the Hearts floating above their heads, just flickering whenever Rhys returned their stares.


    "Well,e on then, Brother," Mikkos gestured to Rhys to follow him, "Let''s just go before the vulturese and get you."


    Rhys had initially thought they were going into the jungle to chop wood, but not at all ¡ª they had a ce that sold entire logs deeper into the vige.


    "It''s time to put those muscles of yours to good use, Brother," a wide smile crawled on Mikkos''s face as he handed Rhys an ax, "You do know how to chop wood, right?"


    "...I can try," Rhys had really only chopped wood once when he was in the Underworld Corps, and he remembered not being very good at it. But of course, with his strength, it doesn''t really matter.


    But the people here did not seem to have any abilities of any kind, and Rhys just opted to be careful not to show too much of his strength.


    "Wow, I knew you''d be strong, but to just pull a log? We use a cart for that, Brother."


    "That''s¡­" Rhys could really only sigh. He just wanted to pull out a log to chop, but he truly did underestimate just how used he was to having herculean strength. And so, he just became extra careful while chopping the log into wood ¡ª watching the other men there and following their lead.


    And after an hour of chopping, Rhys already had a pile with him¡­ as for Mikkos, well, he spent the entire time chatting with one of the men.


    "Mikkos! Mikkos!"


    "What!? What!?"


    Soon, however, as Rhys was finishing up, screams started to whisper from the distance and a man came running toward Mikkos while frantically waving his hand.


    "It''s¡­ it''s your son!"


    "What!?" Mikkos did not even wait for an exnation as he just quickly rushed and ran away. And of course, Rhys also followed behind them as they rushed toward the beach ¡ª and soon, they saw several hutspletely broken down and ruined. The men, all running in a single direction with a spear in hand.


    "What''s going on!?" Mikkos screamed ¡ª no one really answered his question, as the answer was already in front of him.


    There was a gryphon, and on his beak was Mik; hanging by his clothes and iling around unconscious.


    "S¡­someone, please! Save¡­ save my son!" Agapia was also there, waving a knife while being held back by several other women, "Let¡­ let me go!"


    As for Mikkos, he also quickly grabbed a fishing spear that was lying around and joined the other men who were trying to scare the gryphon away ¡ª but s, they just found themselves being thrown away with a single p of its wings.


    Rhys decided to watch for a few seconds to see if any of the men would exhibit abilities, but none of them did. And as the gryphon started to lift up into the air with Mik, the only thing Rhys could really do was let out a sigh before grabbing the spear in Mikkos''s hand and then just leaping into the air¡­


    ¡­throwing the spear straight through the gryphon''s head and then catching Mik on his way down.


    "M¡­Mik!" The women who were holding Agapia back could really only let go as soon as they saw that. And it wasn''t only them, all the vigers looked at Rhys like he was some sort of deity.


    "Thank¡­ thank you, Rhys! Thank you!"


    "You¡­" Mikkos pointed at Rhys with his trembling fingers,


    "...Just who are you, Brother?"

 Chapter 328 Journey to the East

    The trickling of the fire reflected on Rhys''s silver eyes as he just sat there alone in the night. Well, as much as he could be alone with the current situation ¡ª with a freshly killed gryphon in their hands, the vige did not waste any time at all in marinating and roasting the entire thing for the duration of the entire day.


    Rhys was just one of the many circling the fire with a piece of meat in his hand. Rhys really only had gryphon once or twice and never roasted. The juice was practically dripping from the leaf he was using as a te.


    It wasn''t only him that was just staring at the fire. Everyone practically stopped working as they all just set up a feast right in the center of the vige, with the entire gryphon still rotating on top of therge fire. Unlike the quiet and peaceful night he hadst night, everyone was practically drunk; cheering and sometimes even screaming Rhys''s name.


    And perhaps the most drunk of them all was Agapia, who now currently had her son on a leash like he was some sort of dog ¡ª all the mothers in the vige surrounded her as they all justughed and kept retelling the story of how Rhys saved Mik.


    The roasted gryphon wasrge enough to practically feed the entire small vige and still had a lot of meat left on its bones. It could probably feed up to 400 people, and the poption of the vige is less than that.


    "R¡­ Rhys."


    Rhys''s sce was suddenly interrupted as a couple approached him, and with them their daughter. This was not the first family who approached him in the night, but it surely will be the most memorable one.


    "We''d like to introduce you our daughter," the mother smiled as she presented her daughter, "I know she could cook properly, and most importantly, she''ll be able to bear you lots of children."


    "Ma''am¡­" Rhys could really force out a smile, "...That''s a baby."


    "She''ll be an adult in several winters!" The father reasoned, "W¡ª"


    "Scram! Scram! Why are all of you bothering the hero!?"


    And fortunately for Rhys, Mikkos came to his rescue while waving around arge sack, causing everyone that was near Rhys or hoping to approach him to just walk away in disappointment,


    "I swear, I just leave you for a blink of an eye and thene the vultures. And why are you not drinking, Brother? This entire feast is only possible because of you, never seen someone just give away the entire gryphon like that, Brother ¡ª this entire thing would have made you a rich man until the Age of Zeus."


    "It''s fine," Rhys just shook his head as he took a bite of the roasted meat, "It attacked and destroyed a few of your houses, so¡­"


    "Aye, but I secured you the gryphon''s talons and beak," Mikkos then dropped the sack he was holding and ced it next to Rhys, "That should still set you up, Brother¡­


    ¡­I take it you''re leaving first light?"


    "Yes," Rhys nodded, "What I''m searching for isn''t here."


    "Searching for your father, huh?" Mikkos let out a sigh, "Well, if you actually want to travel with the day as yourpanion, you need to leave now, Brother."


    "Hm?"


    "There''s nothing to explore on this ind," Mikkos let out a small but very deep sigh as he looked toward the horizon, "You need to go to the maind ¡ª we need to sail for several hours ."


    "...But aren''t you supposed to be here?" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "Brother, this feast willst until tomorrow night," Mikkos let out a hearty chuckle as he started shaking his head, "There will still be people drunk when I return ¡ª we should go while my wife is hammered. You don''t need to say goodbye, they won''t let you leave, Brother."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then stood up as he carried the sack, "...Are you sure you''ll be alright?"


    "Brother, I am the heaviest drinker in the entire vige," Mikkos gestured to Rhys to follow him to the dock,


    "I can sail even better when drunk."


    And true to Mikkos''s words, the boat truly was traveling even smoother ¡ª Rhys could not even feel the waves as they traveled through the darkness. Perhaps the only downside was that Mikkos was also more talkative. He had not even stopped opening his mouth throughout the entire journey. And when he finished talking about a certain topic and had nothing else to say, he would start singing.


    "You should get some sleep, Brother!" Mikkos said; his voice, as jolly and as high as it could be, "We will be there in a few hours! You know, if I was any younger, I would probably be joining you in your journey. Aye, but with my sweet wife and the little runt waiting at home, I can''t just leave and¡­"


    Of course, Rhys would not actually be able to fall asleep with all the noise that Mikkos was making ¡ª fortunately, he did not really need to sleep at all due to his [Arise] skill. And after a few hours, the sun was once again waving hello¡­


    ¡­and yet Mikkos still kept on talking even after they finally reachednd.


    "I guess this is it, Brother," Mikkos then started crying out of nowhere as he hugged Rhys as soon as their feet touched the ground. The alcohol was probablypletely out of his system, and yet he was still pretending to be drunk, "We''ve only known each other for like a day, but I feel like you really are my brother."


    "That''s¡­" Rhys did not really know what to say.


    "Continue walking in that direction, Brother ¡ª you see that mountain over there East of us?" Mikkos then pointed at a fairlyrge mountain, "Calydon should be somewhere near there, just follow it so you don''t get lost."


    "Thank you, Sir," Rhys nodded as he looked at the mountain.


    "Good luck, Brother," Mikkos then grabbed Rhys''s arm, "I hope you find what you''re looking for ¡ª but if you don''t, I want you to know that you are wee in the vige."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys then nodded one final time as he started walking away. As for Mikkos, he did not really stay long at all and returned to his boat ¡ª after all, he still had to catch up before the others finished the entire gryphon.


    "...What''s this now?" But as soon as he got onto the boat, he noticed several talons there, "Brother, I think you left¡ª"


    "It''s yours, Sir," Rhys just raised his hand and did not turn around at all and just continued walking, "It''s my payment for letting me stay the night in your house!"


    "Huh¡­" Mikkos smirked before shaking his head, "...I guess I won''t have to work for a few days."


    And with that, Mikkos once again sailed away.


    As for Rhys, he made sure that Mikkos was already at considerable distance before he quickened his pace. He then looked around the to see if anyone was there ¡ª and as soon as he confirmed the ce to be empty, he started to run.


    "!!!"


    Well, almost.


    He was going to activate Olga''s superspeed, but before he could do so, his senses suddenly went wild as he felt every inch of his skin crawl. He then very subtly turned to look at the direction of the two suns, as he felt the ominous feelinging from that direction.


    Rhys stood there for a few seconds before just deciding that it was perhaps best to just walk and jog normally. He almost forgot that he was in apletely different world ¡ª who knows who might be watching him. It was best toy low as much as possible.


    "...Maybe I should have just tamed the gryphon," Rhys whispered to himself. Fortunately, he did not need to rest at all and he reached the mountain in no time ¡ª even climbing deeper into it so he could get a better view to find the city that Mikkos mentioned.


    And there, he saw smokeing from a city in the distance. And unlike Ithaca, Calydon seems to be a wealthier city as all their houses were made with stone¡­ and maybe even marble. The city was quickly visible from above since it had a peculiar shape.


    "...I suppose that''s my destination, then," Rhys let out a very long and deep sigh as he leaped down from the tree he was on, careful not to damage the sack that Mikkos gave him. He was about to head to the city, but then noticed the leaves and trees rustling in the distance.


    "Hm?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he saw some of the trees being pushed away, and very soon, the suspect revealed itself¡­ and it revealed itself wildly, "What the¡­"


    It was a boar, more specifically, a boar almost the size of an entire six-wheeler truck; its 4 tusks that were protruding from its face, all bigger than Rhys himself.


    "There¡­sure are a lot of monsters in this ce."

 Chapter 329 For Glory!

    "Easy there."


    Truthfully, this giant boar with four tusks looked more intimidating than most of the monsters Rhys had faced so far in the Underworld ¡ª one could even see its muscles almost exploding with even just the slight movement of its limbs.


    And its eyes that were just staring into Rhys''s, filled with the confidence that it could just snap Rhys there and then.


    But then again, after Rhys''s encounter with the roc, the giant sea monster, and not to mention the Verdant Python ¡ª this beast that was trying to be as threatening as possible in front of him just looked like¡­ a baby.


    "This doesn''t have to be anything at all¡­" Rhys just calmly showed his palm to the beast, "...Just walk away, and we can all live peacefully. I''m not really in the mood to¡ªTch."


    And before Rhys could even finish his words, the giant boar just started swinging its tusks and obliterating all the trees beside it. And with that as its only warning, it rushed toward Rhys ¡ª his tusks making a path straight toward him.


    "I already told you I''m not in the mood," Rhys then just let out a small sigh. Just shaking his head even as the trampling beast was just only several feet away from him ¡ª and then, with another sigh, Rhys just casually pped the giant boar; throwing it meters into the air before it violently rolled andnded back to the ground.


    "Gronkhh¡­" The giant boar let out a long and deep snort as its entire life shed before its eyes. But after a few seconds of just twitching and convulsing, it was able to recover and stand back up with its trembling legs. It limped for a few breaths before it once again turned to look at Rhys.


    And as Rhys returned its re, the boar instinctively took a step back¡­ before just quickly turning around and running away.


    "...Good," Rhys let out a sigh of relief while once again shaking his head. He was about to walk away, but then heard another noiseing from the broken trees ¡ª this time, however, the noises were human.


    "It went here! I heard it roaring, it must be near here!"


    "We''re finally going to see this stupid beast! For glory!"


    "Kill it!"


    And very soon, a group of at least 20 men appeared right in front of Rhys ¡ª all of them carrying spears; barely even wearing anything but a loincloth around their waist; their sweat, all popping out from their throbbing muscles.


    "What the¡­"


    "Who''s that¡­?"


    They all, however, stopped at the same time as soon as they caught a glimpse of Rhys. Most of the men were tall, but no one reached anywhere close to Rhys''s eye level. They stared at Rhys for a couple of seconds before just letting out another roar.


    "The boar''s getting away!"


    "Wait, this path¡­ if it continues, it''s going straight to the city!"


    "This is bad! We need to stop it!"


    "For glory!"


    And with those screams and roars, all the men just raised their spears and once again disappeared in front of Rhys as they all chased the tracks of the giant boar.


    "The city¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at the path that the boar left behind¡­ only to realize that it truly was heading toward the direction of the city he saw.


    Did¡­ he just point the boar to the city by pping it?


    "...Tch," Rhys could really only once again click his tongue. And after a few breaths of astonishment, he decided to just follow the group of naked men.


    As soon as he did so, however, they began whispering while ncing back at him from time to time.


    "...That man is following us."


    "He''s probably just lost, don''t mind him. Our priority is that boar."


    "For glory!"


    Rhys could hear their words due to his heightened hearing, of course, and decided to slow down a bit so that they wouldn''t get suspicious of him. There was also the fact that he did not want to get involved with whatever it was they were doing ¡ª and the energy they were emitting was also too much for Rhys, who just wanted to get to the city and perhaps rest his mind a little.


    The men seemed to be taking a shortcut, as they were leaping and jumping around as fast as they could ¡ª and very soon, they were out of the woods. And there, in the distance, was the giant boar.


    And as they said, it truly was heading straight to the city.


    "Spear!"


    The men all roared as they threw their spears as hard as they could, but only 3 managed to hit the back of the boar ¡ª but it wasn''t really their intent to kill it, but only to slow it down for now so that they would be able to catch up to it as it started iling around to get the spear out of its butt.


    The men then all pulled the spears they threw from the ground beforeying out arge on the ground and tying the spear ¡ª and with another loud roar, they threw the spear and managed to cover the iling boar with it.


    "Restrain it!"


    They all rushed to grab the. All 20 of them, pulling the 4 ropes on each side with all of their might as they tried to stop the boar from reaching the city.


    The city, where arge crowd seemed to have already been waiting for them ¡ª there were children, elderly, and even women there just cheering and shouting for the men. Unfortunately, all this cheering made the boar even more agitated as it became wilder and even more violent.


    "Don''t let g¡ª!!!"


    The group holding one of the ropes were suddenly flung away by the giant boar, causing them to let go of the rope. And now, with less of them forcing and pulling the giant boar; those who were still pulling found themselves being dragged across the ground as the beast started rushing toward the city.


    "Someone get that rope!"


    "I¡­ I think we should run!"


    The crowd finally realized that the boar was actually heading their way as they all just started running away and screaming.


    "Tch¡­" Fortunately for them, the boar was suddenly stopped in its track ¡ª its neck, almost even snapping due to the sudden force stopping it from moving forward.


    "What the!?" All the men started to look at the loose rope, only to see a tall and muscr man holding it by himself.


    And surprisingly, it was Rhys, who slightly felt guilty for some reason as it was his fault that this rampaging beast was even heading to the city in the first ce. And also¡­


    ¡­there was the fact that he needed to ask the citizens some questions, he wouldn''t be able to do that if this beast ransacked the entire city.


    The men were shocked at this, of course, but they all just quickly shook their heads and roared again,


    "Spear!"


    "Spear!"


    And with those powerful words reverberating in the air, those who were not pulling the boar all rushed toward it and just started stabbing it several times with their spears ¡ª and from the way their spears were bending, the hide of the boar was extremely tough¡­ but it didn''t matter at all as they just continued to stab it until more than half of their spears were inside the boar.


    And very soon, with a quiet and lingering snort¡­


    ¡­the giant boar finally dropped to the ground.


    "For¡­ for glory!"


    And there, Rhys could not help but just take several steps back as the men started rushing toward the boar. They quickly took off the¡­


    ¡­and then just started tearing it and eating its flesh and guts raw.


    And it wasn''t only them, even the vigers screamed and roared as they rushed toward the boar and started devouring its flesh. But none of them were mad, however ¡ª in fact, most of them were smiling and celebrating as they tore through the boar. Even the children wereughing as they partake in this¡­ feast.


    Of course, Rhys was not really judging anything. After all, he was in apletely different world ¡ª and that meantpletely different customs. But of course, understanding and partaking are twopletely different things.


    And so, very subtly, Rhys just walked away from the wild crowd and headed toward the city¡­


    ¡­or at least that is what he wanted to do before the muscr men all blocked his path; their eyes, just staring at Rhys while holding the flesh and guts of the boar.


    "...I don''t want any trouble," Rhys sighed while shaking his head, "I''m just¡ª"


    "Where are you going, Brother!?"


    Rhys could not really even finish his words before they all just started approaching him and wiping the blood of the boar all over him.


    "Eat."


    "Huh¡­?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as they all then raised a flesh in front of his face.


    "Eat, Brother¡­


    ¡­For Glory!"

 Chapter 330 Trouble

    "...For glory!"


    "Uh¡­"


    Rhys did not really know what to do as the people started swinging and iling raw guts in front of his face. He just wanted to walk away, but it was impossible as he was now being surrounded by more than a dozen, almost naked muscr men; their sweat and the blood of the giant boar, just stuck to Rhys as they cheered and pushed each other.


    "...I don''t really want to¡ª"


    And before Rhys could even refuse to eat the raw guts being brandished in front of his face, all the sweaty muscr men, the citizens, and even the children all stopped eating the boar as they just suddenly red at him ¡ª the expressions on their faces, extremely offended almost as if Rhys had just stepped on the statue of their god.


    Rhys had a feeling that if he refused this bloody meal in front of him, he wouldn''t be wee at all inside the joyous city ¡ª and that shouldn''t happen since he did not even have a map of this new world he found himself in.


    And so, Rhys just momentarily closed his eyes as he took a very deep andrge breath. And after a few seconds, he nodded his head and grabbed the raw¡­ whatever organ it was from the man in front of him and just ripped it with his teeth.


    ¡­The taste was not really very weing; it had a taste of heavy rust. But it wasn''t the taste that caused Rhys to pause, it was the slightly slimy texture. But he just let out a small grunt and started chewing the organ ¡ª the blood oozing out from it, seeping from his lips.


    But Rhys did not throw it up, as everyone was just watching him quietly while he was chewing it; their eyes, very slowly widening in excitement. And very soon, Rhys just took in one giant gulp to swallow the entire thing.


    "..." But even after he did so, he noticed that the muscr men surrounding him, as well as everyone there still continued to stare at him. He wondered for a few seconds what they wanted, but as soon as he saw the man in front of him with his mouth open, Rhys did the same.


    And as soon as they confirmed that there wasn''t anything in his mouth¡­


    "For glory!"


    Everyone just once again rushed toward the giant boar and started tearing its flesh and guts ¡ª some even entering inside it tovish in its blood. For some reason, however, the entire scenery did not look sinister or evil at all ¡ª perhaps it was due to the fact that everyone was just celebrating.


    And as a matter of course, Rhys took this chance to finally find his exit and entered to the city ¡ª and true enough, everyone seemed to be celebrating some sort of festival as there were people just dancing in the streets andughing with each other.


    Unlike Ithaca, the people of Calydon wore bright clothes. But like Ithaca, most of the men were still barely wearing anything but a cloth and tunic.


    "Now¡­" Rhys let out a small sigh as he felt the blood still dripping from his chin. Fortunately for him, he quickly saw a pail filled with water on the side of the street.


    Rhys looked around to see if anyone was using it, but after waiting for a few seconds for someone to get it, Rhys just decided to start washing his face and hair with it.


    "What are you doing!?"


    And as soon as he did so, he heard a woman''s voice just angrily approaching him.


    "I''m sorry!" Rhys quickly dropped the pail as he was about to pour it all over him.


    "That was gathered by the children for the hunters! Why are you¡ª"


    Rhys then looked at the woman, causing her to just instantly stop talking as she noticed Rhys''s silver eyes¡­ as well as the water dripping along his sharp jaw and neck, and down to his cor bones.


    Of course, Rhys also stared at the woman ¡ª as this was the very first time he was actually seeing someone who did not have any dirt on any parts of their body ever since he came into this new world.


    The woman''s long ck hair just flowed with her tan, olive skin, which almost seemed like gold in certain angles. She reminded him of Katarina and Lina if they ever be a single person ¡ª minus Katarina''s giant breasts, of course.


    "Ah¡­" The woman just blinked a couple of times as she started looking at Rhys from head to toe; her breaths, slightly stuttering along with her lips that did not know what to say, "Who¡­


    ¡­who¡ª"


    "Princess Clio!"


    And as soon as she had words to say, several men started gathering in front of her ¡ª men wearing chest armor and brandishing spears.


    "Who are you, Stranger!?" The men pointed their spears at Rhys, "Why haven''t we seen you here!?"


    "...I''m a traveler from Ithaca," Rhys raised his hands, "I''m just visiting for the¡­ festival."


    "Why did you approach the Princess!?"


    "What are all of you doing!? I am the one who approached him!" Princess Clio raised her voice, but before she could actually do anything, another woman pulled her to the side.


    "Princess Clio!" The woman whispered loudly; gritting her teeth as she continued to pull Clio away, "Your father told you not to talk to other men!"


    "I will talk to who I want to talk to, Phaedre!" Clio tried to pull away from Phaedre as she once again looked at Rhys, who was also looking at her ¡ª or so she thought, Rhys was actually looking at the Hearts floating above her head.


    But as soon as the princess'' guards noticed him looking, one of the guards tried stabbing him without even any warning.


    "Stray your eyes away from the princess!" The guard bellowed. He was about to shout something else, but then Rhys just casually caught his spear. The guard tried pulling his spear away but found himself unable to do so for even a single millimeter.


    "What are you doing!?" Clio once again escaped from Phaedre''s grasp, "Why are you trying to kill that man, I only¡ª"


    "Princess!" But s, Phaedre just also once again pulled her away, "Let the guards do their job! You can''t be seen doing this! You''re about to be wed in a few days!"


    "Arrest him!"


    Princess Clio could really only watch as Rhys was now surrounded by the guards ¡ª to her surprise, however, Rhys was still looking at her even at the threat of the spears. It wasn''t hard to do so at all, since he towered over the guards.


    "That¡­" Princess Clio quickly looked away, "...That man is in trouble because of me. I¡­ I only wanted to reproach him for taking the water."


    "I told you not to approach any men," Phaedre let out a small and deep sigh as she shook her head.


    "But the water¡ª"


    "Speak the truth to me, Princess¡­" The tone of Phaedre''s voice slightly became high-pitched as she leaned closer to Princess Clio as they walked, "...Is the water really the only reason why you approached him?"


    "What are you saying?" Clio''s eyebrows lowered.


    "I have eyes, Princess ¡ª I see how that man could swoon even the gods with his face."


    "That''s¡­ that''s sphemy!" Princess Clio shook her head.


    "Oh, how can a man look so beautiful, and so strong at the same time?"


    "Sshh! Cease¡­ cease that talk, right now," Princess Clio whispered before just once again ncing back, only to see Rhys being escorted by the guards, "What¡­ will they do to him?"


    "You are going to get married to one of the Princes of Thebes," Phaedre clicked her tongue several times while shaking her head, "I also heard he is gant, smart, and incredibly handsome. You do not need to be looking for some measlymoner."


    "...More handsome than that man?" Clio squinted her eyes.


    "That¡­" Phaedre cleared her throat, "...I suppose we would know in a few days time."


    In the span of a few moments, Rhys was forced to eat raw guts, and now he was thrown into some sort of worn-out shed by several guards.


    Mikkos sure did point him in the right direction ¡ª and now, the sack Mikkos prepared for him was being checked and stolen by the guards.


    "This¡­ where did you get a gryphon''s talon!?" One of the guards mmed the nks serving as Rhys''s window.


    "I¡­ killed it, Sir," Rhys just sighed.


    "...You''re a hunter?" The guard then squinted his eyes as he looked at all the blood on Rhys''s tunic, "Were you here for the boar, then?"


    "...Yes," Rhys nodded, "I didn''t do anything, Sir. Please, just let me go."


    "It is your fault for even looking at the princess," the guard scoffed before just turning around, "You''ll be staying here until they decide what to do with you ¡ª and since everyone''s preparing for the arrival of Princes Ducetios of Thebes¡­


    ¡­You''ll be here for a few days."


    And with those words, the guards just left him in the dpidated shed¡­ taking all his treasures with them.


    "...Should I just break out?" Rhys let out a long and deep sigh as he ced his hand on the wall. But after a few moments of thinking about it, it was best not to be wanted yet in this world where he knows nothing.


    And so, he just sat on the ground and waited for something to happen ¡ª and as the moon covered the entire sky, something did happen.


    "..." Rhys quickly stood up as he heard someone approaching the shed ¡ª only to see someone covered in robes moving toward him.


    "I¡­ brought you some food."


    And of course, it was none other than Princess Clio.


    "What do you want, Princess?"

 Chapter 331 The Right Path

    "What do you want, Princess?"


    There was absolutely no friendliness in the tone of Rhys''s voice at all as he nced at the princess through the gaps of the rotten wooden nks. He nced at her for a few seconds before just shaking his head and sitting back on the cold ground.


    "I''m¡­ here to apologize," Princess Clio also let out a sigh of her own as she adjusted her hood, afraid that someone else might notice her. She waited for Rhys to say something, but when he remained extremely quiet, the only thing she could really do was carefully put her hand through the gaps of the nks,


    "...And I brought you something to eat."


    "Hm?" Rhys looked at Clio''s hand, only to see a cloth filled with bread and meat, "I hope you didn''t bring me any water, I''m already in jail just for washing my face with one."


    "I¡­ am truly sorry about that," Clio once again apologized as she gestured to Rhys to take the food, "I truly did not mean for any of that to happen. I tried asking for help from my father, but he just dismissed me. I told him the guards were just overreacting and that you did nothing ¡ª and the guards were overreacting due to¡­ due to my wedding that''s set in a few days."


    "And what does all of this have to do with me?" Rhys could really only sigh as he grabbed the bread from Clio''s hand, causing her to slightly flinch as their skin touched.


    "Because you''re an outsider," Clio''s voice quivered, the tone of her voice filled with weight as she looked at Rhys, "And you are trapped in a cage with no choice but to listen to my story, to my woes."


    "And whose fault is that, Princess?" Rhys let out another sigh while shaking his head. He then turned to look at the bread that Clio gave him, only to notice that it was still quite warm.


    But s, as he split it with his hand, its texture, and hardness stood out to him ¡ª out of all the things that would once again remind him that he was in apletely different world, thest thing that was on his mind was bread,


    "...I actually think I would need water for this, Your Highness."


    "I¡­ have water with me," Clio nodded as she showed the pair of waterskin hanging from her waist. She did not, however, hand Rhys one, "But¡­ before I give it to you, I want you to know my story."


    "I don''t really think that would be necessary. I just want the water and¡ª"


    "My¡­ marriage¡ªit''s not out of love, but of necessity." But s, Rhys''s request fell on deaf ears as Clio just started telling her story, "I am but a pawn for my father, meant to secure power and an alliance that would ensure that his influence in Aet would spread further across thend."


    "...Right," Rhys started chewing on the hard bread as he finally returned the princess'' gaze,


    "And I''m going to ask again, what does that have to do with me?"


    "Freedom," she whispered, a wordden with dreams and despair. Her emerald eyes shimmered with unshed tears as she spoke through the nks that caged him¡­ Rhys was the one who was caged, but she was the one who felt trapped, "That is what I yearn for, beyond these walls, beyond duty and destiny."


    "And you think I can give you that?" Rhys let out a small sigh as he quickly finished the hard bread that Clio gave him, "Princess, aside from the fact that I''m being held in this cage ¡ª you don''t even know me. I could be a murderer."


    "I''m not destined to die by your hands¡­ but I know you can take me away from here," Clio implored, her plea carrying an urgency that pierced the stony facade of his heart. "In exchange, I will grant you anything within my power. Fame, fortune, glory¡­ love, anything you want ¡ª I can give it to you."


    "I''m searching for someone¡­" Rhys patted his palms of the dried crumbs of the bread as he finally fully faced Clio, ced his hand on the wooden nks separating them; his silver eyes, just causing Clio to slightly be lost and entranced in them, "...How can you help me with that, Princess, if you run away from the only ce where you have power?"


    "Through Oracle. I have visi¡ª"


    "Have you heard?"


    "!!!" And before Clio could reveal her mastern, she quickly hid behind the shed as she heard several voices nearing her and Rhys. Rhys also slightly hid in the corner of the shed as he looked to where the voices whereing from, only to see two guards passing by them; these guards, however, were wearing apletely different chest te from the guards who apprehended him.


    "...Soldiers from Thebes," Clio whispered.


    "Heard what?" The two soldiers did not seem to notice Clio and Rhys as they just continued their gossip.


    "Princess Clio ¡ª Prince Ducetios is nning to kill her right after their wedding."


    "What? Why¡­?"


    "What do you mean ''why''? So that he could im Calydon from her father. She''s his only child, so that would make the prince the sole heir to Calydon."


    "...Does it work like that?"


    "How can you not know that!?"


    The men''s voice started to get louder, but as soon as they realized that their words might be traveling toward the ears of one of the city''s gossipers, the two just quickly lowered their voices again¡­ but not low enough that Clio wouldn''t be able to hear it.


    "I don''t know, I just follow orders and thrust my spear by their word."


    "Tch¡­ Anyway, it''s such a shame. I would have loved to have taste that princess for myself before he kills her. Did you catch a glimpse of her earlier?"


    And very soon, the conversation between the two men turned sinister and perverse¡­ and Clio could hear it all.


    "Oh, definitely. I would like to pull on her long back hair and ride her until she can''t move anymore. Hehe."


    "You think she would like it with one finger up her bum?"


    "Hehe."


    And with the two just letting out fettered chuckles, their voices and words soon faded into the distance.


    "Outsider¡­" Clio hissed urgently, her emerald eyes wide with newfound resolve as she quickly rushed to the door of the old shed, "...We need to get out of here fast. Like right now."


    Clio grabbed the metal chain tying the door shut; even grabbing a rock from the ground to try and destroy it.


    "You would have better luck destroying the door itself instead of the lock, Princess," Rhys could really only sigh as he shook his head, "Do you really know what you''re doing?"


    "Y¡­ yes," Clio just nodded her head before her eyes strayed away from the lock and onto the door itself, "We need to¡ª!!!"


    Clio was about to hit the door itself, but before she could actually do so, she could not help but just take a couple of steps back as Rhys''s hand just casually went through the wooden door;pletely shattering a part of it along with the metal chain, which crumbled like y as he just waltzed out of the shed like there was no door at all.


    "So¡­" Rhys murmured, his voice low and steady as he gestured to Clio to go ahead, "...What were you saying before we were cut off by the guards?"


    "W¡­what?" Clio could not help but just take a step back as she still had not processed what Rhys did, "Did¡­ did you just destroy that door¡­ and not to mention¡­ the metal¡ª"


    "Both were old," Rhys just waved his hand as he slightly crouched down so his eyes would be at the same level as the princess, "What were you trying to say something before we were cut off? Something about an oracle."


    "We have no time for this!" Clio grabbed Rhys''s arm, desperately trying to pull him away from as she was afraid that someone might have heard Rhys breaking through the door. But s, he could not even budge Rhys for even a single millimeter; his eyes, just staring at her.


    "Princess," he said with a sigh, "I deserve to know if I''m following a crazy person or not."


    With a defeated look, Clio finally gave in to Rhys''s questioning. "I have been gued by visions," she admitted, her voice trembling. "Visions of a stranger who woulde and take me to this ce...and of another person chosen by an oracle. Someone who could grant me answers, and perhaps even you."


    "A prophecy¡­" Rhys''s eyes narrowed as he studied Clio''s face, trying to make sense of it all. "And you believe it to be true?"


    "I do," Clio affirmed, holding his gaze with determination.


    "In that case..." Rhys nodded and gestured for Clio to lead the way,


    "I suppose I am on the right path after all."

 Chapter 332 Stranger

    "Are you sure you know where we''re going?"


    "I was born and raised here, Outsider. I know each and all the cracks there is to know around the city. We¡ª"


    "Wait," as they cautiously make their way through the winding and narrow alleyways of Calydon, Rhys''s heightened senses alert him to the approach of guards. He swiftly pulls Clio into the darkness; the two of them quickly hiding behind a tower of crates.


    "W¡­ what''s wrong?" The princess''s heart races, her breath catching in her throat as she feels the warmth radiating from Rhys''s body. No men should really ever touch her¡ªbut now, her bosoms were currently touching Rhys''srge and hard¡­ torso.


    "Guards," Rhys whispered into her ear, his silver eyes gleaming in the darkness. "Two of them,ing this way."


    "How¡­ do you know that?" Clio squinted her eyes which were slowlynding on Rhys''s lips.


    "I have good hearing," Rhys then looked up to try and find a way. But before he could even suggest moving across the roofs of the city, Clio lightly pushed Rhys away; her lips slightly quivering as she did so.


    "I shall distract them. You find a way around."


    "You don''t really¡ª"


    The guards'' footsteps drew nearer as Clio stepped out into; her golden hair shimmering like a beacon as it reflected the moon above. Rhys stared at her for a few seconds before just melting into the shadows ¡ª not literally, of course, as he can''t really risk anyone seeing some of his abilities yet. He just used what he learned from Katarina; his movements, fluid and silent despite his imposing size.


    After all, when he tried to use Olga''s abilities this morning, it felt like someone was watching him from above. For some reason, however, Rhys couldn''t feel anything like that anymore¡­


    ¡­perhaps it was only during the day?


    The only one who was watching from above now was him, as he climbed on the roof and watched the guards approach Clio.


    "Princess Clio¡­!?" One of the guards eximed, surprise evident in his voice as he saw the princess just stepping out of the alleyway. "What¡­ are you doing out here thiste at night?"


    "Oh, I couldn''t sleep," Clio smiled graciously, her emerald eyes twinkling as she looked at the two guards, "The wedding preparations has my mind in such a whirl, I thought a walk¡­ would do me some good."


    As Clio engaged the guards with her eloquence, she looked back from time to time to see where Rhys escaped to, but found he was no longer anywhere to be seen; not knowing he was just watching them from above.


    "You shouldn''t be out here all alone, Your Highness," the second guard shook his head gently, "These streets can be dangerous at night. And the soldiers from Thebes are here too. If they see you¡ª"


    "You''re right, of course," Clio agreed and cut-off the guard''s words, "I''ll return to my chambers at once."


    "We''ll escort you."


    "That''s¡­ not really necessary," the gentle smile on Clio''s face slightly twitched. But s, the guards did not listen to her at all.


    And as the guards escorted Clio back towards the pce, Rhys followed silently from the rooftops. Soon, however, he heard several more footsteps running around the dimly lit city; his eyes, reflecting several moving lights running around the streets and alleyways.


    Although he could not really hear them properly, it was enough for him to pick up some words.


    Prisoner. Escaped. Alert ¡ª those three words were the only things that Rhys needed to hear.


    This isn''t the time to be sneaking around at all. Rhys then dropped from the roof very silently, moving toward Clio and the guards ¡ª and without even any warning, he suddenly pulled Clio away.


    "Who!?"


    The guards'' eyes widened in shock as Rhys''s massive frame loomed over Clio, his muscr arm wrapping around her delicate neck.


    "Stand back," he growled, his silver eyes glinting dangerously in the dim light.


    "What¡­ what are you doing?" Clio very quietly whispered.


    "¡­You''re not the only one here who can act, Princess."


    "What¡­" Clio gasped, her heart racing as she felt Rhys''s strength against her body. She knew it was an act, but the sheer power emanating from him sent shivers down her spine. And most importantly¡­ the warmth of his breath was currently touching her neck.


    "Release the princess!" one guard shouted, drawing his sword with trembling hands as he pointed it toward Rhys.


    Rhys tightened his grip, eliciting a small whimper from Clio. "Move, and she dies," he stated coldly, his voice devoid of emotion.


    As the guards hesitated, torn between duty and fear, Rhys began backing away slowly, dragging Clio with him¡­ who just started moaning and wincing from the pain; obviously an act, but Rhys could not help but be slightly ufortable.


    "That''s¡­ too much," Rhys whispered. Clio did not say anything at all and just allowed herself topletely be dragged away by Rhys.


    "W¡ª!!!" And when Clio was actually about to say something, Rhys just suddenly lifted her up and carried him in her arms before running into the corner and melding with the darkness. The nervous could really only look at each other for a few seconds before rushing into the corner and following the two¡­


    ¡­only to find them gone.


    "Where¡­ where are they¡­?"


    "Wait¡­ alert¡­ Alert the others! Someone took the princess!"


    "Someone kidnapped the princess!" The two guards then started shouting; their throats almost being scratched from the desperation.


    Unbeknownst to them, however, Rhys was already leaping from roof to roof while having the princess tightly in his arms. Clio''s eyes widened as she felt the rush of wind against her face, her heart pounding in her chest. Rhys''s superhuman strength and agility left her both awestruck and slightly terrified.


    She clung to him tightly, her fingers digging into his muscr shoulders as they soared over the rooftops of Calydon.


    "By the gods," she whispered, her voice barely audible over the whoosh of air. "How are you¡ª"


    "Quiet," Rhys interjected, his silver eyes scanning the cityscape below. His voice was low and controlled, betraying no emotion. "We''re not safe yet."


    And very soon, they reached the outskirts of the city, Rhys gracefullynded in a secluded alley. He set Clio down very gently; his hands, deliberately lingering on her waist for a moment longer than necessary. The princess felt a warm tingle spreading through her body, a stark contrast to the cool night air.


    "Thank you," Clio said softly, her emerald eyes searching Rhys''s face. "How¡­ are you even able to do that?"


    "Practice and repetition," Rhys looked back at the city; the lights of the torches running around bing more and more prevalent, "¡­We should go."


    As they made their way through the darkness, Clio found herself stealing nces at her enigmaticpanion. His strength was undeniable, yet there was a gentleness in the way he had carried her. It was... confusing.


    The two of them continued to run for several minutes, only stopping when they neared the trees and the princess started to gasp for air.


    "W¡­ wait," Clio''s breaths slightly stuttered as she hasn''t really ran like that since she became of age, "¡­Let. Let me rest."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys only nodded in response as he once again looked back at the city. And since he wasn''t seeing any torches following them out of the city, it would seem they had no idea at all that they were already far away.


    "Why¡­" Clio then asked as she looked at Rhys, "¡­We could have found a better chance and way to escape. Kidnapping me would¡ª"


    "Would eliminate the opinion of the people that you ran away to escape from a political marriage," Rhys cut-off the princess as he looked her right in the eyes, "I don''t really know how politics work here, but I''m sure your father would have been ostracized by¡­ Thebes, if he could not even control his own daughter."


    "¡­You think that far ahead?" Clio slightly gasped, "W¡ª"


    "Princess!"


    And before Clio could finish her words, a glint of metal caught Rhys''s eye. He quickly pushed Clio away, and in a blur of motion, his hand shot out to the side.


    ¡­snatching a spear from the air mere inches away from almost hitting Clio''s face.


    "!!!" To Rhys''s surprise, however, he found himself almost being flung away; his feet, sliding several meters across the ground.


    "What!?" Clio gasped, also stumbling backward in shock.


    "Most impressive¡­" A deep voice rumbled as a hooded figure emerged from the darkness of the trees, "¡­Now, I wasn''t told about someone like you being here."


    "Who¡­ who are you!?" Clio squinted her eyes as she looked at this hooded figure, who was just casually stepping toward them without any weapons.


    "A mercenary," the hooded figure answered without any hesitation. He was, however, not looking at the princess at all as his bright green eyes peeked out from his hood, staring at Rhys, "And who might yourrgepanion be, Your Highness?"


    "¡­" Rhys really only stared back at the mercenary.


    "Well, no matter¡­" The mercenary sighed before shaking his head. And then, with another breath ¡ª he just suddenly raised his arms up like a boxer¡­ and then appeared right in front of Rhys''s face,


    "¡­I''ll know soon enough."

 Chapter 333 The Mercenary

    "¡­I''ll know soon enough."


    The hooded mercenary''s fist hurtled towards Rhys''s face with blinding speed. Time seemed to slow as Rhys assessed his options. He could dodge¡ªthe punch wasn''t really that fast as he could still step to the side to avoid it¡ªbut a curiosity flickered through his mind. Instead, he chose to block, his forearm rising to meet the iing blow.


    And following his curiosity seemed to have been the right decision ¡ª The impact was staggering. Despite his strength, Rhys found himself airborne, thrown back by the sheer force of the mercenary''s punch. His silver eyes reflected the moon above him as he squinted his eyes¡ªa squint; the only outward sign of his shock¡ªas he recovered mid-air, his body twisting with catlike grace.


    But the mercenary was relentless. Before Rhys could touch down, he was already waiting for him there, his green eyes glinting beneath the hood. He did not really give Rhys any time to react at all as he suddenly grabbed his ankles.


    "!!!"


    The mercenary then pulled Rhys down, using all of his weight to quickly m him to the ground. Rhys''s mind raced as he plummeted. This sort of strength was not something Rhys had seen from these people ¡ª even the muscr hunters of Calydon just exhibited the strengths of a Lowborn.


    It was highly possible that this green-eyed mercenary had the blood of gods flowing through his veins as well. Rhys was wondering when he would actually meet a demi-god, and now here was one ¡ª and incredibly random too¡­


    ¡­or is it?


    And as Rhys''s thoughts were running in a speed of a million times per second, the ground soon rushed up to meet him, but Rhys was already nning his counter. As soon as his palms touched earth, he bounced back into a powerful kick, aiming for the mercenary''s chest.


    The mercenary, however, was able to block Rhys''s kick; leaping back just at the right moment topletely soften blow and not be blown away. The mercenary was about to grab his feet, but Rhys just suddenly stood on his hand; spinning like some sort of ballerina as he swung his foot toward the mercenary''s face.


    "Heh¡­" The mercenary chuckled as he stepped back ¡ª but the way he did so was as if he was following a beat, "¡­Capoeira?" And as he whispered that, he soon started to dance and copied Rhys''s stance ¡ª their leg, quickly meeting together.


    But it was obvious that Rhys''s was physically stronger by leaps and bounds.


    The air crackled with tension as Rhys and the hooded mercenary continued their deadly dance. Each blow they exchanged sent shockwaves through the air, causing the very ground beneath them to tremble.


    And very soon, the two changed their stance ¡ªboth of them now trying their best not to be caught by the other¡ªRhys''s inky ck hair whipped around his face as he ducked and weaved, his silver eyes never leaving his opponent.


    "¡­Are you working for the people of Thebes?" Rhys asked.


    The mercenary, however, just responded with a flurry of punches as his stance once again became that of a boxer, each one precise and devastating. Rhys blocked and parried, but very soon, he could feel the tide of the battle turning. His opponent''s technique was wless, each movement flowing into the next with a grace that spoke of centuries of practice.


    There and then, as Rhys found himself soon unable to actuallynd a hit ¡ª he realized he waspletely outmatched in terms of technique and close-quartersbat. The mercenary seemed to be having fun too; the smile on his face proving that he was amused with Rhys.


    But of course, again ¡ª Rhys was physically stronger by leaps and bounds.


    "!!!"


    To the mercenary''s shock, Rhys suddenly mmed his foot down, causing the ground beneath their feet to tremble and open like a wave; the mercenary, very slightly losing his bnce for just a single millisecond.


    This millisecond, however, was all Rhys needed to connect his fist with the mercenary''s jaw, sending him staggering back. And this time, it was Rhys who raised his arms to box as he stepped forward while weaving and bobbing his head and then unleashing a flurry of hooks and straights.


    The mercenary, however, was able to block and parry all of Rhys''s attacks even as he was already disoriented and iling around. And he was, even at this state, still smiling. His eyes, never leaving Rhys for even a single second.


    "Outsider!" But before Rhys could continue his barrage of attacks, she heard Clio shouting for him ¡ª he did not really need to wonder why, however, as he also saw the lightsing from the city approaching them.


    Of course, the people would notice their fight ¡ª how could they not, when each of their blows almost caused a thunder to erupt in the air?


    "Outsider!" Clio called out again, her voiceced with urgency. "The guards areing!"


    "I know. We¡ªKh" In that moment of distraction, the mercenarynded a punishing blow to Rhys''s liver. Pain bloomed in his side, but his expression did not really change at all, and without hesitation¡­ Rhys ran away. In a blur of motion, he was at Clio''s side, scooping her into his arms and lifting her up again.


    "Hold tight, Princess," Rhys whispered into Clio''s ears as he just ran away into the sea of trees. Rhys did not really look back at the mercenary to see if he was following them, he just let his powerful strides carry them swiftly away from themotion.


    As for Clio, she clung to him tight, her arms wrapped around his neck as she nced at the mercenary''s silhouette disappearing into the night. The hooded mercenary did not follow them at all, standing therepletely motionless.


    "He''s¡­ not following us." Clio whispered, her breath warm against Rhys''s ear, "¡­Do you really think he was sent by Thebes?"


    Rhys''s silver eyes narrowed as he considered the question.


    "The soldiers from Thebes did say that there was a rumor that your future husband is going to kill you," Rhys let out a small breath as he recalled how the spear was aiming for Clio''s head, "¡­But it would be useless to do so before you get married."


    "Then¡­ then do you think it might be from a different state?" Clio could not help but take in a small gulp, "Wait¡­ is it possible that man came to the city to assassinate me?"


    "Whatever the case is, we need to get moving," Rhys shook his head as he continued to carry Clio through the sea of forest.


    "Uhm¡­" Clio realized that she was still tightly clinging onto him and being carried. But she did not say anything at all as she just stared at Rhys''s handsome face.


    Clio''s fingers dug into the fabric of Rhys''s shirt, her feet dangling as he effortlessly carried her. She couldn''t help but stare at his chiseled jawline and broad shoulders, grateful for his strength as she was swept away by her emotions ¡ª emotions that she never truly thought would actually be for a stranger.


    It was weird, incredibly so. For some reason, as she felt her skin touched his, it was almost like her entire body was turning hot. She had never really felt like this before ¡ª and she shouldn''t.


    "¡­You can let go of me now, Outsider," after a few more seconds of her mind being at a lost as to what to do, Clio finally decided to unwrap her arms from Rhys, "I do not think anyone is in pursuit of us anymore."


    "No."


    "¡­Sorry?"


    Rhys, however, did not let go of her at all and even tightened his arms, causing Clio to let out a soft moan as she felt the tips of Rhys''s fingers slightly tickle close to the side of her breasts.


    "I¡­ I demand you to let go of me now!" Clio bellowed.


    "I said no," Rhys just sighed and shook his head, "I''m moving in a way that won''t make tracks ¡ª I won''t be able to do that if you''re running beside me. Just wait until we get to the other side of the mountain ¡ª we are going to this direction, correct?"


    "That¡­ that is what I saw in my dreams," Clio breathed in as she just tried her best to ignore the warmth of Rhys''s body.


    "And then where do we go after?"


    "¡­I don''t know."


    "What¡­?" And as Clio uttered those words, Rhys finally granted her request as she just unceremoniously ced her back on the ground, "What do you mean you don''t know?"


    "Well¡­ I haven''t really dreamed which direction I''m going to go next after we cross the mountain." Clio reasoned.


    "Dream¡­" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he stared at Clio in disbelief, "¡­I thought you received an oracle or something."


    "That¡­ that is the oracle! I¡­ I swear, if we keep following this path. I know we will know where to go next!" Clio''s voice slightly became louder, "I promise! There is¡ª"


    And before Clio could finish her words, the clouds suddenly cleared, and the light of the moon showered and veiled the sea of leaves above them. And almost as if the winds wanted to tell them something, it started splitting the formation of leaves¡­


    ¡­the rays of the moon, almost as if creating a path for them to follow.


    "S¡­ see?"

 Chapter 334 Moment Between The Two

    "The path¡­ it is as if the gods themselves have blessed our journey."


    The moonlight bathes the winding path in an ethereal glow, casting long shadows that dance and sway with each step Rhys and Clio take.


    "Uhm¡­" The princess can''t tear her gaze from Rhys''s broad back as they trek in silence, his muscr frame cutting an imposing silhouette against the silveryndscape. Clio wanted to say something to Rhys, but she did not really know what to say at this moment.


    Her heart just pounds, her emerald eyes tracing the contours of Rhys''s shoulders. She finds herself mesmerized by the way the moonlight glints off his inky hair, creating an almost otherworldly aura around him. The air feels charged with unspoken tension.


    She did not want to admit it, but she was taking a liking to this stranger, to this Outsider ¡ª she had heard tales from her maids about falling in love at first sight, and she thought they were naive for thinking something like that exists ¡ª but now here he was, finding her heart beating uncontrobly while staring at the back of a stranger.


    "We''re here¡­" And soon, they reached the end of their moonlit path. And there, awaited them¡­ was a barren expanse that spanned for miles and miles on end into the horizon.


    "Great," Rhys let out a soft sigh while shaking his head, "There''s nothing at the end of your path, Princess. Should we just follow this straight? Did you bring a map?"


    "I¡­ I did not," Clio''s brow furrows, her gaze darting between Rhys and the empty field stretching before them, "The¡­ the gods will show us where to go next, I am sure of it."


    "Perhaps I should return to the city," he muses, his broad shoulders sagging slightly. "It was dark, and I am sure they would barely recognize me and I could just merge with the crowd."


    "They''ll surely recognize you because of how handsome you are. It¡ª" Clio let out a small gasp as she realized what she had just blurted out; her eyes widened in shock at her own boldness, a flush creeping up her pale cheeks.


    Rhys turns, his silver gaze locking onto Clio''s emerald one. For a moment, surprise flickers across his chiseled features before his usual stoic mask slides back into ce; he then turned toward the Hearts floating above Clio''s head, only to see 3 of them filled up. There was only 1 when they first met.


    But would there really be any merit in pursuing her love? After all, as far as Rhys knew, Clio did not have any abilities whatsoever at all ¡ª she was beautiful, true. But Rhys was not really here to find love, he has plenty back in his own world.


    And while Rhys was thinking of everything in a very clinical manner, Clio''s mind races, desperately searching for a way to salvage the situation. "I-I mean," she stammers, her usual eloquence deserting her, "your appearance is quite... distinctive. You''re¡­ tall."


    Rhys arches an eyebrow but remains silent, his prating gaze never leaving Clio''s flustered face. The princess takes a deep breath, willing her racing heart to calm. "We¡­ we should continue," she says, her voice steadier now. "This is where we''re meant to be."


    As they descend into the moonlit field, Clio''s thoughts whirl. What came over her? She wonders, sneaking nces at Rhys''s impassive profile. The prophecy, the oracle''s words, the mysterious light guiding their path - it all seems to pale inparison to the confusing emotions stirring within her.


    Suddenly, a figure materializes in the distance - a woman standing beside a horse. Rhys stretched his hand to the side to block Clio, gesturing to her to stop.


    "Wai¡ª"


    "Pelopia!?" Recognition floods Clio''s features as she rushed toward the woman. The woman seemed to have also recognized Clio as she also rushed toward her, enveloping the princess in a tight embrace.


    "Mydy!" the woman exims, her voice a mixture of relief and confusion. "What¡­ what are you doing here? We were to meet a mile from here. I was merely resting and feeding the horse¡­


    ¡­How did you even arrive so quickly?"


    Clio extricates herself from the embrace, herposure returning. "The Outsider carried me," she exins, gesturing to her silentpanion. "We followed the light."


    "The¡­ light. And the Outsider?" The woman''s eyes widen as she takes in Rhys''s imposing form. Slightly shocked and perturbed with how tall he was ¡ª before he could actually focus on his face, however, Clio blocks her eyes and once again hugs her.


    "The gods themselves seem to be guiding our path," Clio whispered, "For us to meet you here could really only be a blessing."


    "¡­I do not really know what is happening, but¡­" The woman''s brow furrows momentarily at Clio''s words, but she quickly dismisses her confusion as she returned to her horse.


    "¡­Here," she says, handing over the reins of the horse. "It''s stocked with ample provisions for your journey, as we nned. I also brought the things you asked me to bring, Your Highness."


    "Let¡­ me see."


    And as Clio started checking the horse and the bags attached to it, the handmaiden''s gaze shifts to Rhys, her eyes widen as she finally saw his handsome and chiseled face. She leans in close to Clio, whispering, "My, he''s quite the handsome thing, isn''t he? So handsome and... masculine. No wonder you''re running off with him."


    Clio feels her cheeks flush hot with embarrassment and indignation. "We''re not¡ª" she sputters, her usualposure cracking. "This isn''t some romantic escapade. I''m not some princess that runs off with the gant warrior before her wedding! We''re following a prophecy!"


    Rhys, who had been silently observing the exchange, furrows his brow. His deep, measured voice cuts through the tension. "Princess," he says, addressing Clio formally, "if you had someone waiting to assist us, why did we need to follow¡­ the light?"


    Clio''s emerald eyes meet his silver ones, her heart racing. "I... I was lost," she admits, her voice barely above a whisper. "The light guided us here. I didn''t actually know where we''d end up."


    "¡­Are you sure you know what you''re doing?"


    "Y¡­Yes!" Gathering herself, Clio gestures to the handmaiden. "Outsider, this is Pelopia, one of my most trusted servants. Pelopia, this is... the Outsider." She takes a deep breath before clearing her throat. "I confided in Pelopia about my ns, but we weren''t meant to cross paths here ¡ª we nned to meet somewhere else, and she was to bring two horses and¡­"


    As Clio speaks, a realization dawns on her. "Pelopia," she says slowly, "there''s only one horse."


    The handmaiden nods. "I couldn''t really risk arousing suspicion by bringing two. You''ll have to share, I''m afraid."


    Clio''s heart leaps into her throat at the thought of such close proximity to Rhys. Their bodies would be touching again. "But¡ª"


    "It''s fine," Rhys, however, just let out a soft sigh while waving his hand, "I don''t know how to ride, Your Highness. I''ll just ride on the back."


    "Your Highness," Pelopia''s eyes dart nervously towards the horizon. "I must go," she says urgently. "The others will grow suspicious if I''m absent much longer." She embraces Clio tightly, her voice thick with emotion. "Be safe, my princess."


    "You¡ª" And before Clio can react, Pelopia turns to Rhys. In a swift motion, she presses herself against his muscr frame, burying her face in his chest. Clio''s eyes widen in shock.


    "My," Pelopia breathes, inhaling deeply. "You smell... divine." She steps back, her cheeks flushed. "Please, take care of Princess Clio."


    A surge of something hot and unfamiliar courses through Clio''s veins. She wedges herself between them, her voice unnaturally high. "We''ll be fine! Absolutely fine! No need to worry!"


    "I¡­ I apologize, Princess!" Pelopia quickly bowed her head, "I was lost for a moment and did not realize I was hugging your lover. Please, do not be jealous!"


    "I''m not jealous," Clio almost stomped her foot, using that strength instead to move toward the horse, "We¡­ should go as well."


    With trembling hands, she mounts therge horse. Rhys approaches, his towering form casting a shadow in the moonlight. As he settles behind her, Clio''s breath catches. His presence envelops her, warm and solid.


    This is positively indecent, she thinks, her face burning. The proximity of his body sends her mind reeling with improper thoughts.


    "Are you alright, Your Highness?" Rhys''s deep voice rumbles close to her ear.


    Clio nods stiffly, not trusting herself to speak. She just turned toward Pelopia onest time, nodding her head and quietly whispering a farewell. And then, with a gentle nudge, she urges the horse forward, and they ride into the velvet darkness of the night.


    Suffice it to say, it took all of the princess'' strength to not think about how Rhys''s flesh was rubbing onto hers. Two hours pass in tense silence. The sky begins to lighten, the first hints of dawn painting the horizon.


    "We should rest," Rhys suggests, his voice cutting through Clio''s racing thoughts.


    They dismount, Clio''s legs wobbling slightly from the long ride. As Rhys gathers wood for a fire, a realization strikes her.


    "I just realized," Clio says, watching him work. "I¡­ still don''t know your name."


    Rhys pauses, meeting her gaze. "Rhys Wilder," he replies simply while continuing to gather wood.


    Clio''s brow furrows. "Rhys... Wilder? That''s an unusual name for these parts. Then let me also introduce myself ¡ª I am Princess Clio of Calydon, Rhys of Wilder."


    "Rhys of... No¡­" A sigh escaped Rhys''s lips while shaking his head, "¡­Just call me Rhys."


    **AUTHOR''S NOTES**


    I am trying my luck at Royal Road with a new book, Legendary Shadow cksmith, it will really really help me if you check it out and make a 5 star review T_T. Don''t mention you came from Eromancer or Webnovel doe, that might slightly get me in trouble. It''s also here in Webnovel, and I am still choosing where to actually put it since it is not yet contracted here. Thank you!

 Chapter 335 Trouble with Thebes

    "...Can I ask where Wilder is?"


    "...Wilder is not a ce. And you should get some sleep, Your Highness."


    It has been an entire hour since Rhys lit up their fire for the night, and yet Princess Clio still has not even closed her eyes even once except to blink. She seemed to want to say something to her, but that definitely was not it at all ¡ª because Rhys could hear her thoughts just dancing all over his head.


    When was thest time he had actually heard someone''s desires and thoughts? A while, most probably ¡ª because this was the first time he was actually alone with a woman whose desires he could hear.


    And it pretty much confirms one of Rhys''s suspicions or at least adds to it being true ¡ª the higher the percentage of the god with one''s blood, the lower the chance Rhys could actually hear their desires.


    "I¡­ am not sleeping yet," Clio let out a small sigh as she sped her heart, "This is the first time I have really ever gone this far away from Calydon, I can''t rest my thoughts."


    "...This is the first time you''ve been this far?" Rhys could not help but blink a couple of times as he looked in the direction where they came from¡­ and it wasn''t that far.


    "I know," Clio just let out a small sigh as she stared at the fire, letting everything else turn dark as her eyes were stuck there, "I know it''s not even half a day''s travel time, but that is just how it is ¡ª as the sweet daughter of the King of Calydon, I am not really allowed to go that far from the city without my father''s blessing¡­ and I have never gotten his blessing."


    "...Please don''t tell me that you''re just rebelling," Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at Clio, "Because if all the prophecy and being an oracle was just a ruse to get me to help you, I am going to leave you here and now."


    "Why must you be so cold all the time?" Clio''s eyebrows slightly furrowed as she quickly turned her eyes toward Rhys, and as she saw herself reflecting in her silver eyes, she finally realized that the two of them were all alone in the middle of nowhere, "That¡­ I am going to sleep!


    And I am not a liar, please do not treat me as such ¡ª and all will be proven once we meet the person that we are supposed to meet."


    "Maybe it truly is best for you to sleep, Your Highness," Rhys nodded, "Maybe you can talk to your oracle there."


    "It doesn''t work like that!" Clio found herself raising her voice as she nced back at Rhys one final time before justying down her nket; making sure to turn around as violently as possible when sheid down so Rhys would know that she did not like her tone, "I am going to sleep! Do not even think about going near me and let''s keep the distance between us like this!"


    The tone of Clio''s voice bordered from being high-pitched and a downright growl. She waited for Rhys to respond to her, but the only response she was receiving from him was silence ¡ª she then very subtly sneaked a nce at him¡­ only to see him suddenly sitting farther away now with his back against arge rock.


    He was not even looking at her at all, he was just sitting there quietly with his arms crossed and his eyes open.


    "You''re¡­ not going to sleep?", Clio then very slowly turned around so she could face Rhys. But of course, carefully covered herself with the nket.


    "Someone needs to keep watch, Your Highness."


    "R¡­ right," Clio just cleared her throat, "I knew that."


    "Did the prophecy tell¡ª"


    "Good night!" Clio just once again turned her back to Rhys. She truly wanted to sleep, truly ¡ª but she could not help but be nervous with Rhys just sitting there. But of course, after a while, the fatigue finally caught up to her and she just fainted there and then.


    "!!!" Clio then opened her eyes as she heard the sound of something snapping, only for a soft light to harshly hit her face ¡ª soft, as there was a cloth now serving as her roof¨Cno, it was an entire tent; an entire tent she doesn''t remember erecting at all.


    She blinked for a couple of seconds as that was not really the only thing she didn''t remember. She then sat up from the ground; her eyes blinking a couple of times before she finally remembered everything, and that she was actually hours away from the city now.


    "Rhys¡­" She whispered as the next thing that came to her mind was Rhys''s face, "...Rhys!?"


    Clio then quickly crawled out of the tent, only to see Rhys still just sitting to where he was sitting before she fell asleep.


    "Why¡­ did you not wake me up!?" Clio quickly asked as she clumsily stood up and started fixing her hair and her clothes, "We¡­ we were supposed to change ces, right? That is how camp is supposed to go!"


    "It''s fine," Rhys just sighed before standing, "If you''re already awake, then we need to go now. Wash yourself with that water there."


    "Huh¡­?" Clio blinked a couple of times as she looked to where Rhys was pointing to, only to see a pail of water resting beside her tent, "...Oh."


    "You don''t have to hesitate, Your Highness," Rhys bowed his head, "I am not going to have you arrested for washing with water."


    "I have already apologized for that," Clio, who was about to wash her face, could not help but just pause; the water dripping from her palms, "And I freed you, Rhys of Wilder."


    "You seem to have the wrong recollection of the events there, Your Highness," Rhys sighed, "I could have broken free whenever I wanted to ¡ª I could say I was even inconvenienced by having to bring you."


    "You are not bringing anyone, I am the one bringing you ¡ª perhaps we shouldy that out for a second," Clio started washing her face, as well as her frustrations, "You came with me because of the prophecy, and since you know something about a prophecy, that would mean that whatever happened was meant to happen."


    "Of course, Your Highness."


    "That doesn''t sound sincere¡ªwait a minute¡­" Clio blinked a couple of times as she somewhat realized something. She doesn''t know what it is yet, but after a couple more blinks, her eyes strayed toward the pail and then the tent, "...I do not remember there being a tent in the things that Pelopia packed."


    "That is because it''s not from them."


    "What¡­?" Cliopletely stopped washing her face as she looked at Rhys, only to finally realize that his tunic was covered in blood, even more so than the first time they met, "Wait¡­ what happened?"


    "Nothing you should worry about," Rhys let out a sigh while shaking his head, "Just finish washing up so we can continue our journey to¡­ wherever your prophecy will lead us."


    "But¡­" And then, Clio''s eyes very slowly strayed toward the rock behind Rhys ¡ª which had what seemed to be an arm peeking out of it from behind. Clio then very quickly just rushed toward the back of the stone, only for her to just stumble back as a loud gasp escaped her lips, "...Those are Calydon''s shoulders? You killed them!?"


    "No."


    "But they are¡ª" And before Clio could finish her words, she noticed that there were also several corpses wearing the chest armor of Thebes; particrly the army of her betrothed.


    "At first, they aimed their weapons at me and demanded that I return you," Rhys just shrugged, "Then those people from Thebes stabbed them in the back ¡ª I suppose they were hoping to kill all of us. That didn''t really work out quite well for them."


    "...Then Thebes truly is trying to kill me," Clio squinted her eyes before approaching her soldiers.


    "What are you doing¡­?" And there, Rhys watched as Clio started pulling out her soldiers and separating them from the soldiers from Thebes; cing and crossing her soldiers'' hands on top of their chests, "We don''t have¡ª"


    And before Rhys could say anything else, Clio started opening their mouths. Rhys did not really say anything about that and just continued to watch as Clio ced coins either under or on their tongues.


    "I wish I could send all of you to the rivers of Acheron ¡ª but I am afraid this is the only thing I could, I only hope that someone else ferries you to the Underworld," Clio then whispered a prayer to her dead soldiers.


    As for Rhys, the only thing he could really do was let out a small sigh as he saw several silhouettes galloping from the distance, and from the chest armor they were wearing, they were soldiers from Thebes.


    "..." Rhys turned to look at Clio, and when he saw she was still not done praying, he just shrugged¡­


    ¡­before grabbing a spear from one of the dead soldiers.

 Chapter 336 Rhys Vs. Thebes Soldiers

    "They are there! The tracks of the search party lead to therge stone over there!"


    The soldiers of Thebes all squinted their eyes as they looked at therge stone over the horizon; their feet, quickly kicking their horses as soon as they saw a silhouette standing next to it.


    "I see someone there! It must be the man who took the Princess!"


    "Hurry! They might spot us and start running away! We must kill the Princess!"


    "For Prince Ducetios! For Thebes!"


    The soldiers let out a roar that was louder and more violent than the galloping of their horses ¡ª they all unsheathed their swords and raised them in the air as they let out a war cry; a roar that caused the helmets that were covering their entire head except for eyes, the side of their nose, and their mouths.


    They roared, even though they were just going to kill a single woman, and there were 6 of them.


    "Do not let her escape! We must¡ªGuekh!?"


    "Pataicus!?"


    Well, there were 5 of them now. With the soldier named Pataicus just being left by his horse as his entire chest caved in and was pierced by a spear ¡ª caved in, as he was not really hit by the sharp end of the spear ¡ª but still, it went through without any resistance at all as Pataicus was now hanging from the spear which was embedded through the ground.


    The soldiers of Thebes stared at Pataicus''s lifeless body for a few seconds before focusing their eyes in the direction where the spear came from, only to see the silhouette they saw earlier very slowly be visible ¡ª and it was a man, a tall man who still had his hands stretched toward them from having thrown the spear.


    "Did that man¡­ just throw the spear all the way from there¡­!?"


    And with that realization, all the soldiers pulled on their reins; their horses spinning in ce while the soldiers kept their heads and their eyes turned at Rhys.


    "It¡­ it must be a fluke!" And after deliberating what just happened, the loyal soldiers of Thebes just once again rushed toward Rhys ¡ª once again raising their swords and letting out warcries and roars.


    As for Rhys, well, he just very calmly returned to a neutral position; just giving the soldiers of Thebes a little re for a few seconds before ncing at Princess Clio, only to see her still offering a prayer to her dead soldiers.


    Very soon, however, Clio''s eyes opened wide as she finally heard the roars of the soldiers from Thebes. She quickly stood up and looked at the soldiers, before just quickly running to their horse and untying it from the rock its reins were attached to,


    "We should go, Rhys of Wilder!" Princess Clio was about to jump onto the horse, but then noticed that Rhys was not moving at all and just staring at the soldiers rushing toward them, "Rhys! What are you doing!?"


    "They are only going to chase after us again," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh before shaking his head. And instead of stepping toward Clio and the horse, he stepped forward to meet the iing soldiers, "I am going to have to silence them."


    "What are you¡ª"


    And before Clio could even finish her words, Rhys just suddenly ran toward the soldiers of Thebes and theirrge horses. And of course, he made sure not to use Olga''s superspeed at all since it was still daytime ¡ª and someone might truly be watching him from above.


    "Rhys!?" Clio could not believe what he was trying to do ¡ª sure, she had already seen Rhyspletely tear down a door with a metal chain on it, but the door and the chain both already looked rusted and rotten. For all she knows, they might have just been at the end of their lifespan ¡ª as for these soldiers, well, Rhys told them they killed each other.


    Sure, Rhys could carry her all the way through the entire mountain range without resting, but that was only a show of his strength and his stamina ¡ª fighting 5 men on horses at once all at the same time?


    "Rhys, we should just run!" But s, Clio''s breaths fell on deaf ears as Rhys continued to run toward the rampaging horses. Clio slightly lifted her foot up as she leaned closer to the horse, but before she could actually mount it, she gritted her teeth and just quickly rushed toward the corpses of her shoulders, grabbing one of their swords,


    "I¡­ I will help you!" The princess raised her voice as she clumsily ran to follow Rhys; the sword in her hand wildly iling about.


    And as Rhys heard that, he could not help but just nce back; a small smirk, very slowly crawling on his face before he just focused on the soldiers in front of him, which were now only meters away from making contact with him.


    "Die, you behemoth!" One of the soldiers waved his sword as his horse passed by Rhys, only to find himself just suddenly being pulled down from the saddle as Rhys grabbed his wrist; crouching so he could avoid the other swords swinging toward him and putting one of them to the ground at the same time ¡ª and without even letting the soldier let out even a tiny grunt, Rhys crushed his head along with the helmet with a single punch.


    He then grabbed the man''s circr shield and then threw it like a frisbee toward the soldier closest to him¡­pletely separating the man''s head from his shoulders as he was able to hit him right on the gaps of his neck.


    But of course, Rhys was not done as he grabbed the soldier''s sword this time and then just threw it like a tomahawk toward one of the 3 remaining soldiers ¡ª the sword, just crushing the soldier''s skull through the helmet before just dropping and hanging by the saddle; his face grating through the ground as his horse continued to run.


    "W¡­ what!?" And in just less than a minute, 3 of the soldiers were already dead and only 2 remained ¡ª all of their dead brothers, dying a very swift death. But of course, Rhys would kill them as fast as possible. After all, these people did not have any power at all or the blood of gods running through their veins; they were powerless, and any dy in their execution would just be bullying.


    The two soldiers, nowpletely aware that it wasn''t a fluke at all that Rhys was able to hit their friend from yards away, justpletely shifted their attention to Clio instead, who was holding a sword in the distance and pointing it at them.


    "Let¡­ let''s just kill the princess and get done with this!" One of the soldiers raised his sword and also pointed it at Princess Clio, "You go deal with the giant and stop him from chasing after us!"


    "What!? You stop him, I will go for the princess!"


    "This is not the time for a debate!" The soldier then suddenly moved closer to hisrade; shing his horse''s neck and just causing him and his horse to tumble across the ground. Fortunately for the other soldier, he was quick to dismount and prevented himself from being crushed by the weight of his horse.


    "Did¡­ Did you just kill Aga!?" The soldier could not help but just throw his helmet on the ground in frustration as his horse was killed by his very ownrade, "Why would you do that!? We¡ª"


    Before he could finish his words, however, he heard a small whisper from behind him ¡ª he quickly looked back, only to see Rhys checking on the horse''s wound. And with a small sigh, Rhys just snapped the horse''s thick neck with his bare hands ¡ª he could have healed the horse, he wanted to. But whoever was watching him from above would know that he had the same abilities as the gods.


    The only ability he could use without him feeling watched was his herculean strength.


    Rhys then turned to look at the soldier on the ground, before focusing on thest soldier, who just dismounted from his horse and was now walking toward the princess¡­ who was stupidly holding a sword like she was going to do anything with it from how hard she was trembling.


    "For¡­" The soldier on the ground picked up his sword and pointed it at Rhys, "For The¡ª"


    And before he could even finish his words, Rhys threw a punch at his chest armor;pletely caving in his armor and crushing his entire ribs and organs¡­ instantly killing him. He did not waste any time, however, as he grabbed the soldier''s sword and then threw it toward the the man''s back ¡ª his blood, just now spurting and showering at Clio.


    And as if that was not enough, the soldier fell down to his knees forward¡­ the soft flesh beneath his chinnding straight toward Clio''s sword.


    "!!!" And the weight of flesh being slowly torn apart just caused Clio to let go of her sword immediately.


    "I¡­


    ¡­I killed someone?"

 Chapter 337 Uh Oh

    "I¡­ I killed someone! I killed someone!"


    Clio was practically crawling backward; her eyes staring at the ground that was slowly being drenched by the blood of the soldier she just killed ¡ª of course, she did not really mean to since the soldier just fell down after Rhys threw the sword straight through his back and out his chest, but the sound of her sword just tearing through the soft flesh repeating over and over in her mind.


    And as if that wasn''t enough, she also felt the resistance when the tip of the sword hit the skull ¡ª that was what made her let go of the sword and just start crawling away.


    "Your Highness," Rhys very carefully approached Clio as her terrified expression painting her face slightly reminded him of his sister ¡ª but of course, Clio was not his sister at all, "It would be best for us to go."


    "I¡­ Rhys¡­" Clio''s head just trembled as she looked at Rhys before once again staring at the soldier, "...I killed someone."


    "You killed someone that was about to kill you," Rhys let out a small sigh while shaking his head, "And he would have already died even without you identally stabbing him through the back of the chin ¡ª he was already dead, you just didn''t know it yet."


    "N¡­no, no¡­" Clio''s breaths turned incredibly heavy as she looked at her hands which also had blood on them, "What¡­ what have I¡ªI killed someone! That¡­ his blood is on my hands! I killed someone!"


    "Well, okay then," Rhys shrugged; shaking his head as he crouched down in front of the trembling princess, "If you killed him, then that would mean his death is not the only blood that''s in your hands ¡ª and all the soldiers here¡­ and your soldiers back there¡­


    ¡­you killed them all."


    "W¡­ what?" Clio looked Rhys in the eyes, only to see his silver eyes ring at her.


    "Those are good, loyal soldiers," Rhys said in a very cold tone, "And the only reason why they are dead is because they are searching for you ¡ª because you ran away for some stupid prophecy. They are dead, and you are not even sure the prophecy is real."


    "The prophecy is real!" Clio raised her voice.


    "And what exactly does the prophecy have in store for you?" Rhys''s eyes did not stray away at all, "Before we actually continue this ¨C I told you why I aming with you, I am searching for my father and perhaps this oracle can help me do that. But what about you? What do you hope to achieve? You told me it''s freedom, but what about after that?


    Because right now, you''re already free ¨C just leave, go to a different city. I don''t think anyone would be able to find you, not with this world''s technology¡­


    ¡­what is in it for you, that you would allow your soldiers to die for it?"


    "That''s¡­" Clio did not really answer and just looked away from Rhys; her eyes, on the verge of bursting out with tears. Still, she persisted; biting her lip before just forcing herself to stand up, "...We should go, Rhys of Wilder. I will be sure to reward you handsomely after all of this is done."


    "...Well, okay," Rhys really only shrugged even though Cliopletely ignored his question. Rhys wanted to ride on a horse of his own, but he did not really know how to ¡ª and so, he just opted to let go of the horses of the soldiers before he and Clio continued to travel on a single horse.


    Clio did not really speak at all after that ¡ª even when they needed to rest the horse from time to time after several miles, Clio did not speak at all and kept to herself. This continued for several days, even when they make camp, Clio just turns around and refuses to speak at all.


    The only words she would utter were words of gratitude whenever Rhys hunted for food and cooked it. But after 4 nights of silence, Clio just suddenly spoke while they were eating.


    "I had a dream again, finally¡­" Clio let out a very long and deep breath of relief as she nced at Rhys, "...We are not on a fool''s errand, Rhys ¨C this is not just some adventure of a spoiled princess that wants to be free. I will never risk my people''s lives for something as petty as that. The truth is¡­ a week before you came to Calydon, I started having these dreams, these visions."


    "Go on," Rhys whispered as he stopped eating.


    "These visions, they were¡­ terrible," Clio shook her head as her eyes started to tremble, "Thousands of people, dead from a great darkness that emerged from beneath us. I didn''t know what it meant ¨C they were just dreams, after all. But the dreams continued on and on, each worse than thest¡­ but more vivid and clear too.


    And there, I saw the oracle ¨C it was a woman surrounded by all these rocks and pirs, she told me toe and find her¡­


    ¡­and then I saw you."


    "...You saw me in your dreams?"


    "No," Clio shook her head again, "I saw a man without a face ¨C and I just knew that he was meant to guide me to this oracle. And then I met you, Rhys¡­ and on that night I had another dream of seeing the outsider, the very same dream¡­ but he had your face. So no, Rhys of Wilder¡­


    ¡­this is not just some adventure to seek freedom, I want answers for my visions¡­ if they will trulye to pass, and how to stop it."


    "...And you said you had a vision again?"


    "Yes¡­" Clio nodded, "I don''t really know what it means¡­ but I believe we are very near to where we are supposed to be ¡ª perhaps even by tomorrow, we will be in front of the oracle."


    "Hm," Rhys squinted his eyes, "Then I suppose we better rest now, Your Highness ¨C we have a long journey ahead of us tomorrow."


    "...And then once you ask the oracle your question," Clio closed her eyes as she once again took in a deep breath, "We will go on our separate ways ¨C that is what you want, right? I am just a burden to you."


    "Yes," Rhys answered without any hesitation, causing Clio to just look away and bite her lip ¨C that was not really the answer she was expecting. Well, she was expecting that Rhys would leave sooner orter, but she did not really think he was that excited.


    "T¡­then, good night!" Clio just quickly finished her food before going to bed. She fell asleep quite easily ¨C an entire''s day worth of riding just does something to the body, but she can''t reallyin since the horse does all the work.


    And very soon, the warmth of the sun started to shine down on her cheek; not enough, however, to cancel out the cold still lingering from the night.


    "H¡­ hm¡­" Clio sniffled slightly as she woke up slightly cold. She rubbed her arms a couple of times while looking around the camp¡­ only to see Rhys gone. She looked through the sea of trees, but there was no sign of him at all.


    "R¡­ Rhys!?" If Clio wasn''tpletely awake moments ago, she was now. Her eyes then quickly turned toward the horse, letting out a deep sigh of relief as she saw it was still attached to the trees, "Did he¡­ leave? But¨C"


    And before Clio could finish her words, she heard a ssh whisper from the distance.


    "We¡­ were near water?" Clio could not help but just blink a couple of times as she rushed toward the noise. She did not really notice or even hear water when they made camp ¨C but since it was getting dark then, perhaps she just failed to notice; the sound of the leaves rustling above her must have covered it too, "Is Rhys gathering water¡­?"


    Clio continued to go deeper into the sea of trees as she finally saw the fractal reflections of the water dancing on the branches and leaves ¨C and with excitement, she just quickly rushed out toward the light¡­


    ¡­only to see Rhyspletely naked.


    "Wh¡­" Clio could not even say anything at all ¨C this was the first time she was really ever seeing a real live manpletely naked. She had seen the men of her city without their tops on, and she had seen a lot of statues of them, sure, and she thought that it was an exaggeration that men could have such bodies that exude so much strength.


    But right now, as she stood frozen with her eyespletely reflecting Rhys, she thought that the statues did not do them justice at all ¨C or perhaps it was truly only Rhys that was like this, the men of her city could not evenpare at all.


    And very soon, Rhys started toe out of the water¡­


    ¡­and Clio''s eyes just grew wide as she saw the thing dangling between Rhys''s legs.


    ¡­That is not like the statues at all.

 Chapter 338 Clioris (18+)

    "O¡­ oh¡­"


    Clio''s entire body just froze ¨C which was incredibly weird since there was a heat currently crawling across her entire body as she stared at Rhys, or more specifically, at the gigantic thing dangling between his thighs.


    She wanted to cover her eyes, but at the same time, her body refused to move at all; almost as if something inside her was trying to control her. And she knew who, it was herself, the deepest parts of herself were trying to control her body and preventing her from moving at all.


    The only thing she could really do was take in a veryrge gulp; fearing that her saliva would actually escape and trail from her lips.


    Very soon, however, she was able to take a step back ¨C but that was a mistake, as the dried leaves beneath her feet and the twigs just whispered in the air; exposing her existence to Rhys who immediately turned to look at her.


    "...Your Highness," Rhys just stood there, not covering himself up at all as he faced Clio, "Did you want to take a bath as well?"


    "H¡­ huh?" Clio''s eyes just darted back and forth between Rhys''s face and the thing between his legs, "I''m¡­ what?"


    "I am done, so¡­" Rhys just casually pointed at the pool with his thumb, almost as if he wasn''tpletely naked, "...You''re free to use this."


    "That¡­" Clio was finally able to cover her eyes, "...Why are you naked!?"


    "...Because I washed myself, Your Highness," Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he started approaching Clio.


    "W¡­what are you doing!?" Clio stuttered as she took a step back, "Why are you walking toward me!?"


    "I forgot the clothes I looted from the corpses at the camp," Rhys said as he just casually walked closer to Clio; water, still dripping from his bare skin.


    And of course, Clio had the urge to once again take a peek as she moved her fingers ¨C but she did not expect Rhys to actually be right beside her.


    "!!!" Clio let out a small gasp as she once again backed away ¨C this time, however, she did not see therge branch behind, and as she tripped. But of course, Rhys was able to catch her without any problem at all; his wet arm, wrapping around her waist.


    "Uhn¡­" Clio''s entire body trembled as she felt the chill of the water mixing in with the warmth of Rhys''s flesh.


    "You have to be careful, Princess," Rhys looked Clio in the eyes; their faces, only inches away from each other, "The terrain here is¡ª"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, Clio just suddenly leaned in closer and kissed him on the lips without any warning.


    And it was weird, as Clio quickly leaned away; seemingly the more shocked between the two.


    "I¡­ I apologize!" Clio gasped as she realized what she had just done, "I¡­ I didn''t know what¡­ what got into me. I''m¡­ no¡­"


    Clio covered her face again, "Release¡ª" She was about to say something, but before she could do so, she suddenly felt something warm crawling across her thigh. She looked down¡­ only to see Rhys''s cock even bigger than before.


    "W¡­what is that monstrosity!?" Clio quickly pushed herself away from Rhys as she pointed at his cock. She then instinctively turned to look to where their horse was tied up before just once again focusing on Rhys''s cock, "It''s¡­ what!? Do¡­ do they get that big!? It''s almost as big as¡­ it''s almost as big as a horse!"


    "...It''s not as big as a horse," Rhys let out a small sigh as he also looked down, "And I apologize for this, Your Highness ¨C it''s just a normal reaction¡­


    ¡­it will go down soon."


    "How¡­ how can you even move with that thing on you!?" Clio''s hand started to tremble as she kept pointing at Rhys''s cock, "How¡­ is¡­ is it really that big!?"


    "I am¡­ bigger than average, I would say," Rhys tried to cover it, but his hands weren''t covering anything at all.


    "Make¡­ make it go smaller!" Clio screamed; no longer even taking the effort to cover her eyes as she just tantly stared at it.


    "It doesn''t work like that," Rhys sighed, "I am just going to get my clothes."


    "Can¡­ you even cover that with your clothes¡­?" Clio imagined Rhys wearing the tunic again with his cock hard like that, and she could not help but just gasp,


    "W¡­ wait!"


    Rhys was about to walk away, but Clio just suddenly grabbed his arm; quickly letting go as Rhys turned around and his cock almost hit her.


    "T¡­ that thing¡­" Clio took in a deep breath, "I¡­ I can help you."


    "...What?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Clio. Of course¡­ Rhys was actually just feigning ignorance about the entire situation ¨C he knew something like this was bound to happen since he was literally naked, and he could actually also hear Clio''s sexual desires.


    What he did not expect, however, was Clio actually about to act upon her desires.


    "My¡­ my maids have trained me how to pleasure men since¡­ since I was about to get married," Clio took in a small gulp, "This¡­ this means nothing! I¡­ I only want you in your best condition if we are to continue to travel."


    "...And how exactly do you¡ª" And before Rhys could finish his words, Clio just grabbed his hand and dragged him back to the pool.


    "S¡­ stay there," Clio said as she ced Rhys in the shallow water before she started washing her face and very subtly gargling her mouth with the water ¨C and with her legs and hands still trembling, she kneeled down in front of Rhys and just grabbed his cock without any reservations at all, "I¡­ I think it was like this¡­ we should have oil¡­ but¡­"


    "Are¡­ you really going to do this?" Rhys asked.


    "I''m already holding it!" Clio''s eyes widened as she stared at the thing in front of her ¨C it is true that her maids trained her, but the replica they had¡­ wasn''t this big at all, "How¡­ how am I even going to¡­"


    Clio then closed her eyes before just sticking out her tongue¡­ letting the tip touch Rhys''s cock.


    "!!!" And as soon as she did so, she felt the heat that was crawling across her entire body just start centering toward herher regions; her legs, almost closing on their own as something seemed to be seeping out from inside her.


    Clio''s head continued to tremble as she opened her mouth wide; twirling her tongue around the tip of Rhys''s cock before proceeding to put it in her mouth.


    "Hmn¡­" Clio almost gagged as she was not able to put even half of it inside her mouth ¡ª but she also learned a trick from her maids if this happens, Clio rxed her throat as she pushed her head even further, "Kh!"


    She could not, however, go through with it as she just leaned away and started coughing, "It''s¡­ it''s too¨C"


    And before she could finish her words, Rhys crouched down and very gently held her face.


    "Your Highness¡­" Rhys whispered, "...I don''t think it is right that it will only be me that will receive something."


    "What are you¡ª!!!" Clio''s head quickly turned back as she felt Rhys''s touch between her thighs; her back almost just curling as she did not expect to be touched down there, "What¡­"


    But even though this was the very first time she was feeling it, her legs just instinctively started spreading on their own as she allowed Rhys to continue to touch her.


    "Haa¡­" Clio bit her lips as she looked at Rhys''s face; his eyes, extremely gentle and almost cradling her entire being. And very soon, her hands also found themselves back to Rhys''s cock, stroking it with¡­ such vigor. But she could not really move the way she wanted to, however, as the heat forming between her thighs was bing too much¡­


    ¡­so much so that she could not help but just scream as she felt somethinge out of her.


    "N¡­no!" Clio''s toes and fingers just curled as she felt her entire legs tremble with pleasure. She found herself just lying down on the shallow water; her back extremely wet as she covered her face, "I¡­ I think I just¡­ I peed. It''s¡­ It''s so shameful."


    "That''s¡­ perfectly normal," Rhys quicklyforted her as he started kissing her neck, once again just causing her to remove her hands from her face as she started trailing her fingers on Rhys''s hair.


    "W¡­ wait¡­ my clothes."


    "I''ll remove them," Rhys very gently sat Clio up as he slid down her robes ¡ª only to see that her breasts were bound by another piece of clothing.


    "Ha¡­" Clio took in a deep breath as she removed the clothing herself, and as she did so¡­ herrge breasts which were almostparable to Katarina bounced and revealed themselves, "R¡­ Rhys of Wilder¡­"


    Clio then wrapped her arms around Rhys''s neck,


    "I¡­ want you to hold me deeper."

 Chapter 339 Apollo

    "By¡­ by the gods¡­"


    Cliopletely had no idea what happened, but she and Rhys were back at the camp ¨C thest thing she remembered was her hugging a tree while Rhys was violently destroying her insides. She did not really know how to exin the experience, but it was¡­


    ¡­life changing.


    She had really only been taught how to pleasure a man by her maids ¨C but Rhys had let her feel something she never really thought was possible. She thought it was dirty and immoral at first when Rhys just started licking her down there¡­


    ¡­but she almostpletely lost herself when it happened.


    Even now, while just thinking about it, she felt herself getting¡­ wet on top of the nket. She waspletely naked, but she could not even make the effort of covering herself just in case they were not done¡­


    ¡­because they have been doing it for hours.


    Her maids have told her that it usually onlysts for several minutes, they clearly lied.


    "I¡­ I won''t be able to get married anymore," Clio covered her face in shame, "I''ve¡­ lost my value as a princess. No¡­ a woman''s worth should not be measured by her purity."


    Clio could really only talk to herself, convincing herself that what happened waspletely normal and eptable ¨C even fully knowing that it was not at all. But if something that felt so good was wrong, then perhaps¡­ it was better to be wrong.


    And as her mind continued to race about what she had just done, her body soon felt the fatigue and slowly lulled her into the sweet confines of dreams.


    As for Rhys, he just stared at the 5 Hearts floating above Clio''s head; 4 of them, already filled. As far as he knew, Clio had absolutely no abilities or powers of any kind ¨C so what exactly was he going to get by filling all of them?


    "...No," Rhys quickly shook his head as the thought entered his mind. He promised himself that he was never going to conquer the hearts of people just because of their abilities, and yet here he was, measuring someone''s worth with how useful they could be.


    What¡­ was he actually bing?


    He then very gently left the nkets, careful not to wake up Clio from her deep sleep. He then turned to look at the two suns floating above the skies ¨C and this time, he took the time to stare at it; really stare at it.


    "!!!"


    Rhys suddenly felt a searing pain poking through right at the center of his chest. He quickly patted his chest several times as he looked at it, only to see nothing there at all ¨C no. There was something.


    There was a small sizzle and smoke waving from his chest; very minute, and if his eyesight and senses were not as good as they are, he probably would not even be able to notice it. But that wasn''t the most important part, however.


    Before he felt the searing pain, Rhys could swear that he saw the two suns suddenly¡­ move. Moved in a way that almost seemed¡­ human ¨C or more specifically, a human holding a bow.


    "What¡­" Rhys could really only blink a couple of times. He wanted to look at the suns again, but the next time might be thest ¨C but that confirms his suspicion, however. There was someone watching all of them from above during the day, and they wereing from the sun¡­


    ¡­or perhaps they were the sun themselves.


    He had already spent an entire week in this ce, and yet he was stillpletely unaware of the rules. But then again, he had just spent a week here¡­ and he had already slept with a princess of a polis, and got in the center of what seemed to be a looming war between Thebes and Calydon.


    "Good work, Rhys¡­" Rhys whispered to himself while shaking his head, "...What am I even doing here? I should be back in the real world and just spending time with Katarina and the others."


    After a few more breaths ofment, Rhys just sat back down and just closed his eyes to rest until Clio woke up. Fortunately for the two of them, the sun was still very much active when Clio woke up and the two of them continued their journey to the East.


    Clio did not really say much at all, but it was obvious with the way she was now moving her hips close to Rhys while on the horse that she had befortable with him ¨C well, she should have; the two of them already shared an extremely intimate thing together.


    "Are you alright, Your Highness?"


    "Just¡­ let''s just rest for a little bit."


    Clio, however, needed to rest almost every half an hour since her legs were still shaking and herher regions were still quite sensitive. And soon, the sun was once again setting on them ¨C Clio was about to pull the horse to a halt, but then she saw several movements from the distance.


    "Rhys, can you see what those are?" Clio pointed at the silhouettes.


    "...People," Rhys squinted his eyes as he quickly looked to where Clio was pointing, "And they seem to be building something?"


    "Building¡­ wait¡­Hya!" Clio kicked her feet as they rushed toward the people ¨C and soon, they saw more than a hundred people pulling, pushing, and carryingrge rocks around, "Are they¡­ creating a city here?"


    Both Rhys and Clio could not help but widen their eyes as they saw arge peristyle being built ¨C the workers did not really heed them any mind at all, only ncing at them once before returning to their work.


    "This ce¡­" And as Rhys felt Clio moving, he quickly hopped off the horse and just gently helped Clio down as well, "...I''ve seen this in my dreams."


    Clio then suddenly ran away on her own, leaving Rhys with the reins of the horse.


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just let out a small sigh; lifting arge rock near him and using it to pin down the reins so that the horse would not go anywhere. Of course, the drumming sound he made while doing so caught the attention of the workers.


    Rhys just awkwardly waved his hand before following Clio through the crowd of workers.


    "Rhys! Right here, here!" Clio quickly gestured to him to hurry up, waving her hand several times as she pointed at something, "This is the same exact spot I saw in my dream."


    "This¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes as he looked at therge formation of rocks Clio was pointing to, "...That''s a boulder, Your Highness. What could possibly¨C"


    "The rock that would soon attempt to bear the likeness of the Sun God, Apollo."


    And before Rhys could finish his words, a woman suddenly stepped out from behind therge boulder; the gown she wore, thin and long enough to brush the ground ¨C and yet, itpletely remained as immacte as her face which almost glowed with the sun from how pale and fair she was.


    She looked almost ephemeral; her silhouette almost fading in the light of the setting sun. Her hair, almost golden, and her eyes incredibly blue.


    "It''s¡­ you," Clio let out a small but very deep gasp as she stared at the woman, "You''re the oracle."


    "I¡­ do not know you," The woman blinked a couple of times as she looked at Clio; her face slightly confused. But she stared at her for just a moment before focusing her eyes back on Rhys, "But I do know you, Stranger."


    "Hm?" Clio could really only squint her eyes as the woman approached Rhys¡­ and then just kissed him right on the lips without any warning,


    "W¡­ what are you doing!?"


    **AUTHOR''S NOTES**


    I am trying my luck at Royal Road with a new book, Legendary Shadow cksmith, it will really really help me if you check it out and make a 5 star review T_T. Don''t mention you came from Eromancer or Webnovel doe, that might slightly get me in trouble. It''s also here in Webnovel, and I am still choosing where to actually put it since it is not yet contracted here. Thank you!

 Chapter 340 Priestess

    "W¡­ what are you doing!?"


    There was nothing Rhys could really do ¨C for some reason, the Oracle''s kiss, something that he could have avoided without even thinking about it, managed to pass through his reflexes. He wasn''t just making any excuses because the Oracle is incredibly beautiful, but he truly was not able to lean away or dodge in time.


    "Hmn¡­ sweet." The Oracle''s whispers escaped her lips as they parted from his, and for a brief moment, a thin string of saliva lingered between them, bridging their connection before snapping.


    And for some reason, Rhys stood frozen, his body tense, as though the world had shifted ever so slightly beneath his feet. It was a weird feeling, nothing he had really ever experienced before¡ªbut if there was¡­


    ¡­then it would be his meeting with Arachnea.


    "Why¡­" Rhys''s silver eyes locked onto the Oracle''s face, searching for answers that he couldn''t quite put into words.


    Something about the kiss was... wrong. Not just because of the suddenness, or how intimate it had been¡ªbut because it stirred something deep inside him, something that gnawed at the edges of his mind.


    Clio, who watched the entire kiss thatsted for several seconds, could no longer keep her silence.


    "W-what are you doing?!" she nearly shouted, stepping forward, her cheeks flushed with a mixture of shock and anger. Her gaze darted between Rhys and the Oracle, confusion and jealousy swirling in her eyes. She had just shared her most intimate moment with Rhys earlier¡­


    ¡­and now something like this happens?


    "What... what was that?!"


    The Oracle, still standing close to Rhys, simply leaned away, her pale lips curving into a serene, almost amused smile. She blinked slowly, as if Clio''s reaction was an afterthought¡ªsomething to be expected, yet unimportant.


    "Your lips remind me of a distant memory I once had, Rhys Wilder." The Oracle didn''t even spare Clio a nce as she lifted a hand to gently touch her lips, her fingers trailing along them as if savoring the moment.


    "I..." Clio stammered, her fists clenched at her sides from beingpletely ignored. "I saw you in my visions. You¡ª" her voice trembled slightly. "You were there, in this exact ce. But you never¡ªnever did that!"


    The Oracle finally turned to Clio then, her eyes half-lidded with an air of disinterest. "Your visions are your own," she said calmly, her voice soft but dismissive. "They do not concern me."


    Clio flinched at the coldness in her tone, her brow furrowing. "What do you mean? You were here! I saw it in my dreams! That has to mean something! Weren''t you¡­ weren''t you trying to call for me?" She took a step closer, trying to regain herposure.


    "And¡­ why did you kiss him? What are you doing?"


    The Oracle tilted her head slightly, her gaze never wavering from Rhys. "How will I understand the meaning of your dreams? They are your own," she said, her voice smooth and even, with no regard for Clio''s mounting frustration.


    "Like you have your own visions¨CI have mine. I am here for him. Not for you."


    "For¡­ Rhys?" Clio''s mouth fell open in disbelief, her body trembling with a mixture of emotions¡ªanger, confusion, and something more primal, something possessive. She took another step toward them, but Rhys raised a hand, stopping her.


    "Enough," Rhys said quietly, his voice calm but firm. His senses were telling him that something more had passed between them than just physical contact.


    But what?


    "Enough¡­" He exhaled slowly, steadying himself. There was a reason they came here, and he needed answers more than he needed to get caught up in whatever had just happened between him and the Oracle.


    He looked directly at her, his silver eyes narrowing slightly as he gathered his thoughts.


    "I''m looking for my father," he said, his voice steady butced with a sharp edge of urgency. "Her Highness said that you may have an idea who¡­ where he is? He should look a little like me."


    "Father, hm?" The Oracle''s expression shifted slightly, her disinterest fading as a glimmer of something else¡ªa deeper curiosity¡ªsparked in her eyes. She regarded Rhys with a different kind of focus now, as though his words carried far more weight than any of the previous conversations.


    "So, you came here for your father..." she repeated softly, her voice lingering on the word as though testing its significance. For a brief moment, her gaze seemed to darken, her ethereal calm reced by something more profound. "Yes, I know of him."


    "Then¡­ do you know where he is?" Rhys demanded, his voice firm but still under control. "Please, Madam. Tell me where I can find him."


    "Well¡­" The Oracle paused, tilting her head as if teasing whether or not she actually knew something. Her smile returned, a faint and cryptic curve of her lips as she stepped closer to him once more.


    "The path you walk will lead you to him," she replied, her tone soothing but maddeningly evasive. "But not yet. There are trials you must face first. Battles that will test your strength, your will."


    Rhys''s fists clenched at his sides, frustration simmering beneath the surface. "What does that even mean?" he said, his voice hardening. "Why do you people like talking so much in riddles?"


    The Oracle''s serene expression never faltered. She took another step back, as though distancing herself from the weight of his demands.


    "All in due time, Rhys Wilder. You are not ready for the truth," she said softly, the finality in her words palpable.


    Clio, still standing to the side, her frustration growing, spoke up once more. "You can''t just leave it at that," she snapped, her voice edged with anger. "If you know something, tell him! That''s the least you can do after¡­ after attacking him!"


    The Oracle finally nced back at Clio, her gaze colder than before. "Your words are irrelevant, Princess," she said curtly. "Your role in this is not as important as you think."


    Clio''s breath hitched, her frustration shifting into something deeper¡ªsomething close to hurt. But before she could respond, the Oracle returned her full attention to Rhys, her eyes gleaming faintly in the dim light of the setting sun.


    "But very well, I can tell you one thing¡ªThe sun is always watching," she murmured, her voice almost melodic, yet filled with something heavier. "And¡­


    ¡­so am I."


    "!!!" Rhys instinctively looked up toward the sky as she said that, where the suns were beginning to set. For just a moment, he thought he saw something¡ªa flicker, a shift in their light. But it was gone in an instant, leaving him with the faintest trace of unease.


    Clio, meanwhile, took a step closer to him, her voice dropping to a whisper. "Rhys, we can''t trust her," she said softly, her eyes still narrowed at the Oracle''s retreating form. "She''s hiding something."


    Before Rhys could respond, the Oracle stopped walking, her pale figure still partially visible in the fading sunlight. She slowly turned to face them, her gaze now sharper, more intense. Her smile was gone, reced by a mask of calm authority.


    "She has a name¡ªI am Pythia," she said, her voice resonating with the weight of the title.


    "High Priestess of Apollo."


    "You¡­?" The name lingered in the air, heavy and ancient. Clio visibly tensed at the mention of Apollo, her mouth opening as if to speak, but no words came. She had heard of Pythia¡ªthe Oracle of the Sun¡ªbut never expected to be standing face-to-face with her.


    Pythia turned her head slightly, her cold gaze now fixed on Clio, her earlier dismissal gone. "You whisper of distrust, but you forget that I am an Oracle. You can hide nothing from me."


    Clio stiffened at the realization that her words had been heard. She opened her mouth to retort, but before she could speak, Pythia took a step toward her, her posture tall and imposing.


    "I know what weighs on your mind, Princess of Calydon," Pythia said, her voice smooth yet cutting. "I know of your... arranged marriage to the prince of Thebes. The knot that ties you, unwilling, to the future of your kingdom."


    Clio''s eyes widened, her mouth falling slightly open in shock. "How... how do you know about that?" she stammered, stepping back. Her hands instinctively gripped the fabric of her dress as her mind scrambled for answers.


    Pythia''s lips curled into a knowing smile, her eyes gleaming with a faint, predatory light. "Again¡­ I am an Oracle," she said softly, with a hint of amusement, "I see what is, what was, and what will be."


    Rhys remained silent, watching as Clio recoiled, the weight of Pythia''s knowledge clearly unsettling her. Clio opened her mouth again, but Pythia continued before she could speak.


    "But that is not all," Pythia added, her tone growing darker. "Thebes is not just seeking an alliance with Calydon. They are preparing for war."


    Clio froze, her hands trembling at her sides. "War?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.


    Pythia nodded slowly, her expression grave. "Thebes is nning to attack your city. You father¡­


    ¡­he has something that they want."

 Chapter 341 Reunion

    Clio''s face went pale, her eyes widening as Pythia''s words sank in.


    "Attack Calydon?" she whispered, her voice trembling. Confusion filled her thoughts. "But¡­ my father hasn''t said anything about a war. Why would Thebes¡ª?"


    Pythia tilted her head, her lips curling into a teasing smile. "Oh, sweet princess¡­ your father holds something very precious," she said, her voice light, with a hint of mock sympathy.


    "Something Thebes would love to get its hands on. The marriage? Just a nice distraction. But when that fails..." She paused, her eyes gleaming. "They''ll take it by force."


    Clio stumbled back, shaking her head, panic rising inside her. "No¡­ this can''t be true," she muttered, clutching her gown, her hands trembling. "There''s no reason¡ª"


    "There''s always a reason," Pythia interrupted, her tone light and almost yful. "Your father has something hidden, something valuable. And when Thebeses knocking, you''ll be right in the middle of it." She leaned in closer, her smile widening.


    "Exciting, isn''t it?"


    Clio''s breath caught, the panic swelling in her chest. What have I done? Her mind raced, filled with regret for leaving Calydon so hastily.


    "I shouldn''t have left!" she stammered, her voice thick with regret. "I¡­ I already knew something was wrong. I¡­ need to go back. We need to warn my father!"


    Pythia straightened, her amusement never fading. "Oh, by all means, run back if you must. But it won''t change a thing," she teased. "Thebes wille, whether you''re ready or not."


    Clio''s hands shook, the weight of the situation pressing down on her. War? How could she have left her city so recklessly? What could her father be hiding that would lead to such danger? How could I leave them?


    "Clio¡­" Rhys stood beside her, silent. He nced at Clio briefly, her panic clear on her face, but his expression remained indifferent. Her problems were real, but his focusy elsewhere, on something bigger. But still, since the two of them have already shared something¡­ incredibly intimate, he shouldn''t be this cold to her.


    "If you know this much, then give us more than riddles," he said, his tone t as he turned toward Pythia. "What is it her father has? Why does it matter to Thebes?"


    Pythia''s gaze swept over him, her smile growing as though she found his calm amusing. "Oh, Rhys Wilder, showing concern over someone you''ve just met¡­ as expected of someone¡­ like you." she teased, a glint of admiration in her eyes.


    "But the truth? It''s not so simple." She took a step back, folding her hands. "Your answers are tied to your own journey. Your father''s past is woven into this, in ways you can''t yet understand."


    Rhys remained silent, a flicker of frustration crossing his face. Something deeper was at y, but Pythia was enjoying her games. His jaw clenched, but before he could respond, she spoke again.


    "This isn''t just about Thebes and Calydon," Pythia added, her gaze moving between them both. "The gods are ying their games too. A war ising, one that will shake the very foundations of your world." Her voice dropped to a soft, teasing tone.


    "And wouldn''t you know it? You''re both at the heart of it."


    Clio''s heart pounded, trying to steady herself. "Then we need to stop it," she said, her voice desperate. "We need to¡ª"


    Pythiaughed softly, shaking her head. "Stop it? Oh no, princess. You can''t stop what''s already in motion. You''ll face trials soon¡ªtests of loyalty, strength, and your will to survive. But fate''s already decided.


    You''re part of the¡­ game now."


    Rhys''s voice cut through the tension, indifferent but firm. "And if we refuse?"


    Pythia''s teasing smile widened. "Oh, you won''t refuse, Rhys. The path has already beenid. All you can do is walk it."


    "...And how do you even know who I am?" Rhys finally asked, "You''ve been speaking as if you''ve known me for a while now."


    "We already shared a kiss, no?" Pythia giggled, "Not many touch my lips, Rhys Wilder¡ªand you ask me questions, and yet you know that my answers will be vague, so why still ask?"


    Clio''s voice trembled as she interjected, overwhelmed with regret. "When¡­ when will the war happen?"


    "Soon, princess. Very soon. It might even be happening as we speak," Pythia''s voice seemed to linger in the air, her teasing tone growing colder with each word.


    "Happ¡ª" Clio''s breath barely left her lungs, but the Oracle wasn''t done.


    "But for now, Rhys Wilder... your first trial."


    "My first tri¡ª"


    "High Priestess." And before Rhys could finish his words, a familiar voice suddenly approached them, "I failed to kill the Princess of Calydon."


    "Hm¡­?" Rhys''s muscles tensed, his body already reacting to the shift in the air. His head turned slightly, catching the sound of footsteps from the shadows. A hooded figure stepped forward, his movements deliberate and calm.


    It was the very same figure Rhys had fought before right after they left Calydon.


    "You¡­"


    The air grew thick with silence. Clio''s breath caught in her throat, her wide eyes darting between the stranger and Pythia, trying to grasp the weight of his words.


    "You... asked him to kill me?" Clio''s voice trembled, barely above a whisper, but her disbelief hung in the air like a stone.


    "Well¡­" Pythia giggled, the sound too light, too casual for the moment. "I wonder why?" she mused, her eyes glinting with amusement, as though Clio''s fear was just another puzzle piece in her game.


    Clio took a shaky step back, the sudden revtion sinking in, as for Rhys¡­ Rhys didn''t move.


    Right until the point, at least, that Rhys suddenly rushed toward the hooded man¡ªafter all, his hand was already on his sword. And soon, the de shed as he lunged forward. The two, not even saying a word to each other.


    Rhys met him head-on, his fist smashing against the t of the man''s de, the impact sending shockwaves through the ground.


    "Heh¡­" The sh of steel and strength reverberated through the shrine, dust falling from the ancient stone.


    "Wait," but then, the hooded warrior stepped back, his feet barely making a sound as he slid into a defensive stance. And without a word, the man reached to his side, drawing a second sword. He tossed it to Rhys, the de spinning through the air beforending at his feet with a dull thud.


    "To make the fight more interesting thanst time," the hooded warrior said, his tone a low, dangerous hum.


    Rhys''s silver eyes flicked to the sword, then back to the man. His face remained unchanged. It wasn''t arrogance¡ªjust acknowledgment. He bent down, picking up the sword in a single, smooth motion, testing its weight with a flick of his wrist.


    "Again, then." The man moved first, his sword cutting through the air with blinding speed. Rhys was faster, meeting the man''s de mid-swing with a powerful ng. The battle became a blur of steel and strength, each strike resonating through the stone beneath them.


    Rhys didn''t use all of his abilities, he relied on sheer force and speed, driving the hooded man back with each heavy blow. But his opponent was slippery, dodging, weaving, every movement precise and fluid. Every time Rhys pressed an advantage, the hooded warrior slipped away, deflecting or redirecting the strikes with an effortless grace.


    The fight raged through the shrine, the sound of their sh echoing through the ancient structure. He was stronger, undeniably, but the man before him had a level of skill that Rhys had rarely encountered. The hooded warrior''s strikes were purposeful, each one a test of Rhys''s strength and limits¡­ it felt like he was ying with Rhys.


    But then, all of a sudden¡ªone of Rhys''s heavier swings connected with a nearby pir, shattering part of its base. The column groaned, cracks spreading like veins as it began to copse.


    The hooded man stopped. His gaze wasn''t on Rhys anymore. It was on the falling column. Rhys followed his line of sight, realizing in an instant¡ªa worker stood directly in its path, frozen in shock.


    Without hesitation, the hooded warrior dropped his sword. He dashed forward with inhuman speed¡ªsomething he hasn''t yet shown during their fight.


    The column crashed to the ground, but not on the worker. The hooded warrior had reached him in time, pulling the man to safety just before the stone shattered across the floor.


    "T¡­thank you! Thank you!" The worker, wide-eyed and shaken,y on the ground, staring up at his savior in disbelief.


    The hooded warrior helped the worker to his feet, his hands steady. "Go. Get out of here," he said quietly, his voice calm but firm.


    The worker, still in shock, nodded and stumbled away, casting onest nce at the hooded man before disappearing into the distance.


    Only then did the hooded warrior turn back to Rhys.


    "Well, I guess our fight was interrupted again." Slowly, deliberately, he pulled back his hood, revealing his face.


    Golden hair fell free, catching the light of the setting sun. The man''s features were sharp, chiseled, his eyes filled with intensity that spoke of battles long since fought.


    "My name is Achilles," he said, his voice calm, unwavering, as though the name itself carried the weight of centuries.


    "What is yours, young warrior?"

 Chapter 342 A Game for The Gods

    "My name is Achilles¡­


    ¡­what is yours, Young Warrior?"


    The name sounded incredibly familiar to Rhys, but he couldn''t quite remember where he had heard the name before¡ªbut even then, however, the name held a certain weight that caused Rhys to just stand there; his eyes, looking at Achilles from head to toe.


    Rhys stared at him for a while before letting out a sigh and shaking his head.


    "Rhys Wilder," Rhys muttered¡ªa little conflicted with what was happening. Seeing it from an outside perspective, wouldn''t he almost be seen as the viin?


    He was so busy fighting with Achilles that he did not even notice that an innocent bystander was about to get squashed because he couldn''t control his strength and knocked down a pir.


    All these things about quests andbors seemed to be making him impatient¡ªand Pythia''s annoying, vague teasing remarks did not really help at all. For once, he just wanted answers and all that was being given to him were riddles.


    He just wanted to let loose¡­ and yet what exactly was happening now?


    "R¡­ Rhys!" Clio, who was watching from afar, finally rushed toward Rhys''s side; wrapping her arms around his arm as she red at Achilles, "Let''s just¡­ let''s just go. There''s¡­ I don''t think there''s anything for us here. The prophecy¡­ meeting the Oracle. Nothing is¡­ nothing''s going right¡ªand people¡­ people aren''t looking at us good."


    "..." Rhys quickly turned his attention to the crowd of workers building the shrine, only to see all of them ring at them¡ªafter all, Achilles just saved one of their own, and it was Rhys''s fault in the first ce¡ªof course, if he actually took the time to tell them that Achilles tried to assassinate Clio, then maybe they would change their mind.


    But truthfully, they weren''t on Earth and Rhys was not interested at all about what these people were thinking. But¡­ perhaps he should?"


    "No¡­" Rhys slightly raised his voice as he also suddenly red at Achilles, "...This man tried to kill you!"


    "Oh¡­?" Achilles blinked a couple of times as he noticed the sudden shift in Rhys''s tone¡ªand as soon as he realized what he was doing, a small smirk crawled on his face, "Perhaps I can exin. That¡ª"


    "Perhaps we should all rx and have wine?" Before Achilles could actually say anything, Pythia''s voice once again hummed in the air; the smile on her face still as calm as before¡ªstill teasing, almost as if everything that was happening was only an amusement for her, "Although the shrine is notplete yet, Apollo teaches that there is always time for respite."


    "Why¡­ would you think we would evene with you?" Clio''s eyebrows lowered, "You tried to have me killed¡ªwho knows what sort of poison you will be cing in the wine!?"


    "I did not try to have you killed, littledy," Pythia let out a small chuckle before brushing her long golden hair to the side¡ªslightly revealing her breasts which seemed to be the ones responsible for holding her gown up; her teats, clearly visible on them.


    "Little¡­dy?" Clio''s eyes widened as she saw Pythia just smirking at her; she then very subtly looked at her own breasts¡ªbut s, Pythia''s wasrger, "Rhys, we should go before they try to kill us again."


    "I promise in my honor that I will not attempt to harm you again, mdy," Achilles let out a small sigh as he just suddenly knelt on the ground, "I have already failed once¡ªand for that, you have my respect for surviving."


    "Why¡­ would you even have someone assassinate me?" Clio looked at Achilles for a while before turning to Pythia.


    "I am not¡ªI knew that you would be alive," Pythia finally let out a small sigh, "And you were not the intended target in the first ce, Princess¡ªI have already told you that the role you y here is insignificant."


    "But you just told me I am in the center of a war!"


    "But are you?" Pythia tilted her head to the side before looking around the field of moving stones and marbles, "Where is the war here¡­?"


    "That¡ª"


    "The only reason why I asked Achilles to assassinate you is because I knew that the Stranger would be there," Pythia then focused her eyes on Rhys; trailing her finger on her lips as she stared at him, "If ever you have importance to me, then it is done¡ªyou have done your duty in bringing Rhys Wilder here¡ªAnd oh, it was a wonderful revtion."


    "...Are you even telling the truth right now?" Clio was starting to hear the inconsistencies in Pythia''s words¡ªshe said at first that Rhys and she were intertwined, and that it was the will of the Fates that brought them together¡­ and that their story would ultimately lead to Rhys finding his father¡­


    ¡­and now all of a sudden her job was done?


    "Hm, I don''t know," Pythia just let out a small giggle.


    "I think I''m going to lose my mind, Rhys¡­" Clio could really only tighten her embrace on Rhys''s arm, "...Let''s just go and return to Calydon."


    "If you go back to Calydon, you''ll die," Pythia then suddenly said without any hesitation, "I told you, you can change nothing if you go there¡ªyou will only bring death closer to you."


    "I think we are done listening to you," Clio shook her head, "We''ve been talking and talking and not much is really happening¡ªwe''re wasting our time. If the Fates are watching, they would realize how much all of this is dragging on."


    "Do you share the same sentiment, Rhys Wilder?" Pythia squinted her eyes as she looked at Rhys.


    "...I just want to find my father and go home," Rhys sighed, "And I''m starting to think it might be a mistakeing to this world altogether."


    "This world, you say¡­?" A wide smile started to crawl on Pythia''s face, "You speak as if you are from another realm, Rhys Wilder¡ªare you?"


    "I get the feeling you already know the answer to that," Rhys just let out a small but very deep sigh. Read thetest on m_v-l''e-NovelBin


    "I do," Pythia just smiled, answering without even thinking about it, "After all¡ªyou are a Stranger. That could really only mean one thing, you are a god walking amongst the mortals¡­


    ¡­or you are from the Underworld."


    "W¡­what?" Clio blinked a couple of times; her hands almost instinctively let go of his arm, but she tightened it instead, "What are you even saying!? That''s not true! Rhys is¡ª"


    "You''re right," Rhys also no longer hesitated.


    "Ho¡­? Interesting," Achilles quickly turned to look at Pythia for confirmation, and since the smile on her face slowly faded away¡­ it would seem that it was true, "I thought the Underworld had been sealed, High Priestess. What is the meaning of this?"


    "...What indeed." Before the smile couldpletely fade away, however, Pythia just turned around, "...Perhaps we should reset again to make things interesting? I am getting tired of repeating this. I think the others would agree too."


    "Reset¡­?" Achilles blinked a couple of times, "But the war is about to happen! I was promised an endless war, High Priestess!"


    And all of a sudden, Clio could not understand anything anymore.


    "Rhys¡­ it''s true?" Clio finally let go of Rhys''s arm, "Are you¡­ really from the Underworld?"


    "...It''s a little bit moreplicated than that," Rhys could really only sigh as everything was suddenly out, "The Underworld¡­ isn''t what you think it is. It''s another¡ª"


    "Stop it."


    And before Rhys could finish his words, a sudden silence suddenly filled the air¡ªsilence, because everything else just suddenly stopped.


    "What¡­" Rhys could not help but just blink a couple of times as he looked around. The workers who were carrying the stones non-stop, the chatter, everything just¡­ froze. And the only things that were moving were¡ª


    "If you reveal to her the truth, I would have to reset."


    Rhys then quickly turned around to look at Pythia, whose golden hair was now giving out a harsh light, almost glowing.


    "You are very lucky, Rhys Wilder¡ªout of all the worlds younded, younded on mine."


    "What¡­?" Rhys could not help but slightly take a step back as he felt something¡­ different from Pythia.


    "Who is he?"


    "..." Rhys then turned to Achilles, who seemed to also be able to move in this world that seemed to have stopped, "...What''s going on here?"


    "That is what I also want to know, Rhys Wilder," Pythia then approached Rhys, "Lord Hades has sent numerous people here throughout the years¡ªbut you stand out among them. The previous ones he had sent all die without a purpose¡ªbut you, you clearly have something to do here."


    "...I don''t understand," Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "You''re on a chessboard, Rhys of Wilder." Achilles started walking around the unbuilt shrine, "And you are¡­ well, I suppose a piece that is not supposed to be here."


    "Do not insult him, Achilles," Pythia waved her hand, "Hees from a world far more advanced than this one¡ªafter all¡­


    ¡­this world just repeats itself over and over again."

 Chapter 343 Champions

    "This world¡­ just repeats itself over and over again?"


    Rhys, of course, thought it was incredibly ridiculous. To the point that he was starting to think that all of this might all be in his head, and that he might have actually died years ago when he and Lex fell down the building¡ªor maybe even before that.


    After all, that sort of Lowborn could actually take that kind of beating? Maybe Katarina and the others were just some sort of manifestation of his dreams that someone would actually love and care for him.


    But then, of course, he remembers that it hasn''t really been all good for him ever since he gained his abilities¡ªthe things that he had to do, he was sure weren''t just part of some dream. This was real.


    It was downright ridiculous, but it was actually happening, right here and now. But then again, maybe he should not be surprised¡ªhe had already met a literal god, after all.


    "I can see how much that weighs down on you." Pythia''s gigglespletely took Rhys away from his stupor as he quickly focused his attention back on her. And like how she had been from the start, there was a sense of nonchnce in each of her movements as if she did not just reveal something incredibly ridiculous to him,


    "But you do not have to worry, Rhys Wilder¡ªI too, am experiencing some kind of shock. Or perhaps, it is better to say that I am experiencing some sort of, hm¡­ conundrum¡ªtruthfully, I should get rid of you here and now. But of course, I can''t do that since we will be exposed to the other gods¡ªand so, I could only settle with our hero here to kill you."


    Rhys turned to look at Achilles as soon as Pythia nced at him, but Achilles just shrugged and did nothing at all.


    "But that is nothing to happen, as it is not meant to happen," Pythia covered her mouth, sighing and giggling at the same time, "Do you know why it is not going to happen, Rhys Wilder?"


    "Just tell me," Rhys pinched the bridge of his nose, "It feels like you want to tell me everything anyway."


    "Because out of all the heroes Lord Hades has sent throughout the years¡ªyou are special, incredibly so," Pythia nodded to herself as she started walking around; circling Rhys like he was some sort of prey to consume. Her lips, even being brushed by her tongue, "I have never felt such satisfaction in cing my lips upon any mortal, half-mortal ever since Aphrodite¡ªbut of course, I know that you are not one of Aphrodite''s and I surely know that you are not one of Lord Hades¡­


    ¡­And so there is really only one that stands out among the rest, and oh¡­ he stands¡­


    ¡­Eros."


    "Who¡­ are you?" Rhys''s eyes started to squint.


    "It should already be obvious, Rhys Wilder," Pythia covered her mouth to giggle again; her hair that was now as bright as the sun almost blinding Rhys, "I have watched you ever since you left that boat¡ªhow could I not, when a demi-god I do not know of has suddenly entered my game?"


    "You¡­" Rhys quickly turned to look up at the two suns above the sky, only to find that one was already missing.


    "Yes."


    "!!!" And as Rhys looked back at Pythia, he found herpletely aze¡ªher entire body a dancing me that felt like it threatened to burn everything around her. He quickly took several steps back.


    As for Achilles, he would probably also do the same as Rhys if he wasn''t already kneeling on the ground.


    "I am Apollo¡ªI am sure you have heard of me," Pythia spoke¡ªRhys thought that her voice would change into something more powerful, but it did not at all, "And wee to my world, Descendant of Eros."


    "..." Rhys just stared at Pythia for a few seconds, staring into her eyes that looked like it would burn him if he even dared to take a step closer¡ªbut still, after a few seconds of the dancing mes reflecting in his eyes¡­ Rhys just let out a small sigh,


    "...Another god. Of course, I would encounter one of you so soon."


    "That''s not really the reaction I was expecting to see," Pythia once again giggled, "But then, I suppose for someone who had already met with Lord Hades, my existence would seem¡­ feeble."


    "Oh, no. Not at all," Rhys sighed while shaking his head, "It''s because I honestly don''t really know much about the gods¡ªI spent most of my time in history ss either being beaten or in the clinic."


    "Ha¡­" Pythia smiled and covered her mouth again; the mes that were dancing around her, slowly withering away, "...You truly are an enigma to be solved, Rhys Wilder¡ªthe only question here now is what to do with you."


    "...Just tell me where my father is and I will go," Rhys just once again sighed as he looked around the frozen horizon, "Whatever game it is you''re ying here¡ªI''m not really interested, nor do I want to be involved in it or disturb you¡­ this isn''t my world, and I am not interested in living in it."


    "That''s a shame," Pythia also let out a sigh of her own as she walked toward Clio, cing her fingers on her lips, "The Princess of Calydon has taken such a liking to you that it would almost be criminal to leave¡ªor perhaps does the Descendant of Eros not care much about his lovers? Because the Eros I know, all of those who had captured his love and affection, he brings them wherever he is¡ªand he loves all of them equally."


    "...Hm," Rhys turned to look at the Hearts floating above Clio''s head¡ª1 of them still empty, "She''s¡­ not my woman."


    "Oh, how cold¡­" Pythia gasped, "...After you have plucked her from her innocence?"


    "It''s not my decision whether they want to stay with me or not," Rhys shook his head, "I''m not¡­ ying with anyone''s heart."


    "If you say so," Pythia once again sighed, "Poor Clio, though¡ªbut I suppose the two of you would still have much time to spend together."


    "What¡­?" Rhys squinted his eyes, "I already told you that I will go¡ªyou will never have to see me again once you point me where I need to go."


    "If I didn''t already tell you¡­" Pythia shook her head, "...I don''t know who your father is, Rhys Wilder."


    "...What?" Rhys blinked, "But you just said earlier that you know where he is."


    "Well, I lied," Pythia shrugged, "We tend to do that around here, Rhys Wilder¡ªdeception is the Olympians'' best trait. Ites second nature to us¡ªthat, and being incredibly vague. I apologize, Rhys Wilder, but if you wanted answers¡­


    ¡­you should have stayed with Lord Hades¡ªhe is the most honest of us all."


    "That''s true," Achilles stood up from the ground, "I have experienced that many times myself."


    "...Why are you not frozen like the others?" Rhys asked.


    "Because unlike the rest of these people and this world, I do not reset," Achilles breathed out as he started stretching his neck, "I am the main character of this world, Rhys Wilder ¡ª they write stories about me, they sculpt statues of me¡ªI am Apollo''s champion. Ande to think of it¡­ Read new adventures at m_v-l''e-NovelBin


    ¡­she has promised me war."


    "You had the chance to fight with a Hero that not even the mighty champion of my father has fought," Pythia gestured to Rhys, "I do believe that is worth more than a thousand wars that you know you would already win."


    "...That''s true," Achilles squinted his eyes as he looked at Rhys from head to toe, "But then again, that was not a battle using all of our strength¡ªyou are trying to find your father, correct?"


    "...Yes," Rhys nodded.


    "Then perhaps I could offer words," Achilles crossed his arms, "The Coliseum of Champions."


    "Oho¡­?" Pythia seemed incredibly amused as she looked at Achilles.


    "...And what''s that?"


    "It is a gathering of champions¡ªhundreds and hundreds of us," Achilles closed his eyes, slightly stretching his arms to the side as he seemed to relish in the memory, "Every hundred years, champions are gathered in a single world, very much like this one¡ªand we fight."


    "...Another game?" Rhys sighed.


    "The Game," Achilles, however, did not seem to mind Rhys''s tone, "Thisnd, it is merely a yground to train and harness my skills¡ªThe Coliseum of Champions is where the stakes are truly real. Join it, and let us face each other there with our full strength once and for all."


    "Hmm, that''s good and all," Pythia ced a finger on her chin as she tilted her head, "But in order for Rhys Wilder here to participate¡ªyou would need a god to sponsor you¡ªLord Hades can be considered to be your sponsor, but he is not here right now, no?"


    "A sponsor¡­" Rhys squinted his eyes.


    "There is also the issue of being unknown," Pythia hummed, "You¡­


    ¡­need to make yourself known first, Rhys Wilder


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 Chapter 344 Reveal...ations

    "I¡­ need to make myself known?"


    "Indeed."


    Although Rhys was still extremely confused with what was happening right now, there was at least finally something he knew how to do¡ªmaking himself known.


    But still, it might be extremely difficult to do that in this world, since there were no such things as social media and cameras. He also can''t use the fact that he''s a so-called Lowborn because most of the people here do not really have any intricate hair colorspared to his world, where even the most normal of people would either have blue or green hair¡­ very much like Pythia, whose golden hair almost reflected the sun.


    Her hair was not glowing anymore, however, now that she wasn''t revealing her godly aura. And¡­ although Rhys may not know much about the history of the gods¡ªhe does know one thing.


    Wasn''t Apollo supposed to be a man? So¡­ why exactly was she a woman right now?


    "Ugh¡­" Rhys could not help but just pinch the bridge of his nose as all sorts of thoughts rushed through his mind. Maybe he should have really just stayed in his world¡ªhis arm was already healed right now anyway, maybe that ck shadow that swallowed Dr. Dhani wouldn''t show itself again?


    Ande to think of it¡ªsince that dark, tentacle shadow devoured Dr. Dhani, wouldn''t that mean that he was¡­ inside him right now? How did it even digest him? Or is it like Maria''s shadow abilities where itpletely transfers into some sort of void?


    "You do not need to be at such a loss, my young friend."


    And as Rhys once again found himself in his own world, overthinking, Achilles ced his hand on his shoulder, quickly pulling him out of his stupor.


    "I believe it would be incredibly interesting to have you at the Coliseum of Champions," Achilles did not even seem to notice Rhys''s brows furrowing as he looked at his hand, "So, you can have this run that the High Priestess has made for me."


    "The high priestess¡­" Rhys turned his focus back to Pythia, "...I thought she was Apollo."


    "I am both," Pythia covered her mouth and giggled, "When we transform into someone, Rhys Wilder, we transform fully and adapt our entire personality through and around it¡ªfor now, I am the High Priestess Pythia¡ªApollo is merely an afterthought, or the after. If you know what I mean."


    "...Aren''t you supposed to be a man?" Rhys could not help but ask.


    "...Pft," Pythia, however, just once again covered her mouth¡ªthis time, however, it was not a soft giggle at all. She was genuinely trying her best not to burst out into a fit ofughter, "It would seem that no one has exined to you how gods are, Rhys Wilder¡ªLord Hades should have prepared you for what was toe. And also¡­"


    Pythia then let out a long, humming sigh as she approached the frozen Clio, "¡­And he should have known that someone like you would not spend that much time living amongst the mortals. A demi-god, no matter what, will always find their way to greatness, or a great tragedy."


    "The High Priestess speaks the truth," Achilles nodded, "No matter how much you try to hide who you are¡ªwhat you are will always resurface."


    "Since Achilles here has been kind enough to allow you to continue this run," Pythia then looked around the horizon, "Then it shall be given to you, Rhys Wilder¡ªdo not waste it, as this will be your only chance to catch the eye of a god. I would have truly loved to have sponsored you and made you one of my champions¡­


    ¡­but the warlord Achilles is expensive enough already."


    "...I actually already have someone in mind," Rhys just casually said.


    "Oh?" Pythia tilted her head to the side, "And who might that be? No, wait¡ªdo not tell me. I live for the suspense."


    "...Right."


    "But it doesn''t matter, I suppose," Pythia looked at Clio again, "Even if you have thought of someone to sponsor you, you would still need to have achievements¡ªin this case, since the war between Thebes and Calydon is already happening¡­ then it would be a good ce to¡ª"


    "A good ce to¡ªhuh?"


    "Oh¡­?"


    And all of a sudden, Pythia slightly moved back in surprise as Clio suddenly spoke¡ªit was unclear which of the two actually looked more confused. Pythia then once again turned to look at the surroundings, only to realize that everything else was still frozen.


    "What¡­" Clio also quickly noticed this. After all, the silence she was hearing around her was unnatural¡ªand for her, the change in Pythia, Rhys, and Achiless''s position happened almost instantaneously¡ªas if they teleported,"...What''s happening!?"


    "Oh my, oh my, my, my¡­" Pythia took a step back as she traced her finger on her lips, "...Now this is a very interesting development."


    "H¡­Huh?" Clio could not help but blink a couple of times as she looked around; her eyes,nding on the only ce she felt safe, "R¡­ Rhys?"


    And even though Clio was still slightly apprehensive after knowing that Rhys was from the Underworld, she still found herself being drawn to him; quickly moving toward him and once again wrapping her arm around his, "What''s¡­ happening?"


    "Something very, very interesting, Your Highness," a wide, almost teasing smile crawled onto Pythia''s face as she stared at Clio from head to toe¡ªwell, her eyes stopped between her thighs, "Is it because you have been inside her, Rhys Wilder?"


    "W¡­what!?" Clio instinctively tightened her legs together as she saw Pythia staring.


    "It would seem you are now able to move in the Frozen World even though you do not even have an ounce of a god in you¡­" Pythia''s brows furrowed as she approached Clio, who just instinctively hid behind Rhys, "...Although, I guess you did have a demi-god in you, pft."


    "What is she even saying¡­? And what is happening here¡­ Rhys?" Clio,pletely confused, could really only tighten her embrace on Rhys and look at him.


    "She''s Apollo," Rhys said without any hesitation.


    "W¡­ what!?" And almost immediately, Clio kneeled down; she was, however, still holding Rhys''s hand, "F¡­ Forgive me for all of my rudeness, Apollo! I dare not¡ª"


    "Pft¡­" Pythia justughed at Clio''s sudden change of attitude, "I am not Apollo, at least not in this form¡ªand that was a risky move you did just there, Rhys Wilder¡ªI told you that this world would reset if you told someone that is stuck in the Frozen World about something that they should not know."


    "She doesn''t seem stuck to me, Ma''am," Rhys sighed.


    "...Ma''am?" Pythia smiled, "I have never been called that before¡ªI like it. But still, that begs the question¡ªhow exactly was she able to break free from the Frozen World, hm? Did you do something, Rhys Wilder?"


    "No¡­" Rhys shook his head, "I did no¡ª"


    And before Rhys could finish his words, his eyes suddenlynded on the Hearts floating above Clio''s head¡ªand now it was just one big empty Heart.


    When¡­ did he even conquer her? He clearly remembers it only being 5 small Hearts, with only 4 filled up¡ªdid it happen while she was frozen? How¡­ was that even possible?


    "Your eyes tell me that you are clearly also confused about all of this, Rhys Wilder," Pythia shook her head and sighed, "But I suppose it does not matter. Now then, since things are starting to get interesting on my side¡ªI am in the mood to exin everything again to the princess. Come, Princess of Calydon, let us talk." Stay connected with m-v l|e''-NovelBin


    And as soon as Pythia reached out her hand to Clio, the world around them once again started to move. And this time, any apprehension Clio had with Pythia waspletely gone¡ªafter all¡­


    ¡­all this time, the Oracle she had been dreaming about was actually Apollo.


    It was an honor to even be breathing the same air.


    And so, with that, Clio grabbed Pythia''s hand and the two just disappeared into the still unfinished shrine.


    "...I also want details about what Rhys Wilder did to you."


    "Details¡­?"


    "Yes, about¡­"


    "W¡­what!? But¡­ why!?"


    And soon, the two''s voices faded away into the shrine¡ªleaving Achilles and Rhys all alone.


    "So¡­ the Underworld," Achilles was the first to break the silence, "I was told a thousand years ago that it had been sealed, and that no one could evere in, and out of it¡ªso, what exactly are you doing here right now? And from what I heard from Apollo, you are not the first to be sent here by¡­ Lord Hades?"


    "Hm," Rhys just shrugged, not really interested in hiding anything anymore since Apollo seemed to have realized everything just from a single¡­ kiss. But after a few seconds, he realized something from Achilles''s words, "Wait¡­


    ¡­did you just say a thousand years ago?"


    "Yes."


    "That means you have been alive for¡­ more than a thousand years?" Rhys''s eyes slightly widened as he finally looked at Achilles, truly looking at him.


    "Yes¡­? What is so weird about¡ªwait," Achilles blinked a couple of times, "I have been calling you a young warrior¡­


    ¡­but how old are you?"

 Chapter 345 Shared Abilities

    "I have been calling you a young warrior¡­


    ¡­but how old are you?"


    Rhys did not really answer yet as he was suddenly lost in thought. He had met his fair share of people who have lived very long lives¡ªTalia, for one. Dr. Dhani was also way beyond what he looked like. And aside from the supernatural beings in his life like the Arachnea and, quite possibly Margryth, this was perhaps the first time he was actually seeing an actual human, well¡ªdemi-god, who has lived for a thousand years.


    "How old are you?" Achilles repeated his question, looking Rhys in the eyes as he seemed incredibly curious now.


    "I''m¡­ 20," Rhys finally snapped out of his stupor as he answered Achilles.


    "20!?" Achilles could not help but take a step back as soon as he heard that; his voice, almost traveling across the entire site and catching the attention of everyone there, "You are barely even a babe! But¡­ I suppose I was 11 years old during my first war."


    "...You were in a war at 11?"


    "Yes," Achilles closed his eyes while waving his hand, "I will never forget the first taste of blood as I stabbed my enemy between his neck and shoulders¡ªI had to leap high since I was smaller than most. Such a good memory."


    "...Right," Rhys nodded. Enjoy exclusive chapters from m-v l''e|-NovelBin


    "What about you¡ªwhat do you remember about your first kill?" Achilles opened his eyes as he looked at Rhys; his eyes once again filled with curiosity.


    "I¡­ don''t even remember," Rhys was being honest¡ªhe truly doesn''t remember anymore, "But I wasn''t in a war like you, that''s for sure¡ªI was just¡­ in a fight for survival in a world that has tried to bring me down again and again."


    "Huh, sounds cool," Achilles just shrugged at Rhys''s words, "I was shot in my ankle and died when I was 25 years old and then resurrected to fight in a world that loops over and over again¡ªwarriors like us, I believe we are never meant to live a normal life."


    "But do you wish it?" Rhys asked¡ªfor some reason, he was slightly gettingfortable with talking to Achilles ever since he realized he was over a thousand years old, "A normal life, Sir?"


    "A normal life doesn''t suit me," Achilles quickly answered, "I was meant for blood and iron. And you¡­


    ¡­there will alsoe a time when you will realize that."


    "Hm¡­"


    "So¡­" Achilles''s voice turned quiet, "...Tell me more about the Underworld¡ªApollo said it was a ce much advanced than this."


    "It is," Rhys nodded¡ªhe doesn''t really have to hide anything, the gods know the truth, "And everyone is a demi-god."


    "What!?" Achilles''s eyes widened in shock, "Everyone is as strong as you!?"


    "...No," Rhys shook his head, "There are¡­ probably 10 people there stronger than me, perhaps more."


    "Interesting," Achilles ced his hand on his chin, "It would seem the gods are hiding out on us¡ªI would like to visit the Underworld. Approach me when you are going to return to your home, Rhys of Wilder."


    "Okay, Sir," Rhys nodded.


    "Ugh," Achilles then just suddenly groaned in frustration, "I truly want to fight you with your full strength, young warrior. And I am sure the others would lose their minds if they find out that you are not even a speck of our age¡ªI have no doubt that you will make yourself known, but you need to make yourself known fast, brother¡­


    ¡­the war between Thebes and Calydon, win it as fast as possible, and as domineering as possible that your name will flow through the annals of history. And then defeat a monster¡ªthat should be enough to put you in the Coliseum of Champions."


    "Okay, Sir."


    "And your father¡­"


    "Hm?" Rhys''s ears perked up.


    "If you are trying to find your father¡ªand if he is anywhere as strong as you¡­" Achilles squinted his eyes, "...Then there is a chance that he might truly be in the Coliseum. If Lord Hades had brought you here to find him, then that must mean he is truly here somewhere¡ªbut instead of visiting the other chess boards, it would be better to go to the Coliseum instead, so¡­


    ¡­do your best, Rhys of Wilder."


    "My father, huh¡­" Rhys breathed out.


    "Rhys!" And finally, almost as if in cue to their ending conversation, Clio finally returned with Pythia.


    "What¡­ are you wearing?"


    Wearing chest armor and a helmet that covered most of his head¡ªshe was also wearing armored spartan sandals, and a skirt that barely covered her thighs¡­ she also had a sword and a shield,pletely ready for battle.


    "I will be joining the fight!" Clio could barely even lift the shield as she approached Rhys, "I will not stand on the sidelines while my people die! I have alreadymitted a grave sin by running away¡ªI will fight with my life on the line!"


    "...You''ll die," Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked around, only to see Achilles slightly amused and Pythia giggling.


    "No!" Clio shook her head, "Pythia has told me that since I can move through the¡­ Frozen World, that means that I have the power of a demi-god!"


    "No¡­" Rhys could really only pinch the bridge of his nose, "...You are¡ª"


    And before Rhys could say what he wanted, he suddenly remembered one of the abilities he had¡ªsomething he had never really used before since no one really needed it yet amongst the people he loved.


    ¡ªHe could share and grant abilities to the members of his¡­ harem.


    "Oh¡­?" Pythia quickly noticed the sudden change of expression on Rhys''s face, "It would seem you have thought of something, Rhys Wilder?"


    "No¡­" Rhys whispered out, "...You said the war is happening now?"


    "Most likely, yes," Pythia nodded.


    "Then we should go, Clio," Rhys reached out his hand to Clio.


    "Y¡­ Yes!" Clio''s expression brightened as she approached Rhys, "But¡­ we should have another horse, it would be faster if¡ªEep!?"


    "No," Rhys shook his head as he suddenly carried Clio in her arms, "Hold on to your weapon tight, Your Highness."


    "What¡ªwhat are you doing!?"


    "Sir Achilles, High Priestess," Rhys then nodded to both as the muscles on his legs started to tense up, "You are the only one watching me through the sun, right?"


    "That''s not even a sun¡­" Pythia giggled, "...But yes, only me¡ªonly your feats of battle will be shown to the public. How you did them, well, I am happy to say that it will only be me who will see it."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys nodded as he looked back at Achilles, "...Let me give you an advantage in our future fight, Sir Achilles."


    "Hm¡­?" Achilles squinted.


    "This is one of the things I can do."


    "What are you¡ª"


    "Eek!?"


    And before Achilles could finish his words, a loud thunder erupted in the air as Rhys just suddenly ran away¡ªClio''s screams, just quickly faded into the horizon.


    "Huh¡­ quite cheeky, that one," Achilles smirked as he crossed his arms.


    "Do you think you have a chance to win against him in the tournament?" Pythia brushed her finger on her lips, "I believe he is quite strong, that one."


    "Well¡­" Achilles turned around, "...I have some few tricks up my sleeves too. Send me to the Coliseum, High Priestess¡ªI need to train."


    "Hm¡­" Pythia grinned before snapping her fingers. And as she did so, Achilles was suddenly and instantly swallowed by a raging fire¡ªbut it did notst long, however, as it also just suddenly disappeared as soon as it appeared,


    "...Well then, this should be interesting."


    ***


    "I¡­ I can''t move my legs again."


    Rhys and Clio were now in a clearing, with Clio barely even able to stand up as her body was still shivering from what it had experienced just moments ago¡ªshe was extremely scared at first due to the sudden movement, but it became tolerable¡ªand even beautiful when she started seeing everything just flow past her.


    But still, her body was still inplete shock¡ªshe was sweating to the point that she had to remove her helmet.


    "But, why¡­ why did we stop?" Clio then looked toward the horizon where Calydon should be, "I''m¡­ alright, you do not need to stop for me. We can go¡ª"


    "No," Rhys shook his head as he started looking at Clio from head to toe. And as soon as Clio saw that, she quickly covered her legs.


    "We¡­ we have no time for that, Rhys!" Clio said as her face quickly turned red, "If¡­ if we win the war, then we can¡­ we can do it as much as we want¡ªbut we would have to be wed! I do not want to be known as a loose woman!"


    "...It''s not that," Rhys sighed as he approached Clio, "I am¡­ trying to figure out how to share some of my abilities with you¡ªto at least keep you from dying."


    "Share¡­ your abilities?" Clio blinked a couple of times, "You mean¡­ I could be as strong as you!?"


    "I don''t know yet¡­" Rhys shook his head,


    "...But we need to figure this out since I know you wouldn''t just sit still¡ªI can''t have you dying on me now that you are one of my own."


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 Chapter 346: Clios... training montage?

    346 Chapter 346: Clio''s... training montage?


    "I¡­ I think I can do it! I can lift it! You did it, Rhys! You granted me powers!"


    "...No, the ground''s just getting soft."


    "Oh."


    Clio had been currently trying to lift a boulder the size of an entire carriage for about 3 hours now. But s, the most she had done was dig through the dirt since she had been standing on it and shaving it little by little¡ªher strength, still as feeble as before.


    "Maybe¡­ maybe we should try another power?" Clio stammered as she moved away from the builder; wiping the sweat under her chin as she approached Rhys¡ªher breasts, jiggling and slightly exposed due to how thin her gown was, no. They were not just mildly exposed, they truly were.


    Due to her sweat, her pink teats were already showing themselves through. And of course, she noticed this too¡ªbut it was not the time for any of that. And since Rhys was also not mentioning it and waspletely focused on trying to grant her powers, she too, was not mentioning anything at all.


    "What¡­ other powers do you have?"


    "This."


    "W¡ª!!!" Clio could not help but close her eyes as a st of water sshed toward her¡ªit was cool, and it somewhat smelled sweet but not sticky at all. In fact, it was cool and made her extremely fresh¡­ it reminded her of the smallke where¡­ where she and Rhys first did the deed.


    "Wait¡­" Clio wiped her sweat off with the water, "...Could it be you created thatke?"


    "I did," Rhys nodded as he raised his arm, causing a sphere of water to materialize from his hand. He then pointed his finger toward the boulder that Clio was trying to lift¡ªonly for the sphere of water topress and then shoot out of the boulder¡­pletely piercing a hole through it.


    "W¡­ It''s stronger than an arrow!?" Clio rushed back toward the boulder, moving to the other side only to see the holepletely go through, "You¡­ are you the son of Poseidon!?"


    "...No," Rhys sighed while shaking his head, "But we should focus on trying to grant you an ability."


    "Maybe¡­ we should just go, Rhys," Clio also sighed, "I do not care if I have abilities¡ªI will not stand on the sidelines while my people fight!"


    "You will die in less than an hour," Rhys shook his head, "And it''s also obvious from the soldiers of Thebes before that they''re targeting you¡ªas soon as they see you, you''re dead."


    "That¡­" Clio could really only lower her head as she heard that. She looked at the equipment that Pythia gave her¡ªand she knew that even if they were actually enchanted, it wouldn''t change if she didn''t actually have the strength to wield them, "...Okay, let''s go again."


    "No¡­" Rhys shook his head, "...I think we''re going about this the wrong way."


    "Hm¡­?"


    Rhys remembered when he learned how to teleport Arachnea and the others next to him¡ªArachnea didn''t really teach him how, she just told him that he should know how to use it instinctively. And he did.


    And he also knows that if he wanted to summon any of them now¡­ he actually could, even if they were all the way back in the real world, his world. But of course, he wouldn''t do that¡ªthe very reason he was here was to get away from them in order to keep them safe.


    And so, he needed to approach this sharing ability the same way he did with the¡­ Harem Summon. By instinct.


    "Maybe¡­"


    "Hm? What are you¡ª!?" Clio''s wet body suddenly froze¡ªbut not from the cold, but the sudden warmth that enveloped her body as Rhys suddenly wrapped his arms around her, "What¡ªwe¡­we don''t have time for this! I know¡­ I know you want to¡­ and I want to do it too¡­ but¡­"


    "I''m¡­ not doing that," Rhys sighed, "I''m trying to figure out if maybe being this close could help."


    "Oh¡­ t¡­ then, please¡­" Clio took in a small gulp as she rested her head on Rhys''s cheek; listening to his heartbeat that seemed so calm,pletely different from hers that seemed to want to jump out of her chest and just hug Rhys back. But of course, before that could happen, Clio opted to hug Rhys back instead, "You¡­ really smell nice, Rhys."


    "Hm¡­" Rhys just let out a small breath, causing a warm touch to brush on top of Clio''s head, causing her to slightly tuck her head down like a turtle and shiver.


    "So¡­ anything yet?" Clio softly whispered as a certain¡­ weight was starting to veil over her; her fingers now gripping between the folds of Rhys''s shirt, very slowly caressing his back without knowing it.


    "I''ll tell you when I feel something happen," Rhys also started moving his hand to adjust them since Clio moved even closer to him; her breasts practically sandwiched between them. And very soon, her feet started moving on their own as they brushed against his leg.


    "Rhys¡­" Clio then slightly leaned away as she felt the warmth reaching through her deepest parts. She then looked Rhys in the eyes, and then toward his lip¡ªand with that as her only warning, she ced her lips upon his. No, not just her lips, but her tongue started moving on their own, twirling around as they seemingly also called for Rhys''s tongue to move.


    As for Rhys¡ªhe finally felt something. This was it¡ªthis was how he could share his abilities with the people he loved¡ªthrough a kiss.


    And so, with that information flooding his mind, he just pulled Clio closer to him, causing her to very slightly moan. She raised her leg; her hips, moving on their own as she started rubbing herself on Rhys''s thigh.


    "!!!" And all of a sudden, and she truly didn''t mean to¡ªshe came within seconds.


    "Hn¡­!" Clio''s entire body trembled as she lost all control. If it wasn''t for Rhys holding him close, she would have probably fallen down. The only problem was¡­ Rhys''s touch seemed to be making her climax again and again¡ªjust what sort of creature was Rhys for him to be capable of doing something like this?


    "Stop¡­" Clio''s entire body has be sensitive just from Rhys''s breaths alone, "Stop!" n/?/vel/b//jn dot c//om


    And when the pleasure became too unbearable for her, she pushed Rhys away¡­ hard.


    Really hard to the point that Rhys found himself unexpectedly taking several steps back.


    "We¡­" Clio quickly realized this, of course, as she quickly looked Rhys in the eyes. And before even waiting for him to say anything, she quickly looked at the boulder and walked toward it again¡­ and this time, she carefully wrapped her arms around it. And she just knew just from that alone, from the way her fingerstched onto the boulder¡­


    ¡­that she could lift it.


    "We¡­ we did it!" Clio then waved therge boulder around, "We¡ª"


    Unfortunately for Clio, she was not used to this kind of strength as she identally let go of the boulder¡ªwhich flew toward Rhys.


    "Ah, Rhys!"


    "It''s fine," Rhys, however, was able to catch the boulder in one hand with ease. The truth was, he was slightly nervous at first because he thought that they would actually get a portion of his own power¡ªbut it would seem that wasn''t the case at all.


    Didn''t this mean that¡­ this could potentially be his most powerful ability?


    "We should run some tests first with how much you''ve actually gotten stronger," Rhys then carefully ced the boulder on the ground before gesturing to Clio toe close to him, "Come then¡­


    ¡­show me how strong you''ve gotten."


    ***


    "They¡­ they are breaching the castle!"


    Calydon had no walls¡ªand the closest thing they had to it was the barricades that they quickly set up when they heard that the Thebes actually had no n in marrying their princess, and was instead just doing it as a guise to get something from them.


    Calydon was still somewhat fortunate. After all, one of their servants, the very same one who brought Clio her horse, discovered the army that was lying in wait while on her way back to the city¡ªshe quickly reported this to the queen herself, who reported it to the King.


    The King quickly ordered his soldiers to kill all the soldiers from Thebes¡ªunfortunately for them, that meant that they did not have that much time to set up their perimeter barricade at all.


    And right now, with their citizens hiding behind their homes¡­ the soldiers of Thebes were actually already inside their city. After all, Thebes was arge polispletely different from Calydon.


    It wasn''t a war from the beginning, not at all¡ªit was a massacre¨Cand so, right now, some of the soldiers were already in front of the castle gates, breaking it down.


    "Barricade it! Cover it with¡ª!!!"


    And before the soldiers could even do anything, the doors were forced openpletely removed from its hinges and thrown away.


    "C¡­For Glory!" The soldiers of Calydon rushed forward¡­


    ¡­only to stop because it was Clio who emerged from the other side of the door.

 Chapter 347: Duel

    347 Chapter 347: Duel


    "Is that¡­ Princess Clio?"


    There was silence after the loud rumbling of the door¡ªand the rumbling of the door was loud. The doors that lead to the castle were heavy and gigantic, even coated with iron and copper and the only way to truly break it would be to ram it with arge tree. But of course, that was made impossible due to the design of the castle, which makes the entrance tight so that nothing asrge as a carriage would fit.


    This was the King''sst defense¡ªand yet right now, their doors were now just swinging on the floor beforeying t with an almost thunderous drum. But of course, none of them were even thinking about the door anymore, not even the army''s general andst vanguard of the King against the soldiers of Thebes.


    After all, how could they be concentrating on things other than Princess Clio? Who just casually emerged from the other side, right when they thought that the thing that would emerge would be their death?


    "My¡­ my daughter!?" The King, who was holding his own sword, could not help but stare at Clio as she walked closer to them. He was looking at his face first trying to see if it was really her¡ªand as soon as he confirmed it to be so, he quickly rushed toward her; hisnky and skinny build, caused the armor he was wearing to swing around his torso.


    "Your Majesty!"


    But before he could actually approach Clio, his general stopped him.


    "What are you doing, unhand me at once!"


    "We¡­ we don''t know if that really is Princess Clio! She could be¡ª"


    "It''s me." Clio let out a loud breath as she dropped her sword to the floor and ced her hand on her chest, "I am sorry for leaving,Father¡ªI thought that my destiny lies elsewhere, and I find that it is not true at all, in a way¡ªbut in the end, I had to leave in order to figure that out."


    "Unhand me!" The King pushed the general away¡ªwell, he could not actually push the general away and he had to let go so that the king could run toward his daughter.


    "Father¡­" Clio weed her father''s embrace, "I am sorry for leaving."


    "No¡­no," the King immediately pulled away, "You shouldn''t havee back, my daughter¡­ my Clio¡ªwe have lost this war, this massacre. I have already ordered our people to either run or hide because I know that we will not win this. You should go¡­


    ¡­General, take my daughter away to somewhere safe. I will¡ª"


    "Father," Clio let out a small sigh while shaking her head, "It is fine now, I have brought someone who could help us. And we will be fine, Father¡ªI will protect our people."


    "Protect¡­ our people?" The King looked Clio in the eyes; gently brushing his fingers on her cheek, "Your mother would have been so proud of you, my dear Clio¡ªbut we have already lost this war. And what can you even do? At least you brought with you the might of the gods themselves, then we are lost."


    "But¡ª"


    "No, buts!" The King then turned around and tried to pull Clio away, only for him to find himself almost tumbling back¡ªand if it was not for Clio catching him, then he would have definitely fallen to the floor hard, "What¡ª!?"


    But Clio did not just catch him, no¡ªClio lifted him up without any difficulty to make sure his feet were carefully nted on the floor.


    "Father¡­" Clio then let out a small breath¡ªand as she did so, the wind finally blew all the smoke outside when the door was kicked down¡ªand there, everyone saw all the soldiers of Thebes lying on the ground; all of their chest tes either caved in or shed in half.


    "Did you¡­" The King then turned to look at the sword that Clio dropped, only to see it covered in blood. He also looked at her knuckles, which were also covered in blood, "...Did you do all of that?"


    "I did. I was¡­ granted the power to save our people," Clio nodded, "And I also brought the very thing you asked¨Cthe might of the gods."


    "What¡­?" The King stared at Clio''s face for a few seconds; his eyes trembling as all sorts of thoughts raced in his mind. But soon, it clicked on him¡ªand not only him, but the rest of the people inside the castle¡ªall the screams and noises outside that should be pointed at them¡­ they were not entering the castle at all, "What is¡­ happening out there?"


    "I told you¡­" Clio let out a small sigh as she just calmly turned around and started walking back out, "...I brought someone who could help us."


    The King turned to look at his general, and the general looked at his soldiers. And soon, all of them started moving to the door¡ªcarefully, of course, as they still did not know if it was truly clear outside.


    Well, they soon came to know that it wasn''t clear at all. The soldiers of Thebes were still there¡ªbut none of them were looking at the castle anymore and were all just rushing away.


    "The rear! Someone''s attacking us in the rear! Protect Prince Ducetios!"


    "Men, to the garrison!"


    "What¡­?" The general was the first to react as he saw all the Thebes'' troops all running away, "The rear¡­? How many did you bring with you, Your Highness!? Did you ask for help from another country, is that why you were gone!?"


    "No," Clio smiled, "And I only brought one person."


    "One person¡­?" Both the general and the king looked at each other at the same time; the confusion on their faces as clear as day, "...How would that even be¡ª"


    And before the King could even finish his words, they saw something blitzing past into the distance¡ªthey looked, only to see a soldier from Thebes now rolling on the ground violently. And before their mind could even register what had happened, another soldier followed¡­ and then another¡ªand soon, there were even people being blown into the air¡­ dozens and dozens of them.


    "Just¡­ who did you bring?" The King''s eyes widened as he looked back at Clio.


    "...The one I truly want to marry, Father," Clio held her chest again as she watched the chaos unfold¡ªand soon, the soldiers of Thebes found themselves moving back into the front of the castle, no. It was more like they were being pushed back.


    What was it, exactly? Some sort of contraption? Perhaps a beast? But why would Clio want to marry a beast¡­?


    "Did¡­" The King''s voice shivered as he saw how the phnx was being pushed away, "...Did you sell yourself to the monsters of the Underworld to help us? No. That is not right, my child¡­ it¡­ it should be me¡ªI should be the one to sacrifice myself to the ugly beast and¡ª!!!"


    And before the King could finish his words, the phnx formation waspletely cut apart as the so-called might of god finally revealed itself¡ªhimself. The King and even the general were preparing to see some sort of beast, hungry and feral, a brute.


    They held their breaths from seeing how tall he was at first, but then¡­ they saw his face.


    "What¡­"


    "It''s¡­ a god," the general gasped. Even from afar, it was obvious how chiseled and good-looking Rhys was. Like a statue that was sculpted by the most promiscuous of gods¡ªtheir vision of beauty and power at the same time, "For¡­


    ¡­For glory."


    But soon, however, that beauty was reced by unmatched violence as they saw Rhys justpletely push his entire arm through a soldier¨Cthere was not even a resistance at all as his hand prated the soldier''s chest te.


    And of course, the soldiers of Thebes have noticed that too¡ªand none of them were rushing toward Rhys anymore.


    As for Rhys, when he saw that no one was approaching him anymore, he also stopped moving and just stared at each of them with his silver eyes.


    He then started walking around, causing the soldiers of Thebes to flinch. And Rhys, well¡­ N?v(el)B\\jnn


    ¡­Rhys said nothing at all. He just continued walking around until his eyes eventually caught someone and pointed at him.


    The soldiers of Thebes all turned to look to where he was pointing, only to see someone on top of a horse right in the middle of their formation¡ªtheir Prince.


    The soldiers of Thebes wondered at first¡ªdid he want them to give up the Prince? If so, that was something that they could never do. But soon, however, they saw Rhys pick up a sword and back away; swinging it around before once again pointing toward Prince Ducetios.


    And as soon as they saw that, the soldiers of Thebes all moved away one by one.


    "What¡­ what are all of you doing!?" Prince Ducetios spun around with his horse as he saw all his men moving away, "Kill him! He is just one man!"


    "He requests a duel, Your Highness¡­


    ¡­you can not refuse, or the gods will smite us."


    Doing it old style. Rhys fits in this world doe


    Romeru


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