“NEROU LEPIDA!”

30 seconds had already passed since I came back from the illusion. So, I guess I have 30 more seconds now.

Nerou Lepida is the most basic attack I ever learnt. But if you look at attacks made by experts, they are always basic and have a deeper meaning in them. Nerou Lepida is actually only a quarter of the attack move of a God.

It throws a blade made of water on the target by condensing water from the atmosphere. It's attack power depends on your surroundings and one's own mastery in it.

It was thought of as a weak move in the demigods palace, but only when I had learnt it had I realised the gifts of the attack. Once mastered it's slicing ability had increased phenomenally.

My sword shone as I swung it and blue coloured blade came rushing out of it ready to slice the Poneron. But my sword wasn't fast enough as the Poneron dodges to the side. It wasn't a complete failure though, one of the Ponerons arm fell off it's shoulders.

Blood gushed out from its shoulder and it's hand created a flower pattern of blood on the ground. The Poneron didn't make any noise and kept on running. It looked like it didn't even know that its arm had been cut off.

35 seconds

I was running out of breath by chasing after it as it requires a large amount of energy to execute a god move, even if it's just a quarter of it.

Sweat fell like rain from my cheeks, but I won't give up now, besides even if it looked like the Poneron was fine after one of its arm was cut off, it's speed had gotten visibly slower.

45 seconds

Huff puff-

50 seconds

“HAAAAA AAH!! NEROUUU -”

“Hehehe~ aren't you forgetting something mortal?”

Fuck!! Theodore! I left him behind! I stopped my attack suddenly which caused a large recoil as spit out a large amount of blood.

The energies in my body collided as I was sent flying by my own attack, this is why I hated Ponerians. Very good at playing mind games.

60 seconds

Time was up and the Ponera had escaped. I got up to my feet and started running towards the direction I came in.

This had happened a few times in my life before.

Monsters trying to distract their opposition because they couldn't beat them. And there were two outcomes- one, it was just a bluff made by the monster to get away. Two, the people I left behind were already dead by the time I arrived.

The Poneron I was chasing couldn't be tracked down anymore so all I could do was hope for the best and hope it was the first option.

I ran as fast as my feet could take me. When I reached, I stopped suddenly as the shoes made a noise due to friction between the shoes and the ground.

Zrrrrrrrkkkk~

“Haaaah haaaah”

They were safe.

It was just a bluff.

I thanked the so called 'gods’ which I rarely did. I tied the amber stones back on to my wrist as I breathed heavily.

Sigh~ relief washed over me as I watched Theodore sleep with a sound face.

I looked at the other guy…….

I didn't really have any good feelings for him but it didn't mean I wanted him to die. Although he was also a reason for Jessica's death. There were many factors that played a role in her death, his was the smallest and mine was the largest. When me myself was the biggest reason, why would I blame others?

Everything was fine for now except we had an active Poneron on the loose. And a trouble making one at that.

Also- the other problem was….. how do I carry the two of them back?

“Is this the place?” Theodore asked me with a doubtful look.

“Yeah, it is. I'm pretty sure I was standing here when I arrived.”

Theodore suddenly looked at me with astonishment.

“Wow! You can actually stand straight when you get kicked in the ass?”

😅

“What are you talking about?”

“Oh! It's when you got teleported to this place! Didn't you get kicked in the ass?”

“I'm pretttty sure I didn't.”

“But don't you have to get kicked in the ass to get teleported?”

“Ha..ha...ha...ha I don't think it works like that.”

“What?!”

“Anyway Theodore hold that guy properly we are going to send a signal to the palace to set up a teleportation portal.”

I woke up Theodore first because I didn't want to hear the light gods rantings, besides he would just be a burden with his slow speed.

It was pretty easy to wake up the energetic Theodore anyway.

As I stood on the concrete ground where Alex, Beatrix and me had stood to first arrive in this place. I sent a message to the palace by drawing a complex symbol on the ground.

A Purple colour circle flashed in front of me and Theodore as soon as I drew the symbol. It engulfed us as if it were eating us.

The next part was the worst…. I had to feel like I was traveling I was on a roller coaster, only it was 20 times worse and 20 time faster.

When we arrived after 5 seconds later which felt like a lifetime. My head spun as I literally saw stars in front of me. I don't know why but my whole body weakened and I felt the world suddenly go dark.

Benza-

“AAAHH!!”

My whole body was sweating as I found myself in a similar situation.

White clothes, wooden bed and wooden everything.

I was sleeping and I just had a nightmare I suppose?

“Haaah HaaaaH.

What the fuck…. Why am I here? What's wrong with me now? As if something wasn't wrong enough.”

Tuuuk~

The wooden everything's wooden door opened and an old man walked in.

“Yo, it's you old man. Wassup?”

“Ha..Ha...ha, it seems the Lord has learnt quite a lot of new words.”

“Yeah…. It kinda happens when you talk with Theodore a lot ya’know. Anyway….what was your name again?”

😢

“I-its Bruce…….”

“What are you crying for? I only forgot your name.”

😭

“It's nothing.”

Tuuuk~ the door opened again and another old man walked in. Only this time he looked young but he was way older than the previous old man.

Bruce quickly arranged himself and became serious.

He bowed in 90 degree.

“Headmaster!”

Brook just waved his hand to signal him to lift himself up.

“I don't know why I have to come meet you everytime you mess things up.”

“What are you talking about?”

While me and Brook were talking, Bruce took this chance and quickly ran out of the wooden room.

“Why is he so scared of you?”

“Cause I pay him.”

“... You sound kinda like Theodore”

“You too.”

“It happens I guess?”

“Yeah.”

We stayed silent for a while. It was a strange moment, it was as if we were reminiscing of the past.

“I heard you were caught in the curse of the Ponera.”

Just hearing that word made my heartbeat faster and it made me feel a strong feeling of hatred rising in me from nowhere.

“Don't even remind me of that…… fucking Ponerons, always bring bad luck to me.”

“Well…. I'm not here to ask you anything about the experience of your worst nightmare. In fact I came here to tell you that you should clean the mess you caused again and I'm tired of sayin it.”

“What is it this time?”

“You- didn't complete your mission. It was completed but by others and you would be dead right now if there wasn't someone helping you this time.”

“So, you're telling me the demigods don't agree with it and their telling me they won't help me becoz I didn't complete the mission properly?”

“Yes.”

I felt my face burning as I got angrier. I felt if I could see those stupid demigods, I would punch them in the face.

“Fucking hell! This while fucking situation is fucking annoying!!”

I got from the bed and started flipping everything around. I took the wooden cup and smashed it on the ground. I took up a plate and threw it at Brook's face( which he dodged. Of, course). I flipped the wooden table and punched the wooden walls.

“AAAAHHHH!”

“Damn!

Damn!

Damn!

Damn!”

I punched the fucking wall till I broke my fingers.

“AAAAHHHH!!”

I released all the pent up emotions I had inside of me. Everything felt like a nuisance.

“Why is this happening to me?! Do they fucking know what it's like to be a fucking scapegoat?! Do they know how it feels like to be in a different body than your own?! I fought a fucking Poneron ok?! And i didn't even have anything to support me!”

I felt like a fart. I was a GOD. A supreme existence. Anything and everything I wanted could be done and now even puny demigods don't fucking respect me!

“Those fuckers…. I'll make another speech at dinner.”

I don't know why but I felt Brook smiling at me. Not the good one but a dark one.

“Sure… make sure you come to dinner. I don't know why you suddenly broke out like that but you should do it more often, it help your body lose stress. You should also thank me for making everything in this room wooden or you would be thinking of how you would pay me back right now.”

“Just get the fuck out…. I want to be alone.”

He walked towards the door and opened it before walking out-

Tuuuk~

I sat on the wooden bed as my broken fingers were bleeding. I finally realised a new feeling- loneliness.

I had read about it in a book but I never thought much of it. As one of the 15 main gods I had plenty of flatterers all-around me but they weren't honest. They praises had hidden agendas deep within them. I had always felt lonely actually, never realised it.

That Poneron had showed me something I hadn't want to see.

It would have been better if I hadn't remembered her. I had people everywhere around me but all of them were with me because of my position, not because they wanted to become my friends.

“Haaaaaah hwoooooooo”

I took a deep breath in and out.

I don't know why but doing stupid things like that made feel worse inside of me but it also felt like I had relieved a burden. What burden was I carrying? I do not know.

I looked out of the window as I saw the stars. They were pretty. Just like how my mother had been.

“Mother…………..”

I felt two drops of water on my face. I touched my face and noticed I was crying. Why was I crying? Why did my heart hurt? Why was I feeling stifled?

I do not know. Is this what they called sadness? As a god you don't experience this. I was neither happy nor sad being a god. It always felt empty.

I had cried two times now. In all my life it was about 3 times now.

I rubbed the tears off my face with my sleeve as I promised never to cry again.

I got up and walked out of the wooden room.

Justin-

“What is this?”

“It's the Poneron’s hand. I cut it off in battle.”

I was sitting in the headmaster's office right now. There was a small hand that was wrapped around bandages.

“Hmmm… so you’re telling me…. That you fought the Poneron?”

“Yes.”

Brook looked at me suspiciously as I was nervous as hell.

“How did you defeat it?”

“I attacked it when it was about to use its spell…”

“Wait- if you attacked it when it was about to cast the spell, then why were the other two unconscious?”

“They were already unconscious by the time I got there.”

“Ok… then why would the Poneron use the spell if they were already unconscious?”

Brook started frowning and his deep purple eyes looked at me as if he could see anything he wanted.

I tried to smile as naturally as possible while answering him.

“I-I don't know…”

“Hmmmm…. Ok, you can leave.”

Hooooooh- I released a sound of relief in my mind as I got up from the chair. If this continued I would have been caught.

I couldn't tell him I had the amber stones. They were a 'God’ artifact. The word God just put a lot of pressure on me and trying to hide it was tough.

Although Jessica could have this because her parent god had given it to her, I couldn't own it 'officially’. After the owner dies, all their equipment goes to the palace to be used when required. Also this could be considered as stealing and I could face some serious punishments if anyone discovered I had the God artifact.

The last thing that Jessica had given to me was this amber band/ necklace and I DID NOT WANT TO LOSE IT.

Just as I was about to open the door to get out of this interrogative atmosphere Brook called out to me.

“Justin.”

I felt my whole back sweat as I felt the alarm bells in my body go haywire.

“What is it?”

“Nothing, just wanted to tell you that you made major contribution to the palace by giving this arm to me.

We could make some healing potions with the immortal blood and some equipment as well. Thank you.”

The tense atmosphere went away as the headmaster reverted back to his indifferent face.

“Oh… it’s nothing. It's my responsibility to do things like this.”

“I know, and you better follow them properly…. You can go now.”

As soon as he said that I opened the door and got out of their as fast I could.

“Damn…”

My whole back was wet with sweat. His aura was very terrifying.

The door opened again as he came out.

“Ah!”

I was surprised by seeing him come out so suddenly.

“You're still here?”

Of course I am, I can't travel like a certain monster.

“Well then let's go together for dinner!”

The headmaster started walking towards the dinner hall.

Oh right! I hadn't eaten anything since I came back. Other than feeling pain all over my body I couldn't really do anything.

Let's eat I guess?