Order In Chaos

At one point, Henry, unable to find Neo, almost went berserk. If he had found Neo a day later, he did not know what he would've done.

"Neo has changed," Henry said.

When he met him today, he was no longer shaking in his boots. He looked at Henry in the eyes when Henry cursed at him. His movements and tone were filled with undeniable confidence.

Neo had grown. How did it happen? What did he go through in a few days to mature so suddenly?

"Young master, is he… possessed by an Outer God?" the butler questioned. "It is the only way I can explain his change."

"Possessed, huh."

Henry felt a throbbing pain on his scar. He took out another cigarette and took a puff. The pain lessened.

"I didn't sense the presence of an Outer God on him and…" He took a drag. "His habits are the same. That wouldn't be possible if he is a different person."

The person was Neo, and he was maturing.

'I guess it's time for the chick to leave the nest.'

Henry smiled. He was happy his brother was changing. Honestly, he didn't want Neo to enter the Demigod Academy as it was dangerous.

But in their world, weakness was a sin.

As much as Henry hated to think about it, he wouldn't always be there to protect Neo.

He turned to the butler. "What about the documents I asked?"

"I've brought them."

Henry took the pile of papers from the butler. He flipped through them and clicked his tongue.

"That bitch left a protector for her daughter."

After the Tyrant Queen's death, there were countless demigods who wanted to snatch the Tremor-ranked Spell from Amelia. However, almost any organization who tried to make a move was suddenly destroyed.

It was an open warning. The Tyrant Queen might be dead. But her daughter was not defenseless.

"Master, is the protector…"

"Yeah, it's that bitch herself. She isn't dead."

After knowing Neo's skill, Henry was sure his brother saved the Queen and inherited her Spell as compensation.

"At least that dickhead has good business sense. He earned a giant profit and removed a roadblock for me." Henry added, "Create a fake identity for the bitch."

His words confused the butler.

"Why are you trying to help the Tyrant Queen, master?"

"I'm helping my brother."

Henry inhaled the cigarette.

"That bitch owes a favor to him. It's better for us if she isn't caught. Someone as strong as her would be a valuable ally for Neo. Besides, no one would think I helped her. We aren't in any danger."

After discussing the important matters, the butler was about to leave when suddenly Henry called out to him.

"Did you prepare the thing I asked for Neo's ranking competition?"

"Yes," the butler bowed. "It will be completed by tomorrow morning."

…

Underworld

Neo opened his eyes. A foot was coming down to stomp his head. He swiftly rolled away, and he jumped to his feet.

"What?"

One, two, three… ten, eleven… twenty…

Countless Gulwaks rushed at him. There was no time to gather his thoughts or ask Barbatos about the training's content. He had to fight as soon as he arrived.

A Gulwak slashed the dagger at his head.

Neo twisted his head with minimal movements.

He shattered the Gulwak's neck with Necrotic Touch and snatched the dagger from it.

Just as he was about to fight, the Gulwak, despite missing its head, grabbed his leg and clawed his feet.

'They can move without a head?' Neo was surprised.

Despite being ambushed as soon as he came to the Underworld, he didn't feel threatened. Instead, he was excited.

'More.'

'I want to fight more.'

Fighting made his blood boil with excitement.

Every time he nearly died to Gulwak — everyone could die in the Underworld according to Barbatos, and if that happened, their souls would not reincarnate and instead be shattered — he came close to Death. The feeling was addicting, and exhilarating.

Neo was about to stomp the Gulwak when suddenly another tried to pounce on his back.

He forcefully freed his right foot and, by spinning on his other foot, smashed the right foot in the Gulwak's face.

Without stopping, he used the momentum to drop a hammer kick on the Gulwak clawing his left foot. An arrow stabbed into his back.

'They have archers.'

Neo scanned his surroundings when another swift spear stabbed towards his head.

'These sick bastards. They are aiming for my head again.'

He barely managed to twist his neck in time.

The feeling of closeness to Death made his own Death Affinity wriggle in excitement.

For mastering Elements, one needed to get close to them.

For Death Element, Neo needed to get close to death, which he was currently doing by narrowly dodging death and killing the Gulwaks.

He lost his left ear and a portion of his face in exchange for saving his life.

While Neo dodged the attack, he closed the gap and dashed towards the Gulwak instead of retreating.

The skeleton did not expect such a move, and Neo plunged the dagger into the spear-wielding Gulwak's lower jaw.

Instantly, Neo tilted his head, and an arrow whizzed past his head.

He took away his spear as the dead Gulwak fell, then he spun on his feet and threw the weapon like a javelin.

The attack pierced through three Gulwaks and nailed the bow-wielding Gulwak to the ground.

"Got you—"

A war hammer struck his head. Neo's vision spun.

His ears rang loudly and he stumbled.

'Why the fuck do they keep going after my head?'

Blood poured out of his nose and eyes. He could barely think straight. His Death Affinity was crackling in excitement from the near-death hits.

The Gulwak smashed the war hammer into Neo's stomach and threw him into the sand.

The attack, followed with pain, brought clarity to Neo's mind.

He rolled away before the war hammer turned his chest into a paste. But, he couldn't dodge the attack completely. His fingers were crushed.

'What's up with these guys today? They are unusually aggressive.'

Neo's fingers swiftly regenerated on their own, and he continued fighting.

He broke the war hammer-wielding Gulwak's knee with a stomp and took a glimpse at the timer.

[Time Remaining: 11 hours: 58 minutes]

'Only two minutes passed?' Neo was stunned. He had been feeling like he had been fighting for hours.

Instead of being afraid, his eyes burned in excitement.

It only meant he could fight more.

As if agreeing to him, his Death Affinity roared in the form of red lightning around him.

He activated the Ocean's Embrace Spell after several attempts as he dodged the attacks.

His body was covered in a thin-blue film.

Suddenly, an arrow struck his nape. The attack bounced harmlessly off his skin and Neo only felt a slight pain.

'Now, I can fight even longer.'

He held his weapon with a tight grip, and looked around.

Gulwaks were fierce, but they fought systematically. The battles with them were similar to turn-based combat normally. They would attack, Neo would dodge, Neo would attack and, if they didn't die, they would attack again.

But today?

They fought like mad hounds. All of them rushed at him and attacked without caring about friendly fire or self-harm.

The worst part? They were cooperating with each other even though it looked like they were attacking in mad rage.

When Neo eliminated two Gulwaks, it turned out they were bait for the third Gulwak to use.

They were fighting chaotically, but somehow there was order in their chaos.

'I'll die at this rate. Even if I don't, I'll tire myself out.'

Neo needed to change location. Preferably to a place where he wasn't open to attacks from all sides like he was now.