Defeat

'I was overconfident… Dammit…'

Neo wasn't afraid of death or the pain. That was why he had fought until the last moment instead of escaping by reviving himself.

His goal was to become the strongest.

He understood that he needed to do his best—even if that meant fighting until the last moment—to achieve his goal.

If he always ran away, just because the enemy was stronger, then he would never become the strongest.

Always winning, no matter if you were stronger or weaker than your opponent, was what one the strongest.

However, the crushing defeat left a scar on his mind.

Being defeated while he could not do a single thing to his enemy made him realize his weakness.

He had been put down with an overwhelming difference.

'Fuck.'

Why? Why was he so overconfident?

Was it because he defeated the Death skill? Or was it because he saved Elizabeth?

Maybe, it was because he had the support of two of the strongest beings?

'Shit.'

He felt like shit.

He thought everything would go his way since he knew the future and had the bloodline of Hades.

But when it actually mattered, he couldn't put up a fight at all.

Loser.

Pathetic.

Mediocre.

That was how he had been in his last life.

He thought he changed in this world, but he was still defeated easily.

Neo removed his hand from his face and stared at the ceiling.

Now what? What should a loser like him do? Return to the Underworld?

Neo would be killed.

Then, should he act like he used to in his previous world?

Yeah, he could stay in the world of living, and not return to the Underworld.

That way, he would be safe.

But as soon as the thought of escaping came into his mind, he instinctively rejected it.

'I'm not going to escape.'

Even if his choice would lead to his death.

Neo clenched his fists. His nails dug into his palm until they bled.

[Warning! You've left the Quest area!]

[Please return!]

[Warning! If the User does not return to the Quest area in 10 days, the Quest will be forfeited!]

Neo stared at the screen. Ten days…

He could ignore the Quest. At best, he would lose the Holy Affinity.

But how many times would he accept defeat?

It's difficult right now, I should retreat, I can try again.

If he thought like that once, he would do it again and again in the future.

That was how he became a loser in his past world.

Neo clenched his fists.

Ten days. He would become strong enough to crush the Gremlins in ten days.

Even if he had to die for it. Neo would achieve his goal.

Drowned in his thoughts, he didn't realize he was being influenced by Darkness.

His mind and emotions were in shambles after having been ripped apart piece by piece, then eaten alive.

Pain and fear were influencing him.

Darkness heightened those emotions and turned his mind into a mess.

"Neo? What happened?"

Amelia's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned around to hide his face.

"Nothing, I just woke up."

Contrary to the usual, Amelia did not stop talking.

"Did you have a nightmare? You are shivering."

He… was shivering?

Why?

Was it because he was afraid of the pain?

His body shivered unconsciously when he thought about the brutal death.

After all, his body had been ripped piece by piece by the Gremlins while they ate him alive. Being afraid was—

'Pathetic.'

Even after dying multiple times, he was afraid of pain.

Neo bit his lips.

When he didn't answer, Amelia continued, "It's okay if you are afraid. Everyone has times when they encounter difficulties. You can tell me."

A trickle of blood flowed from Neo's lips. He opened his mouth to speak, to ask for help, but he abruptly stopped.

Finally, he opened his mouth, but the words that came out were not a request for help.

"It's just cold," he said as he suppressed the tremors in his voice. "I'm sleepy. Don't talk to me anymore."

"…Okay." Amelia continued. "But you can always talk to me if you are having a hard time."

Neo didn't understand why Amelia was talking the way she was.

He didn't want to understand anything right now.

His mind was occupied with his own problems.

The mental exhaustion from using Darkness and everything else he went through in the Underworld made it difficult for him to keep his eyes open.

He fell asleep.

"Neo?"

Amelia raised her upper body from the bed. She leaned closer to his face and noticed the blood flowing out of his lips.

"Why won't you ask for help? Even if I can't do anything, I can at least hear you out."

Revealing a weakness would help him reduce the burden on his heart.

But Neo had closed off his heart.

Amelia could not do anything but wait for him.

She wiped the blood from his lips and covered him with a blanket.

"Sleep well," she said to Neo.

…

Neo woke up when he heard the knocks on the door.

He felt refreshed.

With the passage of time, the influence of Darkness on his mind had reduced, and he was back to his previous self.

"Young Master, may I come in?"

"Yeah."

He noticed the blanket.

"When did I use this?"

Yawning, he was about to get off the bed until he noticed Amelia holding his hand in her sleep. Before Neo could open her grip, the butler entered the room.

"Please get ready, Young Master. The Lord has called for you."

"I will get ready soon."

While he spoke with a serious expression, he was trying to get Amelia to open her hand. Why was this woman's grip so powerful?!

The butler ignored his actions and he was thankful for it.

He would've died from embarrassment otherwise.

"Yawn, Neo, you are awake?"

Amelia rubbed her eyes and removed the strand of hair on her face.

Half asleep, she looked at her hand which held Neo's hand, looked up at Neo, then back at their hands.

"Ah!"

Her face turned beet red as she let go.

"Good morning, Miss Amelia," the butler greeted her.

"G-good morning."

"I will be waiting for you two outside. Please get ready."

It didn't take long for them to freshen up.

They left the room and had breakfast.

After filling their stomachs, the butler took them to Henry's room.

The butler knocked on the door.

"Master, I've brought Young Master and Miss Amelia."

"Come inside."

They entered the room.

Henry sat across the table and calmly sipped tea.

"Sit," he said.

Neo and Amelia followed his words.

Amelia felt awkward in front of Henry's piercing gaze.

Neo, however, did not feel any pressure.

'He knows I lied yesterday,' Neo thought.

It was easy to confirm the pregnancy with the methods available in this world.

The target wouldn't even know they had been tested.

Henry must've used one of them.

He was probably letting Amelia live as he didn't want to antagonize Neo or maybe he had other intentions.

Neo wasn't interested in knowing the reason. As long as Amelia was safe until Elizabeth returned, his job was done.

"Bring it."

The butler placed a suitcase on the table at Henry's command.

"What's this?" Neo asked.

"Your gift for passing the Demigod Academy's exam," Henry said.